1St Floor Flat, Rockvale, Kilchattan Bay, Isle of Bute, PA20 9NL (Google Maps And/Or Street View) INSTRUCTIONS for FAMILY & FRIENDS
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1st Floor Flat, Rockvale, Kilchattan Bay, Isle of Bute, PA20 9NL (Google Maps and/or Street view) INSTRUCTIONS FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS Getting Here There are 2 Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) ferry routes to the Isle of Bute. The first is the main route between Wemyss Bay on the mainland and Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. A train service runs between Glasgow Central station and Wemyss Bay, calling at Paisley Gilmour Street station and several other stations on the way. The second is the route between Colintraive on the mainland and Rhubodach on the Isle of Bute – it is not recommended that you use this route if you do not have your own vehicle. www.calmac.co.uk Getting Around Kilchattan Bay is about 9 miles south of Rothesay; the main town on the Isle of Bute. If you don’t have your own vehicle the bus service between Kilchattan Bay and Rothesay takes about 25 minutes and runs roughly one per hour. www.westcoastmotors.co.uk/timetables/isle-of-bute Monday – Saturday No. 90/490, Sunday No. 493. The route between Kilchattan Bay and Rothesay takes you past several places of interest such as Mount Stuart House and Gardens, Ardencraig Gardens (a bit of an uphill walk from the bus stop) and Ascog Hall Gardens and Victorian Fernery. On ‘Summer’ weekdays some buses continue beyond Rothesay to and from Ettrick Bay on the north-west of the Isle of Bute but please check return times carefully before you venture there by bus. Driving there either go left when you come off the Wemyss Bay to Rothesay ferry and drive for 8 miles turning left at the Kingarth Hotel or drive straight as you get off the ferry and turn right at the Kingarth hotel after around 8 miles. The Flat Rockvale is about halfway along the village of Kilchattan Bay and is the only yellow/blonde sandstone building in that part of the village. To reach the flat go up the lane between Rockvale and Daisybank then turn right. You will see the spiral staircase. Please take a torch with you as the spiral staircase can get dark. Before you go up the stairs, the Yale key to the flat is in a ‘Keysafe’ box inside the coal cupboard at the foot of the spiral stairs – the ‘Keysafe’ box is mounted inside the door frame on the hinges side of the door. Please contact either Alan or Colin (numbers below) for the ‘Keysafe’ combination number. • The storage heaters in the kitchen and living room heat up overnight and therefore will not give out much heat until the morning after they are switched on (the heater in the hall refuses to work, sorry). (a copy of this document is available here https://rkbiob.wordpress.com/) 1st Floor Flat, Rockvale, Kilchattan Bay, Isle of Bute, PA20 9NL (Google Maps and/or Street view) INSTRUCTIONS FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS The convector heaters in the bedrooms start heating as soon as they are switched on. There is an open fire, a two-bar electric fire and a halogen heater – any or all of which can be used until the storage heaters start being effective. • During colder months (1st November through to the 31st March) a condition of our buildings insurance insists that the water is turned off at the stop valve when the flat is going to be unoccupied for more than 24 hours, so you may need to turn it back on. The stop valve is in the bottom left side of the cupboard in the back bedroom. • The electric water heater should be on but check the switch next to the heater on the back wall of the cupboard in the back bedroom. • The shower main switch is in hall. • The cutlery drawer is in one side of the kitchen table. • The television needs to be turned on using the power button on the TV itself (bottom of right edge of TV) – the remote works normally otherwise but, again, the TV can be controlled using the controls at the bottom of right edge of TV. • Mobile phone coverage is patchy – the best way to get and send texts is to leave your phone on the front window sills. For a phone call you or going online you will need to go out to the grass strip across the road at the front. • A Dyson vacuum cleaner is stored in the cupboard in the back bedroom. • Most of our family and friends bring their own bedding and towels so that they do not have the ‘last day’ chore of laundering to add to a list that already includes packing, tidying, vacuuming and cleaning. But we understand that some have travelled far and must use the bedding and towels that are in the flat – you’re welcome to do this but please ensure that you allow sufficient