Fort William Holiday Lodge
how to operate our home
Highwinds Guide
Key Info
Parking
Please use the back of the lodge behind the Highwinds gate for your parking. Parking elsewhere may be blocking our neighbours or using their space. If you feel like you need more space for your cars please get in contact. The lock box can be found on the brown fence to the right of the back door.
Emergency Number
If for whatever reason you need to phone for the police, ambulance, fire services IN AN EMERGENCY the number is 999. If you need to message us then please use Airbnb messenger or contact us via the number provided in the welcome book.
House Map
Red dots = Fire Extinguishers. Orange dot = Fuse Box. Blue Dot = Hot Water Boost. Purple dot = Thermostat. Green dot = Internet router. Pink dot = Storage
Check Out
Check out is 11am on the day of departure. You can massively help us out by clearing the fridge, leaving linen and towels on the bed and taking out any rubbish.
Rules
Wifi
Wifi info can be found in the welcome books in the kitchen or you can reach out on the airbnb app to us.
Fuse Box
If the power has gone out and you need to check ,the fuse box is located in the cupboard under the stairs. In the unlikely event that there is a power cut during your stay you can use the motion sensor lights in the bathroom as a temporary solution for lighting – simply slide them out of their holders and take them to the room you need light
Hot Water / Showers
We have a very large hot water tank which is heated by the boiler between 6:30am to 9am & 4:30pm – 9:30pm. This is normally sufficient for hot water throughout the day. All showers and the bath are supplied by this tank (no electric showers).
If you think you will need more hot water outside the boiler “on” periods please feel free to press the hot water button on the boiler controls in the utility room. This extends the current heating cycle by one hour (or runs the boiler for one hour if between “on” cycles). It may also take a couple of minutes for the hot water to reach some showers outside the set heating periods. Picture of the controls below.
If the tank has been completely drained and the boost isnt heating up the water quickly enough for you there is an immersion heater for the hot water tank in the towel cupboard on the upstairs landing. Please check to make sure this is switched to an ON position.
If you think you will need more hot water outside the boiler “on” periods please feel free to press the hot water button on the boiler controls in the utility room. This extends the current heating cycle by one hour (or runs the boiler for one hour if between “on” cycles). It may also take a couple of minutes for the hot water to reach some showers outside the set heating periods. Picture of the controls below.
If the tank has been completely drained and the boost isnt heating up the water quickly enough for you there is an immersion heater for the hot water tank in the towel cupboard on the upstairs landing. Please check to make sure this is switched to an ON position.
Heating
There are two Thermostats in highwinds, one that controls the heat for downstairs in the downstairs hallway and one that controls the heat for upstairs in the upstairs hallway. To change the temperature the thermostat is set to tap the middle circle to bring up the interface then press the plus or minus buttons. On the interface the percentage top left is humidity and the numbers bottom right is current temperature, the number in the middle is your desired temperature, here is the manual for the thermostat. You can also control the heat by using the thermostatic valve on the radiators.
Fire Safety
All areas of Highwinds are protected by Fire Alarms. All reception rooms, bedrooms and hallways have smoke detectors and the Kitchen has a heat detector and Carbon Monoxide detector.
All the alarms have been tested before your arrival. They are either hard wired or have long life non removable batteries.
All downstairs and upstairs landing alarms are linked so that one alarm sets off all alarms. ONLY if you are sure of the reason for the alarm (eg burnt toast!) the alarms can be muted from the control panel under the stairs.
Upstairs bedroom alarms can be muted by pressing the centre button, if the source of the alarm is still present after a few minutes the alarm will sound again.
Water Fire Extinguishers are provided in the hallway by the front door, in the corridor to the downstairs bedroom and the upstairs landing. A powder fire extinguisher and fire blanket are provided in the kitchen. Please do not move or tamper with the fire equipment and please ensure that doors to corridors are kept closed
All the alarms have been tested before your arrival. They are either hard wired or have long life non removable batteries.
