Covid-19: Latest holiday advice and information
Covid-19 continues to be very prevalent in populations throughout the United Kingdom. This is likely to remain the case for the rest of the year.
We want you to enjoy your holiday as much as possible, whilst staying safe, protecting yourself, other members of your group and the island communities we visit.
The following guidance has been compiled following advice from the Scottish Government and Scotland’s outdoor industry advisory groups. We have tried to keep things as simple as possible – indeed, it is likely that you will be following many of these recommendations already at home.
Please be aware that the guidance may be updated nearer the time of your holiday departure, depending on the state of the pandemic and advice from government. If we do need to make changes we will, of course, let you know.
BEFORE YOU TRAVEL
Please take a lateral flow test within 48 hours of the start of your holiday. Do not travel if the test is positive. Covid is causing havoc with our programme this summer and almost all our guides (including ourselves) and numerous clients have been infected, often because of clients coming on our trips whilst already having Covid symptoms. We appreciate it will be very disappointing if you have to cancel your trip at short notice but please consider the impact on other clients and ourselves if you travel whilst infected.
What to Bring
Please make sure you bring a supply of face coverings and hand sanitiser with you on the holiday.
DURING THE HOLIDAY
Face Coverings
Please bring several face coverings with you on the holiday and clean these regularly in the evenings.
We expect that the legal requirement in Scotland to wear face coverings in shops and public venues will be lifted by the end of April. However, given the high levels of infection that the country is currently facing we cannot guarantee that this will be the case. Even if legal requirements are lifted, the government will still be recommending that masks are worn in shops and indoor public spaces. We ask that clients follow this guidance for the welfare of themselves and other members of the group, and for the staff working in these venues.
For the best protection, we recommend wearing FFP2 masks which are much better than cloth masks at filtering out virus particles.
Travelling in the Minibus
We ask that all clients wear face covering whilst travelling in our minibuses. Our guides will also be wearing facemasks whilst driving. We will be ensuring that there is good ventilation at all times, so please be aware that windows may be kept slightly open whilst driving unless it is very cold or raining.
The interior of the minibus will be thoroughly cleaned with disinfectant wipes before the start of your holiday and at regular intervals during your trip.
Will I Need to Wear a Mask when Walking?
No! There will be no need to wear a face covering on any of our walks or when in the open air, unless you wish to do so.
Traveller Responsibility
To protect yourself and others it is a condition of joining our tours that you agree to the following:
Finally, please be assured that we will be doing our absolute best to make your holiday as enjoyable as possible. We ran a full and successful season in 2021 and our many happy clients did not find that these restrictions affected their holiday. By taking these few small steps we can keep each other safe and continue to enjoy the amazing walking that the Scottish islands have to offer!
We want you to enjoy your holiday as much as possible, whilst staying safe, protecting yourself, other members of your group and the island communities we visit.
The following guidance has been compiled following advice from the Scottish Government and Scotland’s outdoor industry advisory groups. We have tried to keep things as simple as possible – indeed, it is likely that you will be following many of these recommendations already at home.
Please be aware that the guidance may be updated nearer the time of your holiday departure, depending on the state of the pandemic and advice from government. If we do need to make changes we will, of course, let you know.
BEFORE YOU TRAVEL
Please take a lateral flow test within 48 hours of the start of your holiday. Do not travel if the test is positive. Covid is causing havoc with our programme this summer and almost all our guides (including ourselves) and numerous clients have been infected, often because of clients coming on our trips whilst already having Covid symptoms. We appreciate it will be very disappointing if you have to cancel your trip at short notice but please consider the impact on other clients and ourselves if you travel whilst infected.
What to Bring
Please make sure you bring a supply of face coverings and hand sanitiser with you on the holiday.
DURING THE HOLIDAY
Face Coverings
Please bring several face coverings with you on the holiday and clean these regularly in the evenings.
We expect that the legal requirement in Scotland to wear face coverings in shops and public venues will be lifted by the end of April. However, given the high levels of infection that the country is currently facing we cannot guarantee that this will be the case. Even if legal requirements are lifted, the government will still be recommending that masks are worn in shops and indoor public spaces. We ask that clients follow this guidance for the welfare of themselves and other members of the group, and for the staff working in these venues.
For the best protection, we recommend wearing FFP2 masks which are much better than cloth masks at filtering out virus particles.
Travelling in the Minibus
We ask that all clients wear face covering whilst travelling in our minibuses. Our guides will also be wearing facemasks whilst driving. We will be ensuring that there is good ventilation at all times, so please be aware that windows may be kept slightly open whilst driving unless it is very cold or raining.
The interior of the minibus will be thoroughly cleaned with disinfectant wipes before the start of your holiday and at regular intervals during your trip.
Will I Need to Wear a Mask when Walking?
No! There will be no need to wear a face covering on any of our walks or when in the open air, unless you wish to do so.
Traveller Responsibility
To protect yourself and others it is a condition of joining our tours that you agree to the following:
- You agree not to join the group if you test positive or develop Covid symptoms prior to departure.
- If you feel unwell during the trip you must inform your guide immediately. They will advise you on what action to take in these circumstances.
- You agree to follow all requests and advice given by your guide and suppliers (e.g. accommodation providers, restaurants and boat operators) during your holiday.
Finally, please be assured that we will be doing our absolute best to make your holiday as enjoyable as possible. We ran a full and successful season in 2021 and our many happy clients did not find that these restrictions affected their holiday. By taking these few small steps we can keep each other safe and continue to enjoy the amazing walking that the Scottish islands have to offer!