We’re thrilled to share that Borve Lodge Estate has been shortlisted for the prestigious Highlands & Islands Thistle Awards (HITA) in the category of Best Self-Catering or Unique Stay!
Here’s an in-depth look at their journey to this remarkable achievement.
About Borve Lodge Estate
Q. Please can you give us a little bit of background into your business?
A. Borve Lodge Estate can be found on the west coast of Harris overlooking the wild Atlantic ocean and the island of Taransay. The Estate is privately owned by Adam and Cathra Kelliher who very much see themselves as custodians of the Estate and Taransay Island.
The Estate is steeped in history having its foundations in 1868 when the Lodge was built by the Earl of Dunmore. The industrialist Lord Leverhulme followed, and the Estate then saw a number of innovative owners including more recently, Adam and Cathra Kelliher who took the reins and developed the Estate further in the 1990s.
Having formally opened its doors in 2013, the Estate offers 5 self-catering properties, accepting bookings all year. The properties sleep from 2 to 8 guests with a range of budgets.
Adam and Cathra had the vision to build the Rock House and The Broch in 2012 which have gone on to be award winning self-catering accommodation, blending the architecture of the past with modern day comfort. These two properties are joined by our family accommodation at Claddach House, which is also on the Borve Estate, and Tarasaigh House which overlooks Seilebost and Luskentyre beaches.
The Estate offers fly fishing on their salmon lochs and river system, along with brown trout fishing both on the Estate and surrounding areas and Laxdale cottage is our traditional ‘fisherman’s retreat’ set by the side of our fishing loch.
The Estate is also privileged to be trustees of the Isle of Taransay, one of the UKs largest uninhabited islands and one of the most pristine locations in the Outer Hebrides. Taransay is home to a herd of some 220 Red deer, a seal colony and various archaeological sites. Visitors are welcome to explore by sailing across on the Estate’s regular boat trips.
The Significance of the Scottish Thistle Awards
Q. What does being short-listed for the Highlands and Islands Thistle Awards (HITA) mean to you and your team?
A. As a member of Visit Scotland’s Quality Assurance scheme for a number of years, we recognise and understand the importance of ensuring everything we do is aimed at giving guests confidence that their stay with us is as relaxing and worry free as possible.
We were therefore thrilled and very humbled to have been selected as a nominee and then as a finalist, from many very worthy businesses, for the Scottish Thistle awards which have recognised the hard work and dedication of our small team to the industry.
It has been a significant morale boost for the team to know their hard work has been acknowledged and that the service we provide is worthy of this prestigious award.
Commitment to Sustainability
Q. How do you ensure that your operations are environmentally sustainable and socially responsible?
A. The Estate team tries to implement as much as it can to incorporate sustainable policies and processes in the business. Properties have utilised air source heat pumps and solar panels where possible from the start.
As well as taking steps to introduce sustainability in the properties with refillable bottles for toiletries and our cleaning products, there are glass, paper and plastic recycling facilities in all properties, unoccupied properties are ‘powered down’ to save energy during quieter periods and monitoring of services is inherent in our daily housekeeping routines.
The Isle of Taransay is key to the Estate’s broader environmental work. This year sees us embark on a long-term project involving the conservation and regeneration of Taransay island. More information can be found at https://isleoftaransay.com/.
In August 2024 we were lucky to have Rui Seabra join us, to install limpet-sized sensors around the coastline that will ongoingly monitor the changing sea temperatures and feed into his very valuable climate research.”
Local Culture and Community Engagement
Q. How do you incorporate local culture and community into your guest experience?
A. The owners acknowledge the importance of contributing to the local community through employment for local residents and supporting the island economy. Opportunities and sourcing of new products and services are always offered locally in the first instance.
The Estate is frequently involved in helping local groups, for example, though facilitating beach cleans and providing transport of livestock and materials between the smaller islands using the Estate workboats.
Supporting the local community is very important in a remote location as resources are much more limited than elsewhere on the mainland. The Estate regularly donates stays in the 5-star accommodation, fishing or boat trips to the Isle of Taransay to support local charities, groups and schools, as well as offering discounts for residents.
The Estate has also focused on developing the young workforce on the island and employment, through participation in the Employment Recruitment Incentive.
When we discovered Rui Seabra would be coming to the Estate, we immediately offered the opportunity to the local residents of West Harris to come along and take a trip to Taransay with us (free of charge) and meet Rui and help him lay the sensors on Taransay and learn how to be involved in coastal and climate research.
Exceptional Guest Experiences
Q. What is your approach to providing exceptional customer service to your guests and how do you ensure that every guest has a memorable and enjoyable stay?
A. Good service begins with our knowledgeable, friendly and professional staff and we strive to make our guests feel welcome and valued from the first contact when booking to post departure.