All downstairs and upstairs landing alarms are linked so that one alarm sets off all alarms. ONLY if you are sure of the reason for the alarm (eg burnt toast!) the alarms can be muted from the control panel under the stairs.
Upstairs bedroom alarms can be muted by pressing the centre button, if the source of the alarm is still present after a few minutes the alarm will sound again.
Water Fire Extinguishers are provided in the hallway by the front door, in the corridor to the downstairs bedroom and the upstairs landing. A powder fire extinguisher and fire blanket are provided in the kitchen. Please do not move or tamper with the fire equipment and please ensure that doors to corridors are kept closed
Bedrooms & Bathrooms
En-Suites
For hot water troubleshooting please refer to the key info section. Each bathroom has a motion sensor light, this comes in handy during the middle of the night if you want to avoid starting the extractor fan noise, it will give around 15 seconds of light per motion so if it turns off unexpectedly simply wave at it. If the batteries of the lights run out during your stay they can be taken out of the mount and charged with a USB-C charging cable.
Ben Nevis Room
Ben Nevis’ Room is an upstairs double bed room with views with Ben Nevis. Dogs are not allowed in this room. Extra towels are in the airing cupboard halfway down the upstairs hallway.
Aurora Room
Smart Lights
If all the lights (including the lamps) are switched to ON at the wall then you can control them with the Phillips Hue remote – docked on the wall by the door (it comes off of the wall) With the remote you can turn the lights on and off, change the brightness and cycle through different colour themes for the room.
At check out please return the remote to its holder on the wall.
Sonos Speaker
To be able to use the Sonos Speakers to their full you need to be connected to the Highwinds wifi with your smart device (Password: BenNevis). Once you are connect to the Wifi the best two options are if you have a Spotify subscription simply loading up Spotify and using Spotify Connect will let you choose which speaker(s) you can play your music on.
If none of your group have a Spotify subscription then you can download the Sonos App to your smart device, when connected to the Highwinds wifi you’ll be able to access the houses Spotify account and search for songs from there.
Another option is using Apple Airplay to send songs to the speakers however I find sound quality is lost with this option.
The speaker in this room is called ‘Aurora Move’ feel free to move the speaker but please leave the dock in the room and return the speaker to the dock to charge at check out.
Smart TV
The TV in this room is a smart TV and is connected to the internet and logged into some streaming apps. If the TV is stubbornly refusing to connect to the Wifi sometimes turning it off and on at the wall will fix the issue.
If all the lights (including the lamps) are switched to ON at the wall then you can control them with the Phillips Hue remote – docked on the wall by the door (it comes off of the wall) With the remote you can turn the lights on and off, change the brightness and cycle through different colour themes for the room.
At check out please return the remote to its holder on the wall.
Sonos Speaker
To be able to use the Sonos Speakers to their full you need to be connected to the Highwinds wifi with your smart device (Password: BenNevis). Once you are connect to the Wifi the best two options are if you have a Spotify subscription simply loading up Spotify and using Spotify Connect will let you choose which speaker(s) you can play your music on.
If none of your group have a Spotify subscription then you can download the Sonos App to your smart device, when connected to the Highwinds wifi you’ll be able to access the houses Spotify account and search for songs from there.
Another option is using Apple Airplay to send songs to the speakers however I find sound quality is lost with this option.
The speaker in this room is called ‘Aurora Move’ feel free to move the speaker but please leave the dock in the room and return the speaker to the dock to charge at check out.
Smart TV
The TV in this room is a smart TV and is connected to the internet and logged into some streaming apps. If the TV is stubbornly refusing to connect to the Wifi sometimes turning it off and on at the wall will fix the issue.
Skye Room
Skye Room is the second double bedroom upstairs. Skye room has a memory foam mattress. Dogs are not allowed in this room. Extra towels are in the airing cupboard halfway down the upstairs hallway.
