Summer Sunshine

We are half-way through August and the Scottish schools have now gone back full time! Cologin has been busy this summer and the introduction of quarantine for some popular summer sun destinations abroad has boosted the domestic staycation market. Unfortunately we had to cancel all our Dutch and French guests, but demand has been so strong that re-selling has been immediate and it’s been tempting to sell some of our fallowed dates.

Getting the balance right between health and wealth is critical and we’ll stick to our policy of a rolling programme of fallow periods so we can do a through disinfect and leave a property empty for a few days between guests. That’s working well for us just now and if it keeps my staff, my family and our guests safe then it’s worth it.

Oban has regained its summer buzz and is looking glorious in the sunshine. There are boat trips from the pier and most of the restaurants, cafes, pubs and shops have all reopened with social distancing and other precautions in place to help prevent Covid 19. We know the dreaded virus is still circulating in the UK and we’ve sadly had to cancel a few guests who have the misfortune to be living in areas which are in local lock down, but where we can we’ve rearranged dates and hope to welcome them in the future.

And if the summer sun doesn’t make an appearance during your stay at Cologin we’ve invested in some handcrafted Family Activity Packs to keep the kids entertained at the kitchen table.

The feedback so far has been great and we’re delighted with the quality and the range of activities each pack contains. You can order them online via your ‘stayplanner’ online or buy one direct from the Barn Bar. Our pub/restaurant has been open daily during August and is participating in the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

As we move to September we expect things to quieten down and the Barn will close Monday/Tuesday. Booking demand is still strong and October school holidays are filling quickly.

We are sticking with our current terms and conditions for 2021 bookings as we know guests appreciate the flexibility of free cancellation up to 15 days prior to arrival.  Stay safe everyone.