All bookings are handled by our in-house team and not a third party. We do not rely on automatic emails when contacting guests, but we ensure we customise any correspondence to give the personal touch, especially where we are aware guests are visiting for a special occasion or have specific requirements. Onsite support from our team is available throughout a guests stay to help with any questions or provide assistance.
We are a small, close team, with a strong work ethic to provide a stress free, relaxing experience for our guests. Our staff ensure the properties are well maintained and prepared to a high standard as we consider guests comfort and enjoyment of their stay, in such unique and sumptuous properties, a priority.
Guests are provided with a basket of treats to welcome them to the property. These are sourced from a variety of local businesses from coffee roasters in Lochboisdale who created our own particular ‘Taransay’ blend, bakers on Harris and charcuterie from the Isle of Lewis, showcasing some of the best products the islands have to offer.
It is often the little touches that help make a stay more memorable and we do look for different ways of engaging with our guests. Particularly during the winter months with darker nights, guests who may be interested in seeing the aurora borealis can let us know when they check-in, and we will send them any alerts if the aurora is forecast.
Our guest information packs sent prior to arrival and in the properties, highlight local business and producers across the island. We actively encourage guests to visit the local eateries and galleries which are dotted around the island as well as visiting larger venues such as the Harris Distillery.
Going Above and Beyond for Guests
Q. Can you share a story of a time when you went above and beyond for a guest?
A. Over the years we have had many occasions where we have assisted our guests when the unexpected has arisen; everything from very early Sunday callouts to help guests gain access to a cottage after accidentally locking themselves out, sourcing lobster picks (now standard kitchen utensils), to providing one of the teams own sky tv box from their home when the one at the cottage stopped working on a Saturday evening, just before a big Strictly Come Dancing show.
However, our most recent call was for a guest who was staying at one of our pet friendly cottages with their beautiful Bengal cat. The cat travels on holiday with them frequently and this was her first trip to Harris and an extended stay of 3 weeks. The cat had clearly settled in well and as cats sometimes do, decided that she was going off for her own Hebridean Adventure – timed perfectly for the guests departure day!
Having received a very distraught call from the guests who after a very thorough search unfortunately had to depart to catch their ferry back to the mainland without their feline family member, the team went into action. That afternoon and evening a team member went back to the cottage in the hope that kitty would be there and the incoming guests were also put on high alert to contact us if they spotted her, but to no avail.
Early the next morning our Estate Services Manager was contacted by the newly arrived guests to say that kitty had returned, however as they were allergic to cats they did not want to capture her themselves. Three team members then went along to the cottage with various treats, but although they could see and hear her, the cat would not approach.
We therefore contacted the guests who had by then arrived home, to let them know kitty was safe but was evading capture. They immediately about turned and after securing a last minute crossing returned to Harris late that night. On arriving at the cottage, the guests gave couple of short whistles and kitty sprinted from the tress to be reunited. We offered the guests and kitty safe lodging at the home of the Estate Services Manager for the night and the next morning both kitty and guests made their way home on a standby ticket thanks to Calmac! A great bit of teamwork and good communication all round leading to a great outcome!
Staying Ahead of Industry Trends
Q. How do you adapt your business to stay ahead of industry trends and changes?
A.We are very careful to listen to the feedback from our guests and the industry leaders and incorporate any changes where possible.
We have recently extended our pet friendly policy from one cottage to now include our two family properties in response to feedback from families travelling with their pets.
The ASSC have assisted us with queries on a number of occasions and particularly through COVID lockdowns and reopening and negotiating the Short-Term Let legislation. Their advice and guidance is invaluable and we would recommend any other businesses like ourselves to become members
Advice for Fellow Self-Catering Operators
Q. What advice would you give to other self-catering operators looking to achieve similar success?
A.Team work plays a major part in the success of the business and our advice would be to ensure you have a strong, committed team as the foundation to build from.
Each member of our team is welcomed to the ‘Borve’ family and is provided with training, help and support from the owners in both their day to day work and also on a personal level. We have implemented comprehensive checklists to provide guidance for our housekeeping team covering every aspect from cleaning to laundry to ensure our standards remain consistently high. The same standard is applied to all properties, regardless of their star rating.
Future Goals for Borve Lodge Estate
Q. What are your future goals for your self-catering business?
A. Alongside our continual focus of maintaining the standard our self-catering cottages for the enjoyment of our guests, and supporting both large and small local businesses, the Isle of Taransay is key to the Estate’s broader environmental work with the planned conservation and regeneration project.
This work and our partnerships are aimed at promoting the rich history, archaeology and geology of both Taransay and Harris to visitors and researchers. We hope this will encourage more conscientious and responsible tourism and spark interest in visiting our islands.
Final Words of Wisdom
Q. Any final words of wisdom or inspiration for other self-catering operators?
A. Other than reiterating what we have said above, having a committed team who understand the values of the business is a very valuable asset to have in order to achieve success.
“Be true to your business values, and ensure they are realistic and achievable.”
— Adam and Cathra Kelliher