Glenfeshie Hostel - Essential Information

Access

Access to the hostel is by the door to the South side of the property. There is a key box mounted adjacent to the door. A four digit access code will be advised to the party leader prior to your arrival. Please lock the key in the key box upon departure and scramble the code. It may be useful if you have a torch to hand if arriving after dark in order select the access code

Bed linen

All bed linen is supplied by the hostel and will be placed on the bed. At the end of your stay, please strip used beds and leave the bed linen at the bottom of the stairs.

Please leave unused linen on the beds.

Please leave the blue undersheet protector on the mattress after your stay unless they require changing.

 

Heating

Heating of the hostel is primarily by the solid fuel stove in the common room. This will be lit 3 to 4 hours prior to your arrival during the winter months (Oct to March) and charged with anthracite. It is helpful if we are advised of the approximate arrival time for your party in order to have the fire lit in good time. Adequate supplies of anthracite will be available in hods adjacent to the stove.

The fire needs to be riddled and recharged prior to your going to bed in order to keep it burning and approximately once every 12 hours thereafter. The grate needs to be set in the open position to allow ash/cinders to fall through into the pan below. The lever for opening/closing the grate is located below the stove body on the LH side and a tool is available for operating it. A selection of pokers can be used to clear riddle ash/cinders into the pan below. The ash pan should be emptied into the ash container provided if a party is staying more than two days, otherwise ash will build up and choking the fire and damaging the grate. Ensure the ash container is not left on a combustible surface as it gets very hot when filled. The stove burns steadily with the door vents closed. In the spring and autumn months, logs and kindling are available to light the stove as required.

The following rooms have been fitted with convector heaters and "smart" thermostatic controls. These controls prevent room temperatures dropping below 5 deg C for frost protection but upon activating the touch button on the controller will increase the room temperature as shown below:

Vestibule (16 deg C)

Drying Room (20 deg C)

Large bedroom (19 deg C)
Downstairs shower room (24 deg C)

Upstairs shower room (24 deg C)

After four hours the temperature will revert to 5 deg C unless reactivated. In the winter months these controllers should therefor not be isloated at the manual switch.

There is no direct heating in the three bunk rooms although they will benefit from the heat of the stove in the common room below.

Water Supply

Water for the hostel comes from a well below the hostel and is pumped up under pressure to the house and hostel. The water is filtered and treated before use. The isolation switch for the pump is in the four single bed room and is suitably identified. It should remain on unless there is an obvious need to switch it off.

In an emergency there is also a stop cock and quarter turn valve in the drying room (behind the washing m/c). These can be turned of in the event of any leaks or burst pipes being identified.

A large, modern hot water tank has been installed in the stairwell and provides ample hot water for showers and washing at ample pressure. Please leave the immersion heater switched on continuously.

Fire risk

The hostel is protected by a fire alarm system which detects heat and smoke as appropriate. The control panel in located beside the fire exit at the bottom of the hostel stairs. In the event that the alarm sounds, please treat it as genuine and evacuate the building. If an outbreak of fire cannot be detected the alarm should be reset at the panel by following the instructions located there.

The most common reason for the alarm going off is following excessive smoke in the common room (the detector in the kitchen senses heat). If this seems to be the case then the room should be ventilated by opening windows prior to resetting the alarm.

A fire blanket is located in the kitchen area and fire extinguishers are located strategically around the hostel.

There are two dedicated fire escapes in addition to the main entrance: one is at the bottom hostel stairs, the second is the escape door on the upper floor at the west end of the bunk room corridor.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is now available in the hostel lounge area. The access code is NYJQ-PPGL-MQBL-CBOU and is case sensitive.

Waste management and recycling

Badenoch and Strathspey has now switched to a recycling service with general waste being collected one week and recycled items (into blue bins) being taken the following week. Items which can be recycled are listed in the kitchen area. It is vital that no glass or polythene shopping bags are placed in recycling bins as in doing so they will not be emptied. Please if possible minimise glass use (bring cans of beer) and take bottles home or recycle them at the drop off point in Kincraig.

Sanitation

The hostel depends on a septic tank to treat waste which cannot handle solid objects such as nappies and sanitary products.  These items should be placed in the bins in the toilets or wrapped and placed in the wheelie bins outside. Likewise coffee grounds and the like should not be flushed down the kitchen sink.

Energy Conservation

Please switch off lights and heating (unless marked at the switch to be left on) when not required. Please check before departure that all lighting + the drying room dehumidifier are switched off - it may be several days before the caretaker arrives to prepare the hostel for the next party.

The hot water tank heater should be left on continuously.

Entrance Hallway

The hallway contains a freezer  which can be brought into use as required.  After use, please switch off and then lodge door open to ensure ventilation.

 

Drying/Utility Room

The drying/utility room is located directly opposite the main entrance once inside the hostel.  There is a clothes rail and hangers to allow you to hang wet/damp items of clothing.  The room contains a washing machine and a coin operated commercial tumble drier.  It accepts £1 coins.  There is also a dehumidifier in the room.

 

Kitchen

The kitchen contains a halogen hob (please take the time to read the instructions in purple folder)  Cleaning fluid and scraper for hob are found under the sink.  There are also double ovens and large fridge.  The kitchen is fully equipped with china, glasses,cutlery, toaster, kettle, pots and pans. Please switch off the fridge and leave the door open on departure.

There is also a large freezer located in the entrance vestibule.

There is no cafetiere as its use tends to allow coffee grounds into the septic tank and these do not degrade easily. Instead there are coffee filters, a filter holder and jug.

Dogs

Dogs are welcome providing it is made known at booking and their owners accept responsibility for their good behavior.

 

Emergency Contact Numbers

David or Anne-Marie Phimister

Tel:
013398 85758 (H)
07729 115000 (M - David)
07720 432079 (M - Anne-Marie)