Glencoe Room
Glencoe Room is the downstairs bedroom. Glencoe room has a king size bed and the en-suite has underfloor heating, a picture of what the underfloor heating controls looks like are below. Dogs are allowed in this room but please do not let them go on the bed. Extra towels are in the airing cupboard halfway down the upstairs hallway.
You can control the main light colour and the bed side table lamps with the phillips remote in this room, with this you can turn the bed side lights on and off with the remote and change their colour and brightness.
You can control the main light colour and the bed side table lamps with the phillips remote in this room, with this you can turn the bed side lights on and off with the remote and change their colour and brightness.
Nessie Room
Nessie’s room is our upstairs twin room. Nessie’s en-suite is home to the only bath in Highwinds. Dogs are not allowed in this room. Extra towels are in the airing cupboard halfway down the upstairs hallway.
Extra Towels and Bedding
Extra towels can be found in the cupboard middway down the upstairs hallway. Extra sheets for bedding can be found in the cupboard at the end of the hallway from the downstairs bedroom.
Kitchen
Appliances
Oven – Highwinds has 2 ovens, the correct setting for the fan oven is the icon in the 6 o’clock position.
Dishwasher – For the dishwasher I normally tap the ‘P’ button 3 times to put it onto daily wash then close the door and the wishwasher should start. Here is the quick guide manual for the dishwasher.
Coffee Machine (Located on the worktop close to the door to the utility room)- We have a Phillips L’Or Barista Sublime Espresso Coffee Machine that takes Nespresso pods. Here is the manual. Generally I just put a pod in (lift up the lid and put in a pod face up and press the button furthest right (buttons are on top and to the back of the machine). To refill water, pull the water tank at the back up and off the coffee machine, take off the lid and then fill with cold water from the tap and then reattach to coffee machine.
Blender (Located in the cupboard central island) – We have a Tefal ‘Blendforce’ here is the manual (I’m not much of a blenderer)
Toastie Maker (Located in the cupboard central island) – Again I’m not much of a toastie professional so here is the manual.
Air Fryer (Located in the cupboard central island) – The manual is here
Wine Fridge (Located dining room side of the breakfast island) – Should be already on so all you need to do is stock it! Pull out the trays a little to get bigger bottles to fit.
Washing Machine – We have a Samsung washing machine in the utility room. Here is the manual for the washing machine
Dryer – Here is the manual for our dryer. If after a cycle you find your clothes are still quite wet it’s likely you’ll need to empty the lint trap and water, instructions for these are in the manual.
Coffee Machine (Located on the worktop close to the door to the utility room)- We have a Phillips L’Or Barista Sublime Espresso Coffee Machine that takes Nespresso pods. Here is the manual. Generally I just put a pod in (lift up the lid and put in a pod face up and press the button furthest right (buttons are on top and to the back of the machine). To refill water, pull the water tank at the back up and off the coffee machine, take off the lid and then fill with cold water from the tap and then reattach to coffee machine.
Blender (Located in the cupboard central island) – We have a Tefal ‘Blendforce’ here is the manual (I’m not much of a blenderer)
Toastie Maker (Located in the cupboard central island) – Again I’m not much of a toastie professional so here is the manual.
Air Fryer (Located in the cupboard central island) – The manual is here
Wine Fridge (Located dining room side of the breakfast island) – Should be already on so all you need to do is stock it! Pull out the trays a little to get bigger bottles to fit.
Washing Machine – We have a Samsung washing machine in the utility room. Here is the manual for the washing machine
Dryer – Here is the manual for our dryer. If after a cycle you find your clothes are still quite wet it’s likely you’ll need to empty the lint trap and water, instructions for these are in the manual.
Utility Room
Please no wet or muddy boots, shoes or clothes beyond this room. There is a plastic boot mat to use in the boot cupboard and there is a linen basket to put clothes in and overhead rails to hang wet clothes on.
Wood Burner
Feel free to use our wood burner if you’re unsure of how to use a wood burner safely please have a look at this video. You are responsible for using it safely. DO NOT leave a wood fire going unattended.
