Arnor The Rangers Hut
Highland, United Kingdom
Arnor the Rangers Hut
- Cabin for 2 from £89 per night (read our low price promise)
- One king-size bed
Not suitable for children
Not suitable for pets
Overview
You have to zoom in on the map a bit before you see the roads that run to Arnor. This is real wild living, in an open area of Scotland that feels completely unspoilt. The woods and skies are filled with birds and beasts - golden eagles, red kites, crossbills feeding on the pine cones, red squirrels, grouse, deer and foxes are all resident. Even the waters are bursting with life, with whales spotted in the nearby firths and porpoise, bottlenose dolphins and even orca seen off the east coast. Recent walrus spottings (seriously) have been a bit further north. Closer to home, you can meet the horses and pigs that sun themselves in the field right by the cabin, or wander over and pick up some fresh hen’s eggs for breakfast. Exploring from the cabin can be as easy as a two-mile stroll to the award-winning Crannag Bistro or taking on mountain biking trails, from Blue to Black, right from the door. You can weave your stay into the epic adventure of the North Coast 500, or just come for a few days of woodland walks and clear night skies. There’s even a chance of seeing the northern lights, but it’s a rare sight even this far north in Scotland.
Arnor cabin is a simple space and life here is pretty rustic, designed to put you in perfect harmony with nature. The kingsized bed in the small, open-plan living space is right under a stargazer window and stained glass elsewhere gives a softly coloured glow. There’s solar lighting and an en suite loo in a separate room and the deck space with seating outside. You make easy one pot meals and heat water for washing up on the portable gas stove and owner Stacie will deliver hot water for showers each morning.
Arnor was a community endeavour bringing people together to create something sustainable and stunning, that shows what Scotland was like 400 yrs ago. Stacie can tell you where every part of the cabin has come from, as even the 1000 shingles that clad it have been hand cut from various salvages and finds. She can also show you round, introducing you to the area, the piglet and ponies, and even the incredible array of forageable foods in the woods, although you should always pick with caution. Whether you just hang out in the cabin with a souvenir from the nearby Glenmorangie distillery, explore the forest or head for the coast, you’ll be relaxed and restored by a life of timeless simplicity.
Essentials
The important stuff
- Check in: 4 pm
- Check out: 12 pm
- Please bring suitable footwear and clothing
- Please be aware that the fences are electrified around the stock. Please don't go into the fields but feel free to speak to the animals over the fence - just be careful!
- Mobile signal available and 4G
- WiFi available on site at the office
- Sleeping arrangements
- One king-size bed
Cooking
- 2 ring portable gas camping hob
- Cool bag and larger cool box on request
- Fully equipped kitchen
Washing
- Electric shower
- Chemical toilet
- Bathroom toiletries provided
Heating, lighting & bedding
- Bed linen and towels provided
- Portable gas stove
- Hot water bottles
- Electric solar LED lighting
- No plug sockets but owner can charge your phones for you
Entertainment
- Pack of cards
- Books and games
Getting there
Arda Glamping, Croit Lara, Rhinamain, Bonar Bridge, Ardgay, Sutherland, IV24 3AS
By car
Coming into Bonar Bridge, take Migdale Road up the hill, opposite the bridge, between the Spar shop and corner store. Continue for approximately 1 mile to the primary school. Turn left to West Airdens immediately after the school opposite the entrance to the golf course. Go over the cattle grid at the top of the hill and take the next left in half a mile to Rhinamain, and they are first on the right about half a mile further down the road.
Guests can park and unload luggage at the end of the woodland walk, 150 metres from the cabin
By public transport
The nearest train station is in Ardgay, 3 miles away
The nearest bus stop is in Bonar Bridge, 2 miles away which is in walking distance
The owners are willing to pick guests up from the train/bus stop or book a taxi.
Food & Drink
At Arnor The Rangers Hut
Free range eggs, Prosecco, locally made Tablet (Scottish sweet), Shore Puffs (locally made vegan, gluten free, seaweed puff), Tulloch Tea grown on neighbouring croft, Inverness Coffee Roasting company coffee, selection of herbs (basil, chilli, and other), locally produced rapeseed oil all provided.
Local shops
The nearest shop for basics is at Bonar Bridge which you can walk to but it's uphill and steep! 2 miles, 30 min walk there, 40 min walk back.
Pubs & restaurants
Crannag Bistro (2 miles) - Award-winning and featured in Best of Scotland Guide. Closed on Mondays. Again, you can walk there, but it's a uphill walk on the way back.
