Terms & Conditions

Making a Reservation

Please keep your confirmation safe as you may be asked to present this upon arrival at the property. An initial 30% non-refundable/non-transferable deposit plus a £250 security deposit is required during the booking stages; payable via credit or debit card. Balance of payment to be paid 14 days prior to arrival date which is debited from card details given during the reservation process unless we have been informed otherwise in writing. This applies for any direct bookings or via Third Party Agents sites such as Booking.com, Trivago, Airbnb, or any other. For all Booking.com reservations, please note that we will take payment direct from your card details supplied within 24 hours of making your reservation. Please ensure that contact numbers are accurate. In the unlikely event your card is not authorised we will contact you by Booking.com extranet site, alternatively by telephone. Should we be unable to make contact with you and no payments have been made against the booking, we reserve the right to cancel the reservation without further notice.

All deposits and final balances are taken from card details supplied at the time of booking for all reservations which includes 2 or more units. Should you book more than one unit and wish to pay separately, you must contact us immediately on 01360 870 044 after making your reservation. Should you wish to amend or cancel a reservation made via the Booking.com platform, please contact them directly quoting your unique reservation number and four digit pin. It is unfortunate that we cannot amend or cancel any Booking.com reservations on your behalf. Provisional reservations will be held for 24 hours pending receipt of deposit after which the provisional booking will be cancelled. On receipt of deposit the booking will be confirmed. Please note, to safeguard against any form of credit card fraud, we will not allow anyone other than the booker named on all confirmations to sign for check-in. The card used to secure your booking must be presented on arrival, during the check-in process.

Arrivals & Departures

Your accommodation will be ready for you by 3.00pm on the day of arrival, and the property must be vacated by 10.00am on day of departure. Please make your way to the main office on arrival where you will be welcomed and taken to your accommodation and shown around. Any arrivals after 6.00pm should be notified in advance in writing. We do not guarantee any arrivals after 20:00pm therefore we kindly request that all guests arrive by this time. Alternative arrangements can be made whereby a key box is made available to access the property in cases of a very late arrival. A refundable security deposit is required in case of damage, loss, theft or antisocial behaviour to the property or its contents. (However, the sum reserved by this clause shall not limit the Client's liability to the Owner). Security deposits can take between 48-72 hours to credit back to accounts depending on your own bank however, Couston Lakes Ltd does release the sum paid by 15:00pm on the day of departure unless this has been retained for any of the above.

Early Arrivals / Late Departures

Earlier arrivals prior to 3:00pm cannot always be guaranteed due to additional cleaning measures with new guidelines laid down by the government due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Same rule applies for later departures. Should we allow for early arrivals or later departures, an additional £25.00 per hour will apply and must be paid prior to arrival. Earliest arrival time is from 13:00pm and latest departure time is 12 noon however; this remains at our discretion.

Security Deposits

A £250.00 security deposit applies to all accommodations during the booking stage. Security deposits are non-negotiable and fully payable upon arrival. All security deposits are per unit which is detailed within your confirmation of booking. These are to safeguard against loss, theft, damage or anti-social behaviour however are fully refundable by 15:00pm on the day of departure should we find everything satisfactory. These can take between 48-72 hours to show again on your account after departure however, this depends on weekends, festive periods but most importantly your own bank. Should there be a delay in crediting back to your account we strongly recommend that you contact your own bank. All security deposits are required by credit or debit card, unfortunately cash cannot be accepted as per our insurance policies.

Hausboot and ModdPod Keys

Security of our guests is essential. Lost keys as standard will be charged at a rate of £195.00 per set. The cost of £195.00 is to cover the change of locks by a locksmith. We advise you use the lockable safe at the property daily to mitigate key losses. We reserve the right to deduct the cost from the damage deposit for replacing lost keys or misplaced keys of £195.00. Your authorised signatory during the check-in process will offer us your express consent. Keys should be returned to reception on departure using the red key drop box located outside the main office. Failure to drop off keys on departure will incur a cost. You will also accept Couston Lakes terms of entry during the check-in process. The lead guest accepts this on their behalf and on the behalf of all other guests within your party. All correspondence is dealt with by the main booker only. The units are offered only on the understanding that: Guests do not exceed the maximum advertised numbers of people staying in each Hausboot and ModdPod Guests agree to our terms and conditions and terms of entry We reserve the right to refuse or curtail any booking which exceeds stated numbers. Your booking will be available from 3pm on the day of arrival. Departure time is 10am.

Cleaning

The property should be left clean and tidy on departure and any damages must be reported prior to departure. Property left in a dirty or inappropriate manner can result in an additional cleaning surcharge or loss of security deposits for any damages. All rubbish must be disposed in bin store area prior to check out in line with current COVID guidelines. We reserve the right to charge additional fees for removal of any or all rubbish left behind which will be debited from security deposits without further notice.

