Terms and Conditions for booking at Kirkennan Estate Holiday Cottages
Updated 23rd Feb 2025
1) Making your booking: The booker must be at least 18 years old at the time of booking. All bookings are provisional until confirmed by us. The maximum occupancy of each cottage is set by our License and must not be exceeded.
2) Payment: When you book, you should pay the deposit due by bank transfer in pounds sterling. By paying the deposit you indicate that you agree to abide with our terms and conditions. We must receive the balance owed no less than 8 weeks before the first day of your booking. If you book less than 8 weeks before the start of your booking, we must receive full payment when you make the booking. If you do not make any payment due by the appropriate date we are entitled to assume that you want to cancel your booking.
3) Promotional material: We aim to ensure that information provided is accurate on any website and in brochures and other promotional literature or material we produce and provide. There may be small differences between the actual property and its description. This is usually because we are always aiming to improve services and facilities. Occasionally, problems mean that some facilities or services are not available or may be restricted. If this happens, we will tell you as soon as reasonably practical after we become aware of the situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any changes or closures to local services or attractions mentioned in any brochure or on any website, by us or advertised elsewhere. We make reasonable efforts to make sure that information we give you about the property and its facilities or services is accurate and complete on the date given.
4) If you cancel your booking: If you have to, or want to, cancel your booking, you must phone us on the number shown on your booking confirmation as soon as possible. If you cancel before the balance is paid your deposit is forfeit. If you cancel after the balance is paid we will do our best to re-let the property and if we are successful will refund you the lesser amount of either a) the amount you have paid less any transaction charges and re-advertising costs or b) the amount the new guests have paid less any transaction charges and re-advertising costs. If we manage to re-let the period of your booking for two or more shorter bookings we will deduct £80/£100 [Mews & Woodsedge/Lodge] per additional booking from the total that we have received to cover the additional costs of the extra changeover before calculating what is owed for you. Please note the sooner you inform us about cancellation the more likely it is that we will re-let the property.
We strongly recommend you take out insurance to cover your costs in case you need to cancel your holiday for whatever reason.
5) Cancellations or changes by the owner: As owners we do not expect to have to make any changes to your booking. However, sometimes problems happen and bookings have to be changed or cancelled or mistakes in brochures or other details corrected and we reserve the right to do so. If this is necessary we will contact you (by phone if reasonably possible in the case of a significant change or cancellation – we will let you know about minor changes by email) as soon as is reasonably practical. We will explain what has happened and let you know about the cancellation or change.
6) Events beyond our control: Unless we say otherwise in these booking conditions, we as owner will not be legally responsible either jointly or individually for any compensation if we are prevented from carrying out our responsibilities under this contract as a result of events beyond our control. This means an event we could not, even with all due care, expect or avoid, including: strike, lock-out or labour dispute; natural disaster; acts of terrorism, war, riot or civil commotion; malicious damage; keeping to any law or governmental order, rule, regulation or direction; accident; breakdown of equipment or machinery; insolvency or bankruptcy; fire, flood, snow or storm; difficulty or increased cost in getting workers, goods or transport; and other circumstances affecting the supply of goods or services.
7) Complaints and accidents: If you have a problem or are not happy with something please let us know immediately so we can try to sort it out. We will not take notice of complaints that were not raised with us during your visit. We cannot be held responsible for the breakdown of mechanical equipment such as pumps or boilers, nor for the failure of public utilities such as water and electricity. Please note internet in the cottages is provided free of charge. Whilst every effort is made to ensure continuity of service, we cannot be held responsible for disconnection due to any reason and no compensation will be due for this. If we know about a problem before you arrive, we will contact you to let you know.
If any member of your party has an accident whilst at Kirkennan we must be informed immediately and certainly before you leave the site.
8) Disabilities and medical problems: If you or any member of your party has any medical problem or disability that may affect your booking, please tell us before you confirm your booking and give us full details in writing as early as possible before you travel. We will do our best to accommodate your needs and will let you know if we feel that the property is unsuitable for your particular needs, but the decision whether to continue with the booking is yours.