Sonos Speakers
To be able to use the Sonos Speakers to their full you need to be connected to the Highwinds wifi with your smart device (Password: BenNevis). Once you are connect to the Wifi the best two options are if you have a Spotify subscription simply loading up Spotify and using Spotify Connect will let you choose which speaker(s) you can play your music on.
If none of your group have a Spotify subscription then you can download the Sonos App to your smart device, when connected to the Highwinds wifi you’ll be able to access the houses Spotify account and search for songs from there.
Another option is using Apple Airplay to send songs to the speakers however I find sound quality is lost with this option.
If none of your group have a Spotify subscription then you can download the Sonos App to your smart device, when connected to the Highwinds wifi you’ll be able to access the houses Spotify account and search for songs from there.
Another option is using Apple Airplay to send songs to the speakers however I find sound quality is lost with this option.
Where to Find Things
Draws under kettle – Foil, baking sheets, freezer bags
Cupboard below coffee/ tea area – French Press/Cafeteria, more tea bags, more sugar, more coffee etc
Draws below the breadbin – Cutlery, Cooking Utensils, Graters, Bottle Openers, cling film, foil, baking sheet etc
Corner Cupboard – Cooking dishes, cheese grater and Sieves
Draws Under Electric Hobs – Pots and Pans
Right of Hob/Stove – Spices and cooking oil
Left of Sink – Chopping boards
Undersink – Cleaning supplies
Right of Sink – Small Kitchen Bins
Cupboards Kitchen side of breakfast island – Blender, Airfryer, Toastie maker, Tupperware
Under oven – Baking trays
Cupboard below coffee/ tea area – French Press/Cafeteria, more tea bags, more sugar, more coffee etc
Draws below the breadbin – Cutlery, Cooking Utensils, Graters, Bottle Openers, cling film, foil, baking sheet etc
Corner Cupboard – Cooking dishes, cheese grater and Sieves
Draws Under Electric Hobs – Pots and Pans
Right of Hob/Stove – Spices and cooking oil
Left of Sink – Chopping boards
Undersink – Cleaning supplies
Right of Sink – Small Kitchen Bins
Cupboards Kitchen side of breakfast island – Blender, Airfryer, Toastie maker, Tupperware
Under oven – Baking trays
Cleaning Supplies
Cleaning supplies for the kitchen are located under the sink, next to the sink and in the cupboard under the stairs. If you feel like there was anything missing during your stay please let us know!
TV
The TV in the kitchen has Sky. You can turn on the TV with the Sky remote and it should automatically connect to the right HDMI (1). From time to time when you turn on the tv with Sky it will show a screen with static (it’s a HDMI handshaking issue between the sky box and tv) to resolve this simply unplug and plug in the sky hdmi cable at the back of the tv (HDMI slot 1 which is back left of the tv and the closet wire to you).
Game Consoles
The Dreamcast uses HDMI slot 2 (navigate to this by pressing the source button on the tv remote) and slot 1 on the HDMI switcher at the back of the TV, please feel free to make any save files during your stay there are more controllers and games for the dreamcast in the draws below the tv.
The PS2 uses HDMI slot 2 and slot 2 on the HDMI switcher at the back of the TV (navigate to this by pressing the source button on the tv remote), there’s more games and controllers in the cupboards below the tv.
To turn the PS2 on there is a switch on the back of it, once that is switched on there will be a red light on a button on the front of the PS2, press that button and it should fire up on HDMI 3, if nothing has happened check to make sure a cable hasnt fallen out the back of the PS2 – the cable is quite small so if the console gets moved the cable can fall out and can be a pain to get back in.
The PS2 uses HDMI slot 2 and slot 2 on the HDMI switcher at the back of the TV (navigate to this by pressing the source button on the tv remote), there’s more games and controllers in the cupboards below the tv.