Pets

We welcome dogs at Couston Lakes and much like their owners, we expect them to be on their best behaviour. Only our ModdPods are dog friendly. Dogs are not permitted in the Hausboots. Please confirm when you're booking your accommodation as we do not wish to disappoint any of our guests. Dogs must be pre-booked in advance to comply with insurance policies, please confirm when booking as a small charge of £25.00 per dog applies. We prefer for dogs NOT to be allowed on the beds or the furniture. Dogs cannot be left on their own at any time in the accommodation under any circumstance. Dog owners are expected to clear up after their pet, bin and bag dog dirt and place in one of the outdoor bins on site. Dogs must be listed on the booking form at the time of reservation.

Couston Lakes has fantastic places to walk and to enjoy the company of your best friend. Should you wish to bring along your well-behaved furry friend we will allow up to a maximum of 1 well-behaved dog (one dog per ModdPod). N.B. at the time of booking guests must state the type and breed of dog/s they intend to bring on holiday. The dog/s cost is £25 per dog which is payable at the time of booking. Never leave your dog/s unattended in any of our units. Guests are held responsible for any damage caused by their dog/s and will incur extra cleaning costs if deemed necessary. You are expected to keep your dog/s under the control of an adult at all times. Dogs need to be on a lead at all times whilst walking in Couston Lakes grounds, and must be under their owner’s control around the car parking area and the accommodation you are residing. You must bring your dog/s own bed and bedding.

We do prefer that dogs are not allowed, on the rugs or use the throws which we provide for your use. If dogs are staying overnight we must request that they do not sleep on beds. In the interest of cleanliness we insist that all fouling be dealt with immediately and appropriately by depositing in one of our bins which are provided throughout the park. During wet weather, please clean your dog/s thoroughly before they enter the accommodation. Should you need any additional towelling for dogs, please let us know. We have an outside tap for assisting with cleaning dirty dogs and muddy boots. Dogs that are specified in the Dangerous Dogs Act are respectfully not permitted on the Park. We cannot unfortunately accept puppies and all dogs must be fully house-trained. We do not accept any other type of pet, cat or animal, bird, insects or reptiles etc.

Smoking and BBQs & Candles

For Health and Safety reasons smoking is NOT PERMITTED in our accommodation or on the decking of our Hausboots or ModdPods. If we detect that smoking has occurred, we will make an additional charge of £150 for intensive cleaning. Smoking in Scotland in any form of accommodation is against the law. Smoking bins are provided throughout the park, and we request that all guests dispose of their cigarette ends considerately making sure they are extinguished properly as the accommodation is surrounded by woodland and bracken. Under no circumstances should cigarettes be disposed off in the lake. Those caught doing this may be put subject to removal from Couston Lakes. BBQ’s are not offered by Couston Lakes at each unit however, you must supply your own coals and firelighters. COVID-19 guidelines on the use of shared facilities is not permitted. You are also more than welcome however to bring along your own disposable BBQ. We kindly request that you do not burn or scorch grass or decking or use indoors. Candles or incandescent items are not permitted in any of our units or on our decking areas. All units incorporate timber frame as part of their construction and therefore to comply with strict insurance criteria along with fire safety measures, candles or incandescent items are not permitted on these grounds.

Damages

All damages and losses will be charged in full without exception. All accommodations are checked after departure and should we find any damages this will be automatically deducted from security deposits paid. Your agreement during the registration process has given us express permission in this circumstance.

Occupancy

The maximum number to reside in the property must not exceed the number stated on the booking form unless the Owner has given written permission. We will not allow fire safety regulations to be breached. Guests who are not declared will be immediately asked to vacate the site.

Vehicles/Personal Property

As well as cancellation and curtailment insurance, we always recommend that you take out holiday insurance to cover loss or damage to personal effects or in the unlikely event you cannot make the trip.

Vehicles, accessories and contents are left at their owners risk. The proprietors will not be held responsible for any loss or damage or any injury to persons not caused through the fault of the proprietor. Our car park can comfortably accommodate up to a maximum of 20 cars. During peak times when our car park is full, please use the reception car park as an overflow area for parking. Please note that there is parking outside our units.

We do not reserve nor guarantee any car park spaces for any units, this is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Restriction on Rental

We reserve the right to remove person or persons from the property due to unreasonable behaviour, damage to the property or exceeding the stated occupancy. In this case no refund will be given.

WI-FI

We actively do not offer nor promote Wi-Fi on our site. As an Eco-Resort; our aim is for everyone to enjoy spending time with each other in the great outdoors. Pretend its 1985 and talk to each other! Full 4G signal is available for those who simply cannot go without.