time to wash and hang (bearing in mind the washing machine is not huge). Alternatively, there is a Laundromat that will do service washes in Rothesay – again please ensure you have time to drop off and pick up your washing. Important: before you leave please remember to… ✓ unplug the TV and switch off all wall heaters; ✓ empty the fridge (but leave the fridge plugged in and on); ✓ as a condition of our buildings insurance: if the date is between 1st November and 31st March you must turn the water off at the stop valve – it is in the cupboard in the back bedroom – then, to empty the pipes, turn both cold taps on slightly and flush the toilet; ✓ leave the flat clean and tidy; and, ✓ put the Yale key back in the ‘Keysafe’ box in the coal cupboard. If you have any problems, please text or call: Alan Kerr 07917 868153 or Colin Gray 07906 222936 (a copy of this document is available here https://rkbiob.wordpress.com/) 1st Floor Flat, Rockvale, Kilchattan Bay, Isle of Bute, PA20 9NL (Google Maps and/or Street view) INSTRUCTIONS FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS The Flat Looking east – Rockvale on your right The view from Rockvale A great all round view and first impression of the island can be seen by climbing the Suidhe hill just behind the house – go up to the end of the washing green at the upper back garden slightly to the right, through the trees there (quarry to the right) and keep heading upwards with the wall/fence always to your right – it is pretty steep but worth the effort on a good day. (a copy of this document is available here https://rkbiob.wordpress.com/) 1st Floor Flat, Rockvale, Kilchattan Bay, Isle of Bute, PA20 9NL (Google Maps and/or Street view) INSTRUCTIONS FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS The kitchen at Rockvale The kitchen at Rockvale (a copy of this document is available here https://rkbiob.wordpress.com/) 1st Floor Flat, Rockvale, Kilchattan Bay, Isle of Bute, PA20 9NL (Google Maps and/or Street view) INSTRUCTIONS FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS The small front bedroom The large back bedroom (a copy of this document is available here https://rkbiob.wordpress.com/) 1st Floor Flat, Rockvale, Kilchattan Bay, Isle of Bute, PA20 9NL (Google Maps and/or Street view) INSTRUCTIONS FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS The small back bedroom (a copy of this document is available here https://rkbiob.wordpress.com/) 1st Floor Flat, Rockvale, Kilchattan Bay, Isle of Bute, PA20 9NL (Google Maps and/or Street view) INSTRUCTIONS FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS The living room The living room (a copy of this document is available here https://rkbiob.wordpress.com/) 1st Floor Flat, Rockvale, Kilchattan Bay, Isle of Bute, PA20 9NL (Google Maps and/or Street view) INSTRUCTIONS FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS Bute walks and places of interest. SCALPSIE SEALS A 10-minute drive from Kilchattan and can be combined with an onward day out to Straad and Ettrick Bay (see below) as it’s on the same road. Drive out of the village to the crossroad at the Kingarth Inn (good food by the way) and take a left. After about 5/10 mins driving at first signpost left (to Scalpsie) turn left and after a minute or so, just beyond a wee cottage, you’ll see a parking bay to the left. Park up and walk towards the beach with the view of Arran directly ahead. On the beach, go over to the right to where the rocks are in the shallows and the seals are often to be seen there. LOW TIDE ONLY…so check the tide times first, or maybe get an impression from the water in front of the house. The walk down to the beach Seals at Scalpsie Beach (Winter – hope the weather’s better than this for you!) (a copy of this document is available here https://rkbiob.wordpress.com/) 1st Floor Flat, Rockvale, Kilchattan Bay, Isle of Bute, PA20 9NL (Google Maps and/or Street view) INSTRUCTIONS FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS View of Scalpsie Beach from the road above Scalpsie Beach (a copy of this document is available here https://rkbiob.wordpress.com/) 1st Floor Flat, Rockvale, Kilchattan Bay, Isle of Bute, PA20 9NL (Google Maps and/or Street view) INSTRUCTIONS FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS SCOULAG MOOR A great place to see buzzards and, sometimes, deer. Drive to the crossroad at the Kingarth Inn and take a right. After about 3/5 mins, park on the left at the war memorial. Take the path through the gate and walk past the wee reservoir in the woods on the right until you get to a crossroad at the brow of a low hill. Take a left and continue right on until you see a seat and there are views there down to Scalpsie Bay and over to Arran.