one bed retreat guide
welcome to your retreat
Your retreat comes complete with a beautifully decorated lounge area with wood burning stove as well as thermostatically controlled heating, music delivered by Amazon Echo and free wifi throughout.
The private walled patio to the front of the retreat has a lovely seating area as well as a fire pit and luxurious wood fired outdoor bath.
With minimal lighting to the nearby paths and rurally maintained garden, these retreats provide rustic luxur y.
For fur ther instructions on how to get the most out of your wood burning stove , outdoor bath and Amazon Echo, please see the following pages of information before making use of these facilities.
For instructions on how to use the combination oven in your kitchen, please refer to the Auchrannie App, under the “appliances/ovens” section. The app can be downloaded on all android and ios phones and tablets. (For a paper copy of instructions please ask at reception).
Whilst staying in the retreats you still have access to all our resor t facilities including our three restaurants each offering freshly prepared food from locally sourced ingredients.
Our two leisure centres have swimming pools, saunas and steam rooms to relax in.
The games hall, within the Spa Resor t, can be hired (for a charge) for activities such as badminton, table tennis, bowls, tennis and much more .
For those looking to unwind, our therapists are on hand to provide relaxing treatments in luxurious surroundings Enjoy a wide range of face and body treatments using products from ISHGA.
Arran is the perfect place for adventure . Why not tr y your hand at a range of activities including bike hire , archer y, axe throwing and Segways? Our friendly instructors are here to help you tr y something new today.
retreats guidelines
We’ve designed the retreats with the environment in mind. So, to allow you to enjoy the peaceful rural setting please take a few moment to read over the following:
we want you to relax in the outdoor bath whenever you like but please keep the noise to a level which doesn’t affect your neighbours.
feel free to light candles but keep them in sight and watch they don’t scorch, melt or cause damage
the retreats are made mainly of wood so it’s best to keep the fire pit at a safe distance .
there may be sheep or other livestock ver y close by so please keep your dog on a lead.
during cer tain times of the year, midges are abundant. To avoid being bitten, cover up (especially at night) and feel free to apply the Smidge we have provided for you in the kitchen.
in the hours of darkness, keep windows closed when lights are on to avoid attracting midges and other insects.
most impor tant of all, we want you to enjoy your retreat as much as possible - if you need anything during your stay please give us a call. Just dial ‘0’ from your retreat phone .
wood burning stove
The wood burner will keep you cosy, here are a few tips to help you stay safe & get the best from it.
Only burn the firewood provided – a supply of kindling and logs have been placed in the rubber basket. You can collect more from the log store you pass as you enter the site . More twizzlers can be collected from reception.
You’ll find your wood burning stove along with the relevant safety equipment and tools located in the lounge of your retreat.
When the kindling is alight, add 1 or 2 small logs on top. When these are burning, you can shut down the air vent a little (push it back in).
To star t, put three or four of the twizzlers in to the stove in a small pile .The air vents should be fully open (pulled out) when first lighting the stove .
Wait until the logs have burnt down to a bed of glowing embers before adding more logs. Turn the air up to help new logs catch fire and then back down again once they are going well.
Build kindling around the twizzlers. Light using the matches provided.
When the fire is out and the stove has cooled, make use of the tools provided to dispose of excess ash in the metal ash bin located outside the front of the retreat.
fire management
It’s best not to totally fill the firebox – you want to make sure there is good spacing around & between the logs.
When these are burning, you can shut down the air a little .
Wait until the logs have burnt down to a bed of glowing embers before adding more logs.
Turn the air up a little to help the new logs catch fire , then back down again once they are going well.
If you keep adding logs too often, the stove's efficiency drops by around 15% and more smoke will be produced.
Be aware - the glass panel can get hot.
Draping clothes or putting things too near the stove may cause a fire .
Storing wood under the stove isn’t advisable as it could catch fire .
Wait until the stove is cool before disposing of any excess ash.
fire pit
Located outside on your patio area, the fire pit can be lit in the same way as the stove .
It is advisable to not put the fire pit too close to the retreat as the retreats are made mainly of wood.
outdoor bath user guide
We will have the outdoor bath filled for you to heat on your arrival however, if you do drain the tub, please follow the instructions below on how to fill it. it normally takes around 4 to 5 hours to fill and heat the hot tub from cold (2 to 3 hours to heat once full) depending on ambient temperature , wood quality & fire management. Before using your bath, ensure the ash tray at base of the stove has been emptied into the metal ash bin provided.
Please be aware that you will require between 16 and 20 logs to fully heat the hot tub.
Please exercise caution when removing hot-tub cover as it is heavy, please place carefully against wall once removed.
Release the two cover clips located towards the front of the bath, fold back the cover and remove from top of bath.
Place hose into the bath and turn water on at the tap.
Before lighting the stove ensure the hot-tub is filled with water.
Once filled, replace lid on top of tub - this will ensure the water heats faster.
Open the stove and place a few twizzlers underneath some kindling.
Light the twizzlers and once the kindling is flaming add logs.
Once the fire is going, keep feeding it with dr y wood as necessar y to maintain he store you pass as you enter the site . Tend the fire from time to time by raking th adding more wood. Periodically stir the water in the tub to mix the temperature
Add larger logs gradually & continue to tend the fire Check water temperature temperature reaches 35 degrees – stop adding wood. The temperature will cont optimum temperature of 38-42 degrees. Remove lid & enjoy!
IMPORTANT! - allow tub to fill with water until the 2nd inlet hole (circled below) is covered.
Continue to add logs to the fire as required, wait for the water to heat, stirring occasionally with the paddle to evenly distribute .
If you have taken advantage of the Bath Butler ser vice (only bookable in advance) then follow the above instructions to maintain heat or to refill or heat if you have emptied the bath
outdoor bath safety notes
The stove , in par ticular the flue , is hot when in operation.
The stove is equipped with a temperature gauge to display the temperature of the water in the water jacket around the stove and a pressure relief valve which will activate should any pressure build up in the stove . Please use the thermometer located in the retreat to ensure a comfor table water temperature .
Please empty your bath after each use and rinse . Our housekeeping team will clean thoroughly before each stay.
If you become too hot, get out. Due to the volume of water in the tub, the temperature will remain high no matter how long you stay in. Staying in too long may cause your body to overheat. For this reason we recommend you don’t use the tub alone and use a timer to monitor bathing.
DON’T :
touch the chimney or any metal par ts when the stove is working.
get in if the water is too hot.
rely solely on a thermometer, if you feel the water is too hot, add cold water to reduce the temperature .
continue to fire the stove , the water will get hotter. Ver y hot water causes burns and damages equipment.
use any type of coal/charcoal, as this may damage the equipment which is designed to burn wood.
use the tub under the influence of alcohol or if you have any health conditions that would prevent you from bathing Check with your doctor if in any doubt
leave the lid off when not in use . In the case of extreme wind we would then advise removing lids to avoid any risk that they may blow off.
drain water from the tub when the stove is in use . Firing the stove without water will damage the stove .
enhance your stay with Alexa
You’ll find an Amazon Echo in your retreat, ideal for finding the perfect mood music , getting the latest weather forecast, catching up with the news or playing a game .
To activate your echo, just say “Alexa.....” and she will come to life .
What you say next it entirely up to you, here are a few star ters to get you going.....
Alexa...what is latest weather forecast for Brodick?
Alexa...play some romantic music
Alexa...turn the volume up
Alexa...tell us a joke!
Alexa...set a timer for 30 minutes
Alexa...what’s in the news today?
Your Echo provides hands-free voice control for music and enter tainment.
You’ll have access to million of songs - just choose your favourite ar tist, genre or era.