9) Your cottage: You can arrive at your cottage at any time after 3pm on the start date of your rental period. You must leave by 10am on the last day. Please let us know when you expect to arrive so we can ensure that the property is warm and ready for you. If you fail to arrive by midnight on the start date of your rental period and you do not let us know you are arriving late, we may treat your booking as having been cancelled by you. In this situation, we will not refund any money you have paid.
By making this booking you and all members of your party agree to keep the property clean and tidy, and to leave the property in a similar condition as you found it when you arrived. Whilst we do not expect you to do a full spring clean on leaving we do expect you to respect the cottage and its contents and to clean up spills etc when they occur to prevent permanent damage. You and all members of your party agree to behave in a way at all times while at the property which does not break any law. You and all members of your party also agree not to use the property for any illegal or commercial purpose, including subletting it or otherwise allowing anyone to stay in it who we have not previously accepted. You are responsible to us for the actual costs of any breakage or damage in or to the property – along with any extra costs that may result - which are caused by you or any members of your party. We can ask for an extra payment from you to cover any related costs.
We can refuse to allow you into the property or ask you to leave if we reasonably believe you or any member of your party (or any other person you have invited to the property) are behaving illegally or antisocially or that any damage is likely to be caused, has been caused or is being caused by the behaviour of you or any members of your party or any person you have invited to the property. We will treat these circumstances as a cancellation by you.
10) Maximum occupancy – You must not allow more people than our maximum allowed occupancy to stay overnight in the property; our Licence to Operate is based on this occupancy. If you require use of the fold out bed in The Lodge or The Mews you must let us know at least a week before arrival. You cannot arrange for visitors to the property without our advance consent. You must not hold events (such as parties, celebrations or meetings) at the property without our advance consent. If you do any of these we can refuse to hand over the property to you, or can repossess it. If we do this, we will treat this as you cancelling the booking. In these situations you will not receive a refund of any money you have paid for your booking. And we will not be legally responsible to you as a result of this situation (for example, we will not be responsible for any costs or expenses you have to pay due to not being able to stay in the property, such as the cost of finding other accommodation.) We are not under any obligation to find any alternative accommodation for you.
11) Access by us: You must allow us or our representative (including workmen) access to the property at any reasonable time during your stay. We will inform you that this is happening (in an emergency or if a problem needs sorting out quickly and you cannot be contacted in time, we can enter the property at any time without giving you prior notice). We will accompany such workers unless you agree it is not necessary.
12) Access to Estate Grounds: Guests are welcome to use the shared gardens, woodlands and fields at Kirkennan but the fee you pay is for the use of your cottage and its immediate garden and does not cover these areas which may not always be available.
13) Pets: A maximum of three dogs is allowed if notified at the time of booking, sometimes more dogs can be accommodated in The Lodge by arrangement if there aren’t too many people staying. Dogs are not allowed upstairs, in bedrooms, bathrooms or on beds except by prior arrangement. They are not allowed on furniture unless you bring throws to use. You must not leave any pets unattended in the property, including any garden without prior arrangement, and you must keep dogs on a lead within the boundaries of the Estate (with the exception of the enclosed gardens belonging to The Lodge or Woodsedge and the woodland). You are responsible for clearing up your dog’s faeces – and should check the garden before you leave for such deposits. If you or any member of the party has a pet allergy, we cannot guarantee that dogs, or other pets, have not stayed in your chosen property, nor can we accept any responsibility for any subsequent health reaction.
14) Damage: You will be responsible for all damage or breakages caused by you and/or members of your party to the property or its contents (including the cost of any work needed to put this right). This includes responsibility for paying for this damage. We can ask for payment from you to cover these costs. If you discover that anything is missing or damaged on arrival please notify us immediately.
15) EV and E-bike chargers: If you wish to use the EV charger please let us know before arrival. There are currently three chargers between the cottages and our own use and if more than one set of guests wish to use at the same time we will arrange a rota to ensure access for all. We do not charge for the first 30 kWH of electricity used per booking. Any additional electricity is charged at cost. Each cottage has its own E-bike charging sockets and bike lock up facilities.
You must not charge Electric Vehicles or other items by using an extension lead from a plug as this constitutes a fire risk. E-bike batteries must only be charged at the designated E-bike charge sockets.