We do hope that you will enjoy your stay with us, albeit, a very different sort of stay in this strange new socially distanced world. We could never have imagined a global pandemic requiring us to welcome you from behind a screen.
This page contains information which may be helpful during your stay.
Firstly, fire instructions are posted on the back of your room door. Please take a moment to read them. If you need assistance in case of an alarm, please inform us. If you hear the fire alarm, please make your way to the nearest exit: do not follow the one-way system if this will delay you exiting the building. Please remain on the front lawn until we advise it is safe to re-enter the house.
As you are already aware, to allow socially distanced, enhanced cleaning during the day, the main house will be locked from 11am until 2pm daily, with no access during this time. The drawing room and dining room will be closed from 11am until 4pm daily. If you are staying in the Tack Room and Doocot, you will still be able to access your rooms.
Please observe the one-way system in the house and take care maintain a two-metre distance from other guests, and from staff. Please also wash or sanitise your hands regularly.
We do not have a night porter and normally close the front door between 11pm and midnight. If you will be returning late, please let us know so that we can make special arrangements.
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As you know, in order to maintain social distancing, there will be staggered breakfast times so as to limit the number of people in the dining room at any given time. We will ask you to choose a time when you arrive: 8:00a.m., 8.40a.m or 9:20a.m (there is no need to choose one time for the duration of your stay: if you are here for several nights, times can be arranged the day before). Slots will be filled on a first come first served basis. If your preferred time is full, we can do you a packed breakfast to take away instead. Equally, if you would prefer a packed breakfast, please let us know and we will prepare one for you. We will also ask you to pre-order your breakfast so that we can have almost everything ready and waiting for you at your table. This is to help maintain social distancing in the dining room. We do kindly ask that you stick strictly to your allotted time and to sanitize your hands on entry to the dining room.
If you would like afternoon tea on return from your day out, please pre-order this at breakfast time.
Evenings – Soup and a cheeseboard are available by prior arrangement to all guests who do not wish to dine out. The cost for soup & cheese is £10.00 per person. Charcuterie boards are available too, as are vegan platters, and charged at £5.50 per person. We are more than happy to cater for anyone with special dietary needs.
Packed lunches are available on request at a charge of £9.00 each. Please order by 6pm the night before.
Viewfield has a full alcohol license and drinks are available at any reasonable time on request; please telephone, or ring the bell at reception (having first sanitised your hands). Please note that your own alcoholic drinks must not be consumed in the public areas.
If you need more coffee, tea, etc. for the hospitality tray in your bedroom, please let us know at breakfast time.
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The heating in your room is thermostatic. It runs and automatic cycle and is set to drop down during the day when you are out. It is controlled by the white box on the wall: the up arrow will make it warmer, and the down arrow will set a lower temperature. If you like to sleep with your bedroom window open, you won’t get any cooler unless you switch it to off (for controls in the main house, flip the lid open and slide the button to off: in The Old Stables, press and hold the up and down arrows simultaneously).
Please be aware that the baths may be slippery when using the shower. We have provided non-slip bathmats in each room. If you cannot find one please let us know.
If you need a hairdryer, please ask at reception.
A coin operated washing machine and tumble dryer are located in the downstairs cloakroom. Please ensure you have washed your hands on entry to the cloakroom. And please be so kind as to use the sanitising spray to clean the machines after you have used them. Both machines use £1 coins. Change can be provided at reception. Detergent is available also from reception.
If you have brought a dog with you, please note that for the comfort of our other guests, they are not allowed in the dining room. They are allowed in the drawing room provided that you check with any other guests using the room. Please be considerate of any guests who may be afraid of, or allergic to, dogs.
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We will discuss your preference for check out when you arrive (distanced, or in person).
Room keys have a habit of going on holiday. Please do your best to remember to leave your key when you check out. If you find that you have inadvertently taken it away, please wrap it in tissue paper and place it in a padded envelope; we have received numerous empty paper envelopes over the years, with a small hole where the key has punched its way out.
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Wifi is available throughout the house. You will find a note of the password in your bedroom.
If you wish to use your room telephone to make external calls, please ensure that your room phone has been checked in. Once checked in, for an outside line, dial 9, followed by the number that you wish to call.
For internal calls you can use the following extension numbers (you do not need to dial 9 first):
Room 1 301 Room 2 302 Room 3 303
Room 4 304 Room 5 305 Room 8 308
Room 9 309 Room 10 310 Room 11 311
Room 12 312 Room 14 315
If you wish to reach one of the team, please try the following numbers 201 or 202. If there is no answer, you can either ring the main number: 01478 61 2217; or ring the bell at reception.
If you need to reach us after 11pm, please dial 313 or 307 to get through to a member of staff. Or try 07969040292.
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IsleofSkye.com is a font of useful information for your time on Skye.
The Walk Highlands website is a terrific resource, too. It has detailed instructions for some of our favourite walks, which we’ve listed here, as social distancing means we quite possibly won’t have the chance to recommend these to you in person.
They have excellent guides for the Cuillins, too. However, their advice for Marsco (one of the more accessible Cuillins) is to walk in from Sligachan. It’s a much longer route in this way. The more direct route is to begin at Drum Na Cloich. Naturally, the Cuillins should never be attempted without an OS map and the proper equipment. If you are tackling any ambitious walks while you are staying with us, please do let us know where you are going, and when you have returned safely.
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Portree is a ten-fifteen minute stroll from Viewfield. There is a shortcut through the garden. There is also a lovely walk up the hill behind the house.
The Tourist Information Centre — 01478 612992 — is located in the village opposite The Royal Hotel.
The Doctors’ Surgery — 01478 612013 — is located in the village. Take a right turn at the Royal Bank of Scotland (opposite the Royal Hotel), the surgery is on the right and the hospital and A&E are straight ahead.
Boots the Chemist — 01478 612100 — is on Wentworth Street in the village, as is the Post Office.
Restaurants
Scorrybreac 01478 612069
Dulse & Brose 01478 612846
Seabreezes 01478 612016
Cuchullin 01478 612750
Three Chimneys 01470 511258
Kinloch Lodge 01471 833333
Edinbane Lodge 01470 582217
Lochbay 01470 592235
The Old School 01470 521421
Taxis
Gus 01478 613000
A1 Cabs 01478 611777
Don 01478 613100
Portree Taxi’s 01478 612444
BW’s Taxi 01478 612865
Lynx Taxi’s 01478 611909
Fast Cabs 01478 612200