Covid-19

The Western Isles have been very fortunate with regards to covid-19. As of July 2020, we have only had 8 recorded cases and all of these cases have fully recovered at home, with none of these people requiring ITU. Our location makes us vulnerable though and we never had an ITU in our hospital until the pandemic.

Our health board have been working tirelessly to ensure the best care for patients should they need ventilation, but thankfully they haven’t…as yet. Local relationships are important to us all and some are understandably apprehensive about the potential impacts of returning visitors; your thoughtfulness will help reassure them.  We would urge all our guests to respect Scottish Government advice, social distancing measures and hygiene protocols when using local services, as well as in the wider community.

Due to our location and being unable to travel to the mainland without using public transport, as per government guidelines, should you display covid-19 symptoms during your stay you must self-isolate following government advice in the property at your own expense for 7 days from initial onset of symptoms. Due to the knock on effect this has on other guests please let me know as soon as possible. I am willing to collect and deliver any groceries or medicine if this is ordered online during your stay if you are self-isolating.

We have been working hard at The Blue House to make things as safe as possible for our guests. We will be open again from September and have carried out risk assessments, cleaning checklists and have been awarded the Visit Scotland ‘good to go’ certificate. We will be leaving gaps between guests to protect ourselves for cleaning and also our guests. Due to leaving gaps and vigorous cleaning schedule, including steaming soft furnishings, we will be leaving items such as cushions and throws in the property as it adds a more ‘homely’ feel. Should you wish these removed do not hesitate to contact me before hand and these can be removed. Also, should guests wish to take their own bedding let me know and I will not make the bed before arrival (although we will be rotating bedding between guests, further reducing the risk of spreading covid-19 to our guests). There are 5 sinks in the property and there will also be hand sanitiser so plenty places to wash hands. Unfortunately, for the time being, we have opted to remove our luxury Hebridean hand soap as well as body wash/shampoo etc and using anti-bacterial hand soap and spray pump shampoo and body wash. We will also be removing books, toys and games as per self-catering guidelines. These measures are all temporary to increase safety and we will continually assess the situation and contact guests with any changes necessary.

If there are any concerns or queries please do not hesitate to contact me, and I will endeavour to help with any queries before arrival, or during your stay.

Thank you for your understanding.
Anna.