Cancellation

ALL DEPOSITS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE AND NON-TRANSFERRABLE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE (except security deposits).

PLEASE CONSIDER CAREFULLY BEFORE CONFIRMING ANY RESERVATIONS.

FOR BOOKINGS UNABLE TO GO AHEAD DUE TO COVID. PLEASE REFER TO OUR COVID-19 TAB.

If you need to cancel a reservation for any reason, please notify the provider you make the booking with. We cannot cancel any bookings on behalf of any third party online travel operators. You must immediately notify the agent you made the booking with, and cancellation must be in writing 15 days or more prior to arrival. In the event of cancellation of 15 days or more, we will make every effort to re-let the booking, and you will be reimbursed any final outstanding balances paid however, your 30% deposit will be retained. Should we be unable to re-let the accommodation, the full sum is retained. For any cancellations which are 14 days or less, no refunds will be given. We again, strongly advise that you take out insurance cover to prevent the loss of monies paid. By agreeing to a booking and offering card details to secure, you have agreed to these terms above. Date transfers will only be permitted under extenuating circumstance without the loss of deposits or final balances however, any decision we make in this respect is final. 15 days or more prior to arrival will result in the loss of your initial 30% deposit payment. 14 days or less prior to arrival will result in full forfeiture of all monies paid. Arrivals after 22:00pm may not be honoured and reservations may be cancelled unless we have made alternative arrangements with you in writing beforehand.

Adverse Travel Conditions/Weather

The proprietor shall not be held liable to the Client:- For any temporary defects or stoppage in the supply of public services to the property, nor in respect of any equipment, machinery or appliance in the property. For any loss, damage or injury, which is the result of adverse, weathers, conditions, riot, war, strikes, natural disasters, illness (including Coronavirus) or other matters beyond their control.

Food Deliveries

Some guests may wish to pre-book food deliveries from supermarket chains. We can accept these on our guests' behalf between the hours of 12 noon and 15:00pm only, thereafter we cannot take responsibility. We recommend that any guests who have pre-booked deliveries must reach site by arrival time of 15:00pm in order to accept these for themselves. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss, damage or non-delivery of food shopping organised by our guests.

Washing and Drying Facilities

None of our units are equipped with washing and drying facilities. Access to this equipment is available upon request, located directly behind our site office. Please speak with our reception team upon arrival. Use of these facilities are strictly on a first come first serve basis. Additional supplementary charges will apply.

Availability

Each booking is made in good faith with the belief that the accommodation will be available to the guest on date stated. If for any reason due to circumstances outwith our control, the property is not available, we will reserve another like for like unit to the same standard or indeed upgrade. In the event we are unable to guarantee provision of alternative accommodation, the deposit and balance paid will be refunded in full. The guest will then have no further claim against the proprietor. The proprietor also reserves the right to transfer the guest(s) to another property of the same size without prior notification to meet business demand in order to satisfy all our guests needs. Please note that all accommodation bed configurations are a mixture of double beds, and singles. If in any doubt, please contact us on 01360 870 044. To improve the facilities within the properties, the proprietors reserve the right to alter or amend the contents made available at Couston Lakes prior to updating marketing material.

Liability

Under no circumstances shall the proprietors liability to the client exceed the amount paid to them for the rental period. This contract shall be governed by Scots Law in every particular including formation and interpretation and shall be deemed to have been made in Scotland. Any proceedings arising out of or in connection with this contract may be brought in any court of competent jurisdiction in Scotland.

Unreasonable Behaviour Zero Tolerance Policy

We reserve the right to terminate a holiday without notice and compensation, where unreasonable or anti-social behaviour by guests who impair the enjoyment, comfort or health of other guests and staff within our properties or on the park. Our decision in this respect is final. Couston Lakes operates a ‘quiet’ night policy after 10pm. From 10pm until 7.30am we operate a zero tolerance to anti-social disturbance or noise. We request all guests adhere to this policy particularly when using the outdoor areas during the evening. Loud music must be kept to an absolute minimum after 22:00pm.

Activity Disclaimer

Disclaimers will be required should any of our guests decide to take part in any activities which involve our lake which includes kayaking, canoeing swimming etc. Disclaimers must be signed and agreed by each individual and not necessarily by the main booker of the accommodation.

NB Diving is NOT permitted at anytime from upper levels of our Hausboots into the lake.

Additional Supplements

We understand our terms and conditions are somewhat formal, however, they are fundamentally necessary to ensure you have the best possible experience as do our other guests. We want you to return in the future and enjoy our facilities.

The Management and Staff at Couston Lakes.

Office opening and closing times
01st April to 31st August 10:00am to 18:00pm
01st September to 31st March 10:30am to 17:00pm (subject to change and based on opening hours)

Telephone: +44 1360 870 044

Email: info@coustonlakes.com