Outdoor option proving popular as Caithness hotels welcome customers back
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HOTELS across Caithness are seeing visitor bookings start to pick up while they also welcome back local customers.
The tourism and hospitality sector was able to reopen on July 15, with enhanced hygiene measures and social distancing in place, in the latest phase of Scotland's route map out of lockdown. While owners are pleased to be back in business with the easing of restrictions, there is a strong element of caution about the continuing risk posed by the virus.
Many people are preferring to eat and drink outdoors where that is an option. At the Northern Sands Hotel in Dunnet, customers have been making good use of a marquee which was put up for people to enjoy the garden area.
Hotel owner Martin Nicolson said: "We have been very well supported by the locals. The village of Dunnet has been superb with lots of letters of encouragement – it has been great.
"We are finding that a lot of people are looking to sit outside. They are still cautious about being inside."
The marquee, opened for use on July 6, saw a busy first weekend with people keen to enjoy a taste of freedom. One-way systems are in operation and sheep fencing is being used to help with social distancing.
Stewards have been employed solely to ensure people continue to keep a safe distance and a new purpose-built toilet block has been erected outside.
It is hoped to make the marquee – which can be used for weddings and other social functions – a permanent fixture this year, and a planning application has been submitted. This will also help secure jobs at the hotel.
The opening of the indoor restaurant, which has 14 tables at two metres' distance, has been well received with a number of bookings for last weekend.
With the opening of hotel rooms in Scotland last Wednesday, people have started to make reservations. For the first week occupancy at the Northern Sands was around 25 per cent, rising to 40 per cent for the following week and 70 per cent for the one after.
Mr Nicolson explained that the bookings were mainly due to business clients at present, with tourists starting to make bookings from mid-August.
Describing the situation as "a double-edged sword", he said they were keen to receive bookings while concerned about whether the county was ready for it.
The hotel has 50 per cent of its staff back from being on furlough over lockdown.
On the question of redundancies in the tourism sector in general, Mr Nicolson said: "We are trying our very best – a lot of families are relying on us. It is a concern to our staff. We are doing everything we can to bring trade in to the hotel and safeguard their jobs.
"My staff have been phenomenal after being away for 14 weeks to come back in and do what they have done – hats off to them."
Noting that more tourists are on the go with the nearby Dunnet Bay caravan site having restarted this month, he said: "It is good to see places opening up."
The Dunnet hotel is among the many establishments in the county incurring extra costs in complying with the restrictions and investing in personal protective equipment while also putting contact and trace systems are in place.
At Thurso's Weigh Inn, manager Neil Campbell said that things had been fairly slow with bookings poor compared with last August due to a number of cancellations.
"We have had some cyclists doing the North Coast 500," he said.
He explained that the hotel was wedding-based and with the current restrictions these bookings were all cancelled. "It will take a while to build it back up – this year is a write-off," Mr Campbell said.
However, meal reservations for last weekend were looking promising, with Saturday set to be busy.
The pub side is also starting to get busier, and customers can make use of the picnic benches outside.
Mr Campbell added: "It will probably take a week or so – everyone is just a bit cautious."
Andrew Mowat, of the Seaview Hotel at John O'Groats, said the safety of staff and residents would remain the priority.
"Things have started slowly and are building daily," Mr Mowat said. "There are more people now moving around.
"Although it is much quieter than normal at this time, we are very happy with what we have had to date.
"Hopefully things will gradually get busier, but we need to be very aware of the situation and make sure all our staff and local residents remain safe."
Murray Lamont, of Mackays Hotel in Wick, said: “We are delighted to be open again, both for customers and staff. We have had to reduce the number of tables and slow service down to comply with guidelines, but customers seem to be understanding and are happy to be here.
"A lot of people are enjoying the fact they don’t have to cook and can enjoy someone looking after them. Visitor numbers are slower than previous years but this is understandable in that they may be cautious.
"We are glad to to be back and seeing the smiling faces of regulars.“
As reported last week, Andrew Mackay said it had been a slow but promising start at two of his hotels, the Norseman in Wick and the Pentland in Thurso, after they opened on Wednesday.
"It has been a slow start but the signs are promising," he said. "It is very slow compared with what we would normally expect at this time in July.
"People are understandably a bit apprehensive and it will take time to get them back. What we want to do is to make it an enjoyable experience for the customer. It is all about hospitality and service and getting the right balance."
Mr Mackay added that staff were pleased to be back at work.