The Pier (10 miles) - Bistro open weekend evenings (closes 6 pm Sundays) and all day each week.
The Royal Golf (14 miles) - Local Cuisine and more served in a beautiful glass fronted restaurant overlooking Royal Dornoch Golf Course, and over the Dornoch Firth to the Eastern Seaboard Villages and the light house at Tarbatness.
Activities
At Arnor The Rangers Hut
Meet and Greet with animals, collect eggs
Woodland walks to strawberry farm on neighbouring croft or moorland walk to tea garden on the neighbouring croft
Woodland walk to Invershin Hotel for food and live music
Mountain Bike Trails (blue, white, red and black) available in woodland next door, accessed directly off the croft
Stargazing - time of year dependent, and if you're very lucky you could even see The Northern Lights.
Places to visit
Dornoch, Tain, Lairg, Golspie, Lochinver, Brora, Helmsdale, Aultbea and Dingwall all have community markets, fantastic shops offering gifts and local produce
Dornoch, Tain, Golspie, Chanonry Point, Rosemarkie Fairy Falls and Glen, Brora, Achmelvich, Clashnessie, and Clachtoll all have outstanding clean beaches
Big Burn Walk Golspie, Ravens Rock Gorge, Black Rock Gorge (Harry Potter filming site), Clashnessie Falls, Carn Liath Broch, Camster Cairns, Duncansby Stacks, Whaligoe Steps, Ben Wyvis, Fyrish Monument and Hill, Ben Hope (most northerly Munro), Loch Migdale, Glen Affric, Glen Strathfarrar, Glen Cannich and more offer a variety of walking types, lengths and terrains. Distance from 5 minutes to 2 hours
15 mins drive to the coast
Outdoor & active
Go Wild Highlands - survival skills and kayaking, or foodie canoe trips
Cromarty Eco tours boat trips, Bonar Bridge, Tain, Golspie and Brora Golf Course, Liquid Footprints watersports, Wildwoodz laser tag and paintball, Sports Climbing (32 routes), Horse Riding at Cougie Pony Trekking, Highland Shooting Centre clays, Hamlet Mountaineering. Distance 20 minutes to 2 hours
Meet your hosts
Meet Stacie
The family have lived and farmed at Croit Lara for over 15 years. During that time, they have used the croft as an outdoor activity centre offering horse and sled dog treks, forest childminding, and horse rescue and rehabilitation. In 2016, due to medical reasons, Stacie retired and decided that the best solution going forward was to retire her previous businesses and create a pod from an old horse trailer. The pod was unbelievably popular and the experience evolved into what is now Arnor The Rangers Hut.
Wildlife & environment
The local wildlife is outstanding. They have red squirrels returning to the woods around Arnor for the first time in 60 years! They have beautiful red, black and white woodpeckers on the standing dead wood just a stones throw from the door of the cabin. Barn Owls nest in the woods, Crossbills, or the Scottish Parrot as they are sometimes known, feed on the cones. They have Golden Eagles, Red Kites and Merlins flying over the croft, and Osprey nearby. Nearby there are colonies of common and grey seals and a pod of bottlenose dolphins - the largest in the world measuring up to 4 m long, and the most northerly pod in the world. They are easily spotted just feet from the shore at a special point just 40 minutes away without the need for taking a tour by boat that could disturb them. They also have porpoise, Orca, Minke and Fin whales in the waters, as well as puffins nesting on cliffs, and every so often a Walrus turns up on the North Coast! They have roe deer and their fawns in the wood around Arnor, red foxes have a den across the road from the croft, rabbits all around, red grouse, partridge, pheasants, moorhen, tree creepers, and mallards, stoats, palmate, common and great crested newts, beautiful sand lizards, and they have recently seen a black grouse cock nearby - incredible bird!
Our guests say...
Lovely isolated location. Really amazing being back in nature properly.
26/08/2019Laura
Lovely retreat in a beautiful woody glade with lots of wildflowers and local countryside to wander in. Lovely host.
23/08/2019Helen
A wonderfully peaceful escape from busy life. It was lovely to wake up in the woodland and hear the birdsong. All the of advantages camping with the added bonus of a decent bed and shower! Arnor has great rustic charm and I would recommend it to all nature lovers who would enjoy local or further-flung adventures.
18/06/2019Veronique for Canopy & Stars
Love this place? Tell everyone!
