Introduction to Tailored Holidays
Terms and Conditions written in everyday language.
What we do...
We have an extensive knowledge of Scotland and our expertise lies in delivering the best possible holiday for each of our clients. We arrange accommodation, transport, ferries, tour guides and attendance at events (such as Highland Games) if required.
We do not arrange flights.
A Perfectly Tailored Holiday ...
We promise you a "perfectly tailored holiday". To achieve this we do need to measure up what size and shape of holiday will be the right one for you. So, please be patient with our questions!
We also need to know practical details: childrens' ages, any mobility or allergy issues, room arrangements, and (most importantly if you are taking a rental car) flight details and who will be driving.
We send you a Proposal ...
Once we have a clear picture of the ideal holiday, we prepare a priced up Proposal for you. As well as showing your accommodation, the Proposal also offers brief suggestions as to what you may like to do on each day. This should help you to decide if we have got the balance of the holiday right.
At this stage you are not committed to anything.
Most of the castles and inns that we use only have eight or ten bedrooms - sometimes fewer. In order to give you an itinerary that we know we can deliver, we make provisional bookings for specific rooms on your behalf. These are normally held for 48 or 72 hours. We do therefore ask you to get back to us within the timeframe that we give to amend or confirm the proposed holiday. Otherwise the accommodation may be lost.
Confirmation by you ...
You confirm to us by paying 25% of the total cost shown on the Proposal. This is a non-refundable fee that reflects the work we have done in designign and arranging the tour. You can do this easily online using a VISA or Mastercard (but regrettably not AMEX). By making this downpayment, you do so on behalf of all those in your party and are confirming that you have read these Booking Conditions.
And by us ...
We normally confirm to you with a Booking Confirmation which can be seen on the website and downloaded as a .pdf document. This will be available within five working days of our receiving your initial payment and includes directions, contact telephone, website address, check in arrangements and other information for all your accommodation; also details of any rental car, ferries and tour guides.
The Booking Confirmation is the contract between us, so please check it carefully.
Paying the balance ...
Your balance is due thirteen weeks before your arrival date in Scotland. If a booking is made within thirteen weeks of your arrival, we will ask for the whole amount to be paid at the time of booking.
We prefer you to pay the balance to us by wiring the funds to our bank and all the relevant details are given in the Booking Confirmation. Alternatively we can accept payment by credit card.
We have never had to cancel anyone's holiday due to the balance not being paid, but should just mention that this is your part of the bargain and if it is not fulfilled, your holiday is at risk. If we have not received your balance four weeks prior to your arrival, the arranged accommodation will be cancelled.
What else we provide ...
When we receive your balance (you still are eight weeks away from arriving), we send you an email with a marked map,directions of accomodation, driving hints in Scotland, any necessary ferry tickets and information of castles, attractions and restaurants which we recommend that you visit.
The voucher paper-chase ...
We are proud of the fact that we operate very efficiently without hotel vouchers. The reason for this is that, unlike most other tour operators, we pay all our accommodation providers in advance. So, all accommodation costs are settled up well before you arrive. Naturally, any additional meals or other services should be paid for as usual on departure.
In some cases we do need to give you reference numbers. These will be included in the Booking Confirmation and it is important that you have this document with you.
And if you change your mind ...
Unfortunately making amendments to bookings that we have already confirmed (and often paid for) costs time and money. We therefore regret that, once the Booking Confirmation has been produced, any amendment will incur a charge of GBP £25 which will be added to your balance due, or should the balance due have been paid, will have to be debited to a credit card.
Holiday insurance ...
We recommend that you take out travel insurance cover against injury, illness, loss of property and cancellation. However it is more practical for you to buy your insurance at the same time as your flight, and thus normally before any contract with us.
and if things go wrong our end....
In accordance with the UK Package Travel & Linked Travel Regulations 2018 all passengers booking with Scottish Clans & Castles Ltd are fully protected for the initial deposit and subsequently the balance of all monies received by us, including repatriation costs and arrangements, arising from cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Scottish Clans & Castles Ltd
There is no requirement for Financial Protection of day trips or single elements, and none is provided.
Scottish Clans & Castles Ltd has taken out an insurance provided by International Passenger Protection Ltd (IPP) with Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe SE (LMIE) trading as Liberty Specialty Markets, a member of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Group. LMIE's registered office: 5-7 rue Leon Laval, L-3372, Leudelange, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Registered Number B232280 (Registre de Commerce et des Sociétés). LMIE is a European public limited liability company and is supervised by the Commissariat aux Assurances and licensed by the Luxembourg Minister of Finance as an insurance and reinsurance company. This insurance is only valid for passengers who book and pay directly with/to Scottish Clans & Castles Ltd
In the event of our insolvency please make contact as soon as practically possible giving full details of what has happened quoting the name of your Travel Operator:
IPP Claims at Sedgwick
Telephone: +44 (0)345 266 1872
Email: Insolvency-claims@ipplondon.co.uk
or online at http://www.ipplondon.co.uk/claims.asp
And if the worst should happen ...
If you have to cancel your holiday prior to payment of the balance, then we retain all of the non refundable deposit, plus any sums necessarily paid out as non-refundable deposits to other providers. All detail will be provided.
If you have to cancel your holiday after payment of the balance, we undertake to recoup the maximum amount possible from the ultimate providers (such as hotels), according to their own terms and conditions, and this sum will be returned to you, to a maximum of 75% of the total amount received. All detail will be provided.
In the unusual circumstances thrown up by Coronavirus these arrangements can be adapted to suit the changing plans of visitors to Scotland. Please enquire for details. Clans and Castles is registered under the official 'Good to Go' scheme.
We do our best to be accurate but occasionally things change ...
Descriptions given of accommodation and services are as accurate as we can make them. In some cases our comments are necessarily an expressed opinion (who can define charming?) but in general you will find that we are quite restrained and down to earth!
You will not be surprised to learn that we do not accept liability for any loss or damage arising from any information given.
Although we are, happily, immune from earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis here, we very occasionally suffer high winds, snow and floods. If there are any changes of which we are made aware and which may impact on your holiday, we undertake to inform you without delay.
If circumstances beyond our control necessitate a change in accommodation then we will use our best endeavours to provide a reasonable alternative of similar value. In the unlikely event that this cannot be found, will refund you in full for that element which has not been provided. In these unusual circumstances (which have not occurred since we started the company in 2001!), we will of course do everything possible to assist, advise, and if possible find a positive gain from any such situation. We cannot, however, be held liable for any financial loss, associated expense, or inconvenience.
If you are not happy ...
If something is not right, we ask you to take this up with the provider on the spot (hotel, car hire company or whatever). In the unlikely event that this does not solve the problem, please give us a call.
We have never had a written complaint (and hope that we never will have!). However, we welcome comments on all aspects of our service and will react quickly to any feedback which must reach us here before memories fade, and so within 28 days of the end of the holiday.
Finally, our lawyers insist ...
... that we inform you that we accept no responsibility nor liability for death, 'bodily illness', or injury by or to any of your party unless caused by the negligent act or omission of our employees, agents or subcontractors. Any claims shall be governed by the law of Scotland.
Similarly, the contract of which these Terms and Conditions forms a part shall be governed by the law of Scotland and the parties shall submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Scottish Courts.
We also have to state that the above terms and conditions apply to every contract between us and our client and shall be deemed to have been incorporated into any proposal unless specifically varied in writing by us.
And when you get back ...
Our aim is to ensure that you have a wonderful, memorable holiday. Do please tell us when you return home whether we have succeeded!
