Kilmichael House

Our Location is unique and very close to Loch Ness which is a popular destination for travellers globally. In addition we are en-route to the North Coast 500, Isle of Skye,Fort William not to mention the fabulous Western Isles. We provide great safe and very clean facilities for our helpers and take an active interest in them during the time they are with us and try to enrich their experience by either showing them around the area (business permitting and also down to the length of stay -longer stays mean more varied trips). Our business is looking after guests and we endeavour to look after our helpers in the same manner.

I was brought up in the hotel and catering business in my parents properties and then worked for all the big national /international organisations such as Hilton etc, before having my own hotel and pub and latterly my own B & B's so have spent in excess of 40 years in this business. I am a very focused direct individual and being professionally trained I conduct my business practices in the same manner as that of perhaps a larger organisation and do adopt their practice standards i.e. risk assessments to staff training and set departmental standards and everyone who joins will get training in how my operation works and instruction as to how the various tasks would be achieved. I operate the property (which is not a hostel and nor do we offer hostel facilities) myself with a seasonal self employed part time contractors. Our standards are set high and were further enhanced during the heights of Covid-19 and many of them are now incorporated into our existing standards and these must be strictly adhered to for every ones safety and well being). I make no apologies for the house keeping standards we set as it is the correct way to operate within the hospitality industry. The work is physical and comes with some pressure as it must be carried out with speed and efficiency and prospective volunteers should be aware of that and also the fact the housekeeping side is the biggest part of a volunteers daily tasks. The safety of our volunteers is a priority as is our guests and we have house rules/policies incorporating looking after your room, noise levels, health/safety/hygiene, smoking policies etc. and these will be covered in full on arrival or please ask what these are before you confirm your application. I provide excellent clean, comfortable accommodation (and we expect it to be maintained that way during your stay i.e. (changing bedding/towels once a week), respecting the contents of the room and report any breakages, spillages as soon as they occur, Anyone found to be abusing our house rules/policies, causing damage to our property will be asked to leave immediately and we will take photographs in your presence as evidence and Worldpackers will be notified accordingly with any back up information being sent to them. Basic meals (cater for vegetarians not vegans) the meals provided (with the exception of breakfast which consists of cereal, musseli, yogurt, toast, tea/coffee, milk for cereals, tea or coffee, tap water. We do not provide unlimited amounts of milk ), are lunch - soup/sandwiches, salad, savouries, quiche all of which are alternated from day to day and could also contain excess food from a previous evening. Fresh tap water is available at all times but we do not provide bottled water/soft drinks/milk (other than described) or alcoholic drinks. Dinner is based on a 'dish of the day' available for all helpers and it should be noted we do not cook for individual tastes so if you are a fussy eater think again before applying .We use pasta/rice/noodles/potatoes along with vegetables, poultry, meat, fish. Any food (snacks/fruit etc) outwith the 3 basic daily meals we provide and as described has to be sourced by volunteers themselves. We permit Dry Snacks (crisps/biscuits) in the bedroom but no wet food whatsoever i.e. pot noodle, take aways, pizza etc. We also provide unlimited services such as wi-fi/internet/once a week (Sunday/Monday) laundry wash for our volunteers and business permitting and how long a volunteer is with me will show them as much of the area I can). The hours I expect from a volunteer is between 2-4 a day over 5 days during High Season i.e. April- September and in out of season (Oct. - March) it is more like 2-3 over 4 days. I do not believe in exploiting volunteers and they enjoy plenty of free time to themselves but I am very honest and I do ask that they are flexible, completely honest, able to follow instruction/direction, use initiative, love animal and have a great sense of humour. If you are unable to tick all of those boxes Kilmichael House will not be the place for you. I will give everyone their own space as I have mine but am very happy to engage as much or as little with volunteers particularly when wanting to learn English. I am very open and happy to discuss current affairs etc. and respect the opinions of others as I expect my opinions to be respected. I also ask that any issues/misunderstandings that might arise are discussed direct with myself in order to try and resolve them.

Top Host
This host receives a lot of worldpackers and has a high average rating.

Reviews

4.5
(42 reviews)42

Staff & Host

4.5

Hours & Tasks

5.0

Hostel

4.5

Learning & Fun

4.5

Spain

5

My experience in Kilmichael was truly wonderful. From day one, I felt welcomed and surrounded by peace and nature. I discovered a beautiful, charming village and had the chance to enjoy, learn, and grow throughout my stay.
Charlotte made everything even more special. She was kind, supportive, and always attentive—offering fun plans, lovely outings, and constant help with anything I needed. Her warmth made me feel completely at home.
I leave with great memories, valuable lessons, and deep gratitude. I highly recommend this experience to anyone looking for something meaningful and authentic.

10 days ago

United States

5

My experience at the Kilmichael house was wonderful. The tasks were very straight forward, Charlotte was very communicative and the other volunteers were absolutely lovely. Drumnadrochit is a great place to connect with nature and accessible to Inverness.

16 days ago

Chile

5

I had an incredible stay at Kilmichael House. The surroundings are beautiful, for me getting to know the Highlands was a dream come true, there are still so many places I want to explore, so I hope to come back soon. Charlotte is a great host, sharp as a tack and a fantastic cook too. I learn a lot from her and Dick about Whiskey, Scotland, and life. the work is exactly as described in her profile, so what to expect? I recommend always reading carefully. If you think it suits you and what you're looking for, you'll have a wonderful stay. Thank you again Charlotte <3 hope to see you soon

about 1 month ago

United Kingdom

5

Charlotte, Dick, Sophie and Rags were like a family away from home

Drumnadrochit is a beautiful village in the heart of the highlands, after a month (with a car) I still had so many places I wanted to explore

Work hours were respected, the tasks were easy and the 3 meals were delicious and the accomodations is amazing !

Charlotte & Dick arranged days out, dinners in town, whiskey tastings and incredible local knowledge and often surprised us with treats, we felt cared for and happy throughout our stay

Any questions, feel free to ask :)

Thanks again Charlotte !

about 2 months ago

Brazil

5

Compartilhar esse tempo no Kilmichael foi incrível, fiz amigos que quero levar pra vida, as horas de trabalho são tranquilas, o trabalho é bem simples depois que você aprende é quase sempre terminamos antes, a comida é sensacional e local, muito boa, Charllote é um amor de pessoa depois que você conhece de verdade, só precisa de calma e tempo, recomendo que todo leiam o livros dos voluntários nos primeiros dias. Com certeza voltaria e ficaria mais tempo, é muita paz em um lugar lindo

about 2 months ago


Perfect for you if you're looking for

Business

Contact with nature

Rural

Contact with animals

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