Booking Terms
Canopy & Stars low price promise
Book with us in confidence knowing you won’t find that place cheaper elsewhere. All of the prices we display are set and matched by our Owners. (In this world of foreign currency, we do have to say 'subject to exchange rates' for some of our European places.)
What does ‘from price’ mean?
Our ‘from price’ is based on a four night stay in low season and designed to help you to compare different prices across our collection. Some of our Owners vary their nightly rates and check in days throughout the year, so it may differ from the rate quoted below the calendar. It is quite common (although by no means universal) for places to charge a little more in peak season or for shorter stays, to cover changeover costs. Consider booking longer stays during the cooler months if you’re looking for the lowest nightly rates.
Agency Terms & Conditions
Except where otherwise specified, we Sawday’s Canopy & Stars Ltd Company No 09088366 of Merchants House, Wapping Road, Bristol, BS1 4RW act only as an Agent in respect of all bookings we take and/or make on your behalf. Sawday’s Canopy & Stars is part of the Alastair Sawday’s Group of Companies. We accept no liability in relation to any contract you enter into or for any services or arrangements you purchase (“Booking(s)”) or for the acts or omissions of any supplier(s) or other person(s) or party(ies) connected with any Booking. For all Bookings, your contract will be with the supplier of the Booking in question, and in most cases this will be the owner of the property you’ll be staying at (“Owner(s)”). When making your Booking we will arrange for you to enter into a contract with the Owner of the Booking. Your Booking with us is subject to these Agency Terms & Conditions and any specific booking conditions of the relevant Owner(s) you contract with. The Owner’s booking conditions may limit and/or exclude the Owner’s liability to you.
You may decide to make more than one Booking with us at the same time. The price charged in total for more than one Booking will always equal the prices charged separately for each individual Booking. All Bookings are available to be purchased separately at the same price as they are when more than one Booking is made. This means that any multiple Bookings do not constitute a package as defined in the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992.
By making a booking, you agree that:-
- you have read these Agency Terms & Conditions and agree to be bound by them;
- you consent to our use of your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy;
and
- you are over 18 years of age and where there may be age restrictions in place, you declare that you and all members of your party are of the appropriate age.
The Canopy & Stars online booking system enables Guests to make Bookings 24 hours a day. A Booking is confirmed on receipt of a 25% non-refundable deposit for all Bookings with check in dates of more than 10 weeks away. For all Bookings that have a check in date of less than 10 weeks before check in, payment for the Booking will be required in full and the entire Booking will be non-refundable. The Canopy & Stars telephone booking line is open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm. When using the online enquiry form, for those Properties without online booking, please allow 24 working hours for us to contact you by telephone to confirm the Booking. If we are unable to reach you by phone we will attempt to contact you by email. We will contact you during Canopy & Stars working hours (Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm). Online or email enquiries will be dealt with in the order they are received, but please be aware that we cannot guarantee reservation of your selected dates until the receipt of suitable payment. Therefore, if possible, we do recommend that you book on the Canopy & Stars website using the online booking system.
1. Booking and payments
1.1 In order to confirm your chosen Booking, you must pay a non-refundable deposit as required by the Owner of the Booking in question (or full payment if booking within 10 weeks of the date of your check-in).
1.2 Your Booking is confirmed and a contract between you and the Owner will exist when we receive payment of the deposit and send you a booking confirmation on the Owner’s behalf. This booking confirmation will normally be sent out within 24 hours in the case of email and seven working days in the case of post, and will contain the details of your Booking and of payments made and due. If you have not received your booking confirmation within the specified time, please notify us as soon as possible by email (bookings@canopyandstars.co.uk). Please check your confirmation carefully and report any incorrect or incomplete information to us immediately. As we act only as booking Agent, we have no responsibility for any errors in any documentation except where an error is made by us.
1.3 Where a deposit has been paid, full balance payment will be due 10 weeks in advance of your check in date and a reminder will be sent to you two weeks prior to this date, where applicable, by email. We automatically take the balance payment using the same card as used to make the deposit payment. It is your reponsibility to advise us if we should use a different card and to contact us by telephone (0117 204 7830) to arrange for alternative payment method. If the balance payment does not successfully go through as there is a problem with your card, such as it expiring, then we will contact you to try and take alternative payment. If we have been unable to take payment after two weeks of the balance due date, then with regret, we will notify the Owner who may cancel your Booking.