To turn the PS2 on there is a switch on the back of it, once that is switched on there will be a red light on a button on the front of the PS2, press that button and it should fire up on HDMI 3, if nothing has happened check to make sure a cable hasnt fallen out the back of the PS2 – the cable is quite small so if the console gets moved the cable can fall out and can be a pain to get back in.
Kitchen Lights
The Phillips control switch can be used to turn on and off the lights by the cupboards (the switches need to be on at the wall too) and to turn the lamps by the TV on and off. With the remote you can also cycle through different colour themes for the lights and adjust the brightness. The lights also run on the two motion sensors (one above the sink and one by the tv) they should automatically turn on when you enter the room and automatically turn off if there is no activity in 30mins.
TV Room
TV
Use the Sky Remote to turn on the TV, it’ll take a couple of moments for the SkyBox to fire up as it gets its feed via the wifi from the Kitchen.
If you are getting a strange picture (Minimised, blue and generally corrupted) then I think the Sync box (pictured below) may have crashed. In which case please unplug and plugin the power cable to the sync box and let it load up.
If nothing is happening when turning on with the Sky remote then make sure the TV is set to HDMI 1. If this doesn’t help try unplugging and plugging in the power to the sync box.
If you are getting a strange picture (Minimised, blue and generally corrupted) then I think the Sync box (pictured below) may have crashed. In which case please unplug and plugin the power cable to the sync box and let it load up.
If nothing is happening when turning on with the Sky remote then make sure the TV is set to HDMI 1. If this doesn’t help try unplugging and plugging in the power to the sync box.
Streaming Services
For all the streaming services please hit the Menu button on the sky remote then navigate the menu on the left down to ‘Apps’ from here you can select from various apps. The streaming services we are already logged into are Netflix, Disney & Amazon Prime.
We have bought a number of films to watch on Amazon Prime including all the Harry Potters, handy if you’re going to see the Glenfinnan Viaduct (which features in the second Harry Potter film) during your stay. To get to the films we’ve purchased go to Amazon Prime from the Sky TV menu as described in the paragraph above and then go to ‘My Stuff’ from the Amazon Prime menu.
We have bought a number of films to watch on Amazon Prime including all the Harry Potters, handy if you’re going to see the Glenfinnan Viaduct (which features in the second Harry Potter film) during your stay. To get to the films we’ve purchased go to Amazon Prime from the Sky TV menu as described in the paragraph above and then go to ‘My Stuff’ from the Amazon Prime menu.
Switch Console
If you turn on the Switch it should automatically switch the TV to the Switch . (If you want to go back to the TV turn the Skybox on and off again, the light Sync box chooses whichever device is last active). The Switch requires the TV to be set to HDMI 1.
With the switch we have a number of games that can be navigated from the menu. We have a subscription so you have a massive library of NES, SNES, Sega and N64 games to choose from.
Up to 4 players can play on the switch we have one ‘standard’ looking control then the rest you can split up and share. They should all be linked up and ready to go but if there’s anything unclear this should help https://www.nintendo.com/my/support/switch/controller/index.html
Feel free to make any save files while playing any games during your stay, don’t worry about overwriting any of our saves!
If the switch isnt loading up make sure the HDMI cable is connected from the switch to the sync box.
With the switch we have a number of games that can be navigated from the menu. We have a subscription so you have a massive library of NES, SNES, Sega and N64 games to choose from.
Up to 4 players can play on the switch we have one ‘standard’ looking control then the rest you can split up and share. They should all be linked up and ready to go but if there’s anything unclear this should help https://www.nintendo.com/my/support/switch/controller/index.html
Feel free to make any save files while playing any games during your stay, don’t worry about overwriting any of our saves!
If the switch isnt loading up make sure the HDMI cable is connected from the switch to the sync box.
TV Lights
For the TV lights to work you need to be using the SkyBox or the Switch, so make sure you’re using Netflix etc from the Apps on Sky menu.