1.4 Except where otherwise advised or stated in the booking conditions of the Owner concerned, all monies you pay to us for a Booking will be held on behalf of the Owner(s) concerned.
1.5 Credit Card payments are processed via Alastair Sawday’s Publishing Co. Ltd who provide merchants services facilities to Sawday’s Canopy & Stars Ltd.
2. Cancellation and Amendment by You
2.1 Any cancellation or amendment request must be sent to us by email (bookings@canopyandstars.co.uk) and will be considered and responded to within one working day of receipt. You are also advised to confirm all changes to our Customer Services Department by calling 0117 204 7830. Please ensure that you have received written confirmation of any changes to your Booking prior to travel. Whilst we will always try to help, we cannot guarantee that such requests will be met.
2.2 Amendments and cancellations can only be accepted in accordance with the booking conditions of the Owner of your Arrangements. The Owner may charge the cancellation or amendment charges shown in their booking conditions (which may be as much as 100% of the cost of the Arrangements and will normally increase closer to the date of departure). The Owner may charge cancellation or amendment charges in accordance with its own booking conditions, however for the sake of convenience only, we have outlined the Owner’s charges at clause 2.3 and 2.4 below. Please note that these are the Owner’s own cancellation and amendments charges, not Canopy & Stars’, and therefore the Owner may vary their charges as they wish, without notice to us. The correct charges will be notified to you at the time of your cancellation or amendments.
2.3 Owner’s General Cancellation Charges:
2.3.1 Cancellation by you at any time will result in your deposit being forfeited, as all deposits are non-refundable.
2.3.2 All monies paid for a holiday (deposit and balance) are non-refundable within 10 weeks before check in date.
2.3.3 Cancellation of any holiday after it has been paid in full and at a date 10 weeks or more in advance of your check in date, will result in forfeiture of your deposit (or an amount equivalent where one was not paid as the holiday was paid in full) and the balance being returned to you.
2.3.4 Cancellation insurance is available but will be a third party arrangement and not involve Canopy & Stars or the Owner in any way.
2.4 Owner’s General Amendment Charges:
2.4.1 Alterations to your Booking can only be made more than 10 weeks prior to the check in date, after which time alterations will be treated as cancellation. All alterations are subject to availability and may incur a £30 adminstration fee.
2.4.2 Differences in the total amount payable resulting from alterations will be refunded to you in the case of a decrease in price and paid by you in the case of increases in price.
Special note: Generally Owners will charge the above cancellation and amendment charges, however we must stress that these are a guide only and charges may differ from those shown here depending on the Owner. The exact charges will be notified to you by the Owner at the time of cancellation and/or can be found in the Owner’s own booking conditions which are available from the Owner on request.
3. Changes and Cancellations by the Owner
We will inform you as soon as reasonably possible if the Owner needs to make a significant change to your confirmed Arrangements or to cancel them. We will also liaise between you and the Owner in relation to any alternative Booking offered by the Owner but we will have no further liability to you.
4. Complaints
Because the contract for your Booking is between you and the Owner, any queries or concerns should be addressed to them. In the event that you have any complaint about your stay, please notify the Owner as soon as possible. If you don’t follow this procedure there will be less opportunity for the Owner to investigate and resolve your complaint and so make your stay as enjoyable as possible. Delays may also mean that amount of compensation you may be entitled to may be reduced. Whether or not your complaint is dealt with satisfactorily, please also contact us as we appreciate all feedback. It’s important to us and the Owner to know that you’ve enjoyed your stay or if anything could have been improved.
5. Pricing
Canopy & Stars reserve the right to amend advertised prices at any time on behalf of the Owner. We also reserve the right to correct errors in both advertised and confirmed prices.Special note: changes and errors sometimes occur.
6. Information & Accuracy
The information and prices shown on this website are varied from time to time and may change between the time you first view a property and make a Booking. You should check that all the details are as you expect prior to making a Booking. It is always possible that, despite our best efforts, some of the properties (including the features and extras available) may be incorrectly described and/or priced. If we discover this is the case after you have made a Booking, we reserve the right to contact you with details of the correct information and/or pricing and will give you the option to:
(1) proceed with the Booking based on the correct information and/or pricing, which may require the payment of an additional amount by you;
OR
(2) subject to availability, change your booking dates to dates when the pricing can be honoured ad so no additional charge to you. In the event that a lower price can be offered for alternative dates then the difference would be refunded;
OR
(3) cancel the Booking. If we do not receive your instructions within 5 days of contacting you, we reserve the right to cancel your Booking without liability to you.