You can control the tv lights with the Amazon Fire stick, you can turn them on and off with the power button and turn the brightness up and down with the + and –
You can control the tv lights with the Amazon Fire stick, you can turn them on and off with the power button and turn the brightness up and down with the + and –
Sitting Room
Board Games
In the wooden sideboard there are a number of board games, feel free to take these out and use them in the dining room, please return the board games to where you found them at the end of your stay.
If you notice any missing pieces from any of the board games please do let us know so we can replace them.
If you notice any missing pieces from any of the board games please do let us know so we can replace them.
Books / Colouring books.
There are a number of interesting books in Highwinds, our ‘Scotland’ focused books are on top of the wooden sideboard, inside the draws of the sideboard are some general books and novels and then by the Ben Nevis chair/lounge there is a unit that contains mostly maps and map books. To the left of the front door there is a basket on the floor that contains children focused books and coloring pencils, feel free to use these but leave so that others can enjoy them too.
Please treat our books with care so others can enjoy them too.
Please treat our books with care so others can enjoy them too.
Sonos Speaker
To be able to use the Sonos Speakers to their full you need to be connected to the Highwinds wifi with your smart device . Once you are connect to the Wifi the best two options are if you have a Spotify subscription simply loading up Spotify and using Spotify Connect will let you choose which speaker(s) you can play your music on.
If none of your group have a Spotify subscription then you can download the Sonos App to your smart device, when connected to the Highwinds wifi you’ll be able to access the house’s Spotify account and search for songs from there.
Another option is using Apple Airplay to send songs to the speakers however I find sound quality is lost with this option.
The speaker in this room is called ‘Living Room Move’ feel free to move the speaker but please leave the dock in the room and return the speaker to the dock to charge at check out. The speaker by the Ben Nevis chair is called ‘Ben Nevis Chair’.
If none of your group have a Spotify subscription then you can download the Sonos App to your smart device, when connected to the Highwinds wifi you’ll be able to access the house’s Spotify account and search for songs from there.
Another option is using Apple Airplay to send songs to the speakers however I find sound quality is lost with this option.
The speaker in this room is called ‘Living Room Move’ feel free to move the speaker but please leave the dock in the room and return the speaker to the dock to charge at check out. The speaker by the Ben Nevis chair is called ‘Ben Nevis Chair’.
Patio Sliding Doors
Feel free to use the sliding door as you wish but try to keep it locked and shut as much as possible, especially if the midges are out in force! You have to shut the doors firmly in order to be able to move the latch into the lock position, the correct locked latch position is shown below. If you’re unable to activate the latch to the lock position you may have to shut with slightly more force.
Sofa Covers
If you’ve told us you’re bringing your pet(s) we’ll leave sofa covers on the sofas. Please use them as this will help any guests that come after you if they have allergies. Any unreasonable damage caused by your pets will be billed and reported.
Ben Nevis Chair
There is a chair by the front door that has the perfect view of Ben Nevis. It’s a great place to have a morning coffee. On the table by this chair there are colouring pencils and books. Please feel free to use these during your stay but please leave so that other guests can enjoy too! There are also binoculars which you can use to look at the North Face of Ben Nevis. To operate the lap by the chair please use the Philips Hue remote.