7. Our Responsibility for your Booking
Your contract is with the Owner and its booking conditions apply. As Agent, we accept no responsibility for the actual provision of the Booking. Our responsibilities are limited to making the Booking in accordance with your instructions and acting properly in accordance with our legal duties as an Agent. We accept no responsibility for any information about the Booking that we pass on to you in good faith. However, in the event that we are found liable to you on any basis whatsoever, our maximum liability to you is limited to twice the cost of your Booking (or the appropriate proportion of this if not everyone on the Booking is affected). We do not exclude or limit any liability for death or personal injury that arises as a result of our negligence or that of any of our employees whilst acting in the course of their employment.
8. Pets
Not all properties accept pets. If you wish to take your pet on holiday, please advise us before booking and we can check whether pets are accepted at the property. You must obtain the prior consent of the Owner before taking any pets to the property. A nightly charge may be made by the Owner for each pet and additional terms may apply.
9. VAT
Many of the Owners of properties in the Canopy & Stars portfolio are not registered for VAT in which case no tax is payable. Where VAT is payable, the tax is included in the advertised holiday rental price.
10. Visa, passport and health requirements.
Unless you tell us otherwise, we assume that all members of your party are British citizens who hold or will hold full British passports valid for the entire duration of the Arrangements you chose to purchase. Information on visa, passport and health requirements, where given and applicable, is so given on this basis. Requirements may change and you are therefore strongly recommended to check the up to date position with the Owner of the Booking, Passport Office, appropriate embassy or consulate or your doctor as applicable in good time before the commencement of your holiday.
11. Insurance
You are strongly recommended to take out personal travel insurance for all members of your party. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance you purchase is adequate and appropriate for your particular needs. Please read your policy details and take them with you on holiday.
12. Special requests
If you have any special requests (for example dietary requirements, cots or room location), please let us know at the time of booking. We will pass on all such requests to the Owner, but unfortunately, we can't guarantee that they will be met and we will have no liability to you if they are not.
13. Group Bookings
Not all Owners accept Bookings for a single sex group (for example, a stag or hen party). Guests wanting to make such a Booking should check with us beforehand to enable us to check whether the Owner is prepared to accept the Booking. We will then advise you accordingly. In event that an Owner does not accept this type of Booking then it is with regret, that the Booking may be cancelled and cancellation fees may apply. It is the Guest’s responsibility to enquire with Canopy & Stars and/or check on our website beforehand to make sure that this type of booking is permitted.
14. Maximum Numbers
Please note that except by prior arrangement confirmed in writing, only the number of persons specified on a booking confirmation may occupy a property. Most owners reserve the right to refuse admittance or revoke a booking if this condition is not observed and you are unlikely to receive any refund.
15. Your Responsibilities
Please note that you have a contract with the Owner of the property. As such you are under a responsibility to behave in a proper, appropriate and legal manner whilst staying at the property with due respect to the Owner, the Property and other guests and their property. You are responsible for informing the Owner of any losses or damage to the property as soon as possible. Please note that you will be liable to pay the Owner for any losses or damage to the property caused by you or a member of your party (except reasonable wear and tear). Some Owners will also require damage deposits. You must also leave the property by the check-out time specified on your booking. If any guest behaves inappropriately or improperly (of which the Owner will be the final judge on their Property), or illegally, the Owner reserves the right to ask the guest and their party (at their discretion) to leave the Property before the end of the holiday period and/or refuse any future bookings from you. Any refund for so doing will be at the entire discretion of the Owner. In addition, the Owner reserves the right to sue the guest for any loss, damage or injury caused to the Owner, the Property or to other guests and/or their property. As agent, we will have no liability to you in these circumstances.
16. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These terms and conditions have been drafted in accordance with and are governed by English law and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction in relation to any and all disputes arising out of these Agency Terms & Conditions.
17. Discrepancies
In case of a discrepancy between these Agency Terms & Conditions and any other Canopy & Stars literature, these Agency Terms & Conditions shall prevail.
18. Validity clause
In the event that a court finds that a condition in these Agency Terms & Conditions is illegal or void, the illegal or void provision will be severed from the remainder of the Agency Terms & Conditions, which will continue to be valid and have full force and effect.
Lovely isolated location. Really amazing being back in nature properly.
26/08/2019