Troubleshooting
Key Info
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Hot Water | We have a very large hot water tank which is heated by the boiler between 6:30am to 9am & 4:30pm – 9:30pm. This is normally sufficient for hot water throughout the day. All showers and the bath are supplied by this tank (no electric showers). If you think you will need more hot water outside the boiler “on” periods please feel free to press the hot water button on the boiler controls in the utility room. This extends the current heating cycle by one hour (or runs the boiler for one hour if between “on” cycles). It may also take a couple of minutes for the hot water to reach some showers outside the set heating periods. Picture of the controls below. If the tank has been completely drained and the boost isnt heating up the water quickly enough for you there is an immersion heater for the hot water tank in the towel cupboard on the upstairs landing. Please check to make sure this is switched to an ON position. |
| Thermostat | There are two thermostats the one in the downstairs hallway controls the entire heating for downstairs and an upstairs thermostat that controls the entire heating for upstairs. See picture below |
| Changing tempertaure in each room | You can change how hot the radiators get in each room by adjusting the valve on each radiator. See picture below. |
| Power Out | If the power has gone out and you need to check the fusebox it is located in the cupboard under the stairs. |
| Fire Alarm | If you have burnt toast and set off the Fire Alarm you can turn it off by finding the control box in the cupboard under the stairs, please see picture below. |
| Where to Park | Please park to the back of the house to avoid blocking our neighbours |
| Extra Bedding | You can find extra bed sheets and bedding in the downstairs storage closet, at the end of the hallway by the downstairs bedroom. |
| Light not working | A lot of the lights in the lodge are smart lights and if one isnt working its more than likely it’s off on the app, in which case please message me and I will apologise profusely. If some lights have gone out during your stay and you feel confident enough to change them without breaking anything there are spare bulbs in a bag in the cupboard under the stairs. |
Bathrooms
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Motion Sensor Lights | In all the En-Suite bathrooms there are battery powered motion sensor lights. These are handy so that you don’t have to turn on the extractor fans in the middle of the night. In the unlikely event that they have run out of battery during your stay you can slide them out of their holders and charge with a USB-C wire. |
| Extra Towels | Extra towels are located in the airing cupboard midway down the upstairs hallway |
| Vanity mirror lights | Some mirrors have a sensor under them, simply way your hand under them to turn the mirror light on/ off. The downstairs bedroom en-suite the buton is on the mirror. In the mirror in Nessie’s room also has a physical button |
| Underfloor Heating | The shower rooms down stairs have underfloor heating, see the picture below for what the controls look like for the underfloor heating |
Kitchen & Utility
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Oven | The normal fan oven setting is the icon at the 6 oclock position. Turn the dial to this. |
| Extra Chairs | We will have set up the kitchen the amount of guests you’ve told us are coming, the extra chairs will be in the downstairs storage cupboard which is at the end of the hallway from the downstairs bedroom |
| Coffee Machine | (Located on the worktop close to the door to the utility room)- We have a Phillips L’Or Barista Sublime Espresso Coffee Machine that takes Nespresso pods. Here is the manual. Generally I just put a pod in (lift up the lid and put in a pod face up and press the button furthest right (buttons are on top and to the back of the machine). To refill water, pull the water tank at the back up and off the coffee machine, take off the lid and then fill with cold water from the tap and then reattach to coffee machine. |
| Blender | (Located in the cupboard below chopping boards) – We have a Tefal ‘Blendforce’ here is the manual (I’m not much of a blenderer) |
| Toastie Maker | (Located in the cupboard below chopping boards) – Again I’m not much of a toastie professional so here is the manual. |
| Washing Machine | We have a Samsung washing machine in the utility room. Here is the manual for the washing machine |
| Dryer | Here is the manual for our dryer |
| Wood Burner | Feel free to use our wood burner if you’re unsure of how to use a wood burner safely please have a look at this video |
| Sonos Speaker | To use the Sonos speaker you will need to connect to it with Bluetooth rather than Wifi. Instructions on how to do this are here. Feel free to take the speaker into other rooms but please return it to its dock before you leave. |
| Where to find things? | Please visit here |
| Kitchen Lights | The Phillips control switch (by the coffee machine) can be used to turn on and off the lights by the cupboards (the switches need to be on at the wall too) and to turn the lamps by the tv on and off. With the remote you can also cycle through different colour themes for the lights and adjust the brightness. |
TVs & Games Consoles
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Kitchen TV Games Consoles | The Dreamcast uses HDMI slot 2 (navigate to this by pressing the source button on the tv remote) and slot 1 on the HDMI switcher at the back of the TV, please feel free to make any save files during your stay there are more controllers and games for the dreamcast in the draws below the tv. The PS2 uses HDMI slot 2 (navigate to this by pressing the source button on the tv remote) and slot 2 on the HDMI switcher at the back of the TV, there’s more games and controllers in the cupboards below the TV. |
| TV in Cinema Room showing weird picture with Sky Tv | We think this is likely caused by a crash with the sync box (the box in the cupboard below TV) to reset the sync box take the power out the back of it and plug it back in. Hopefully that’ll fix the weird display issue. |
| Streaming services set up | For all the streaming services please hit the Menu button on the Sky remote then navigate the menu on the left down to ‘Apps’ from here you can select from various apps. The streaming services we are already logged into are Netflix, Disney & Amazon Prime. If you don’t use the streaming services from the Sky Apps you will not be able to use our log in/ use the tv lights with what you’re watching. |
| Switching between TV and Switch console and back | If you turn on the Switch it should automatically switch the TV to the Switch. (If you want to go back to the TV turn the Skybox on and off again, the light Sync box chooses whichever device is last active) |
| Switch games | With the switch we have a number of games that can be navigated from the menu. We have a subscription so you have a massive library of NES, SNES, Sega and N64 games to choose from. |
| Switch controllers | Up to 4 players can play on the switch we have one ‘standard’ looking control then the rest you can split up and share. They should all be linked up and ready to go but if there’s anything unclear this should help https://www.nintendo.com/my/support/switch/controller/index.html |
| TV Lights | For the TV lights to work you need to be using the SkyBox or the Switch, so make sure you’re using Netflix etc from the Apps on Sky menu. If you do not want the sync’d tv lights on please send me a message and I’ll turn them off remotely with the Phillips app (Sorry there’s no good solution at the moment for you to turn them on and off at will) |
Babies & Toddlers
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Travel Cot | The travelcot is located in the downstairs storage cupboard which is at the end of the hallway from the downstairs bedroom. Here is a video guide on how to put the cot together https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK0_nW3rswc&ab_channel=BabySecurity |
| Highchair | The highchair is located in the downstairs storage cupboard which is at the end of the hallway from the downstairs bedroom. Here is the manual for the highchair https://manuals.plus/ikea/antilop-high-chair-with-tray-manual#axzz7jTyxAOwQ |
| Extra stairgate | There is an extra stairgate in the downstairs storage cupboard which is at the end of the hallway from the downtairs bedroom. |
Pets
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Dog beds | There is a memory foam dog mattress located under the TV Unit in the kitchen. The top of this dog bed zips off and we wash it between guests. Feel free to move the bed to anywhere downstairs but please don’t let your dogs upstairs, we ask this so that guests with any pet allergies can be confident of having a restful sleep upstairs. There is an additional dog bed on top of the units in the Utility room. Both of our dog beds are only big enough for a medium sized dog. |
| Sofa covers | If you have told us you’re bringing a dog we will have the sofa covers already out if not, there are pet sofa covers in the storage cupboard down the hall from the downstairs bedroom. |
Cleaning
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Cleaning Supplies | Cleaning supplies will be located by the kitchen sink, under the sink and in the cupboard under the stairs |
| Vacuum Cleaner | The vacuum cleaner will be located in the storage cupboard at the end of the hallway from the downstairs bedroom. |
Outdoors & Garden
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Bike Storage | In the fully enclosed back garden there is a place to lock and store your bikes on the wall of the garage next to the woodstore. For additional peace of mind we have a camera pointed at where any gear will be stored. |
| Back Garden | The back garden is fully enclosed so it is safe to let your dog out and have a sniff around. Please check and pick up any mess your dogs make and dispose of them in the big black bin by the back door. Please don’t let your dog go in and out of the patio doors in the Cinema room in bad weather, instead use the back door as the utility room is better set up to deal with a wet dog! Feel free to take logs from the wood store but please be reasonable about how many logs you are using, bonus points for replacing any logs you use but this is not a requirement! |