EE signal can be found all around the estate. If you are with another provider, signal may be found at higher points of the Estate.

Gate Lodge benefits from oil central heating and underfloor heating, which is on a timer, and we kindly ask that you avoid adjusting the timer settings, or please do ask the team before doing so. This also heats the water, while the cottage also boasts a wood burning stove.

To light the fire,

1. Create a valley of logs at the base of the stove.

2. Place 2-3 firelighters in the valley and light them.

3. Carefully build a Jenga of kindling across the valley of logs.

4. Leave the door open while the fire takes hold.

5. Once fire is burning yellow, add larger logs and close the stove door.

6. Make sure that both the top vent and bottom vents are open to allow airflow.

7. Once the stove is hot, close the bottom air vent completely and use the top vent to control the temperature.

The top vent should be left at about half-way, once the stove is lit, to avoid overheating.

If the stove is smoky when lighting, use the door to waft fresh air to the fire and encourage the smoke to go up the chimney.

Should you need to empty the ash, please wait until the ash has cooled and fire is out. Using the fire tools next to the stove, empty ash into the metal hot ash bin (never empty into a plastic bin as ash may still be hot and cause injury or fire). Empty the small ash bin into the large metal bin outside.

Please never place the hot ash bin on the wooden floors, even if you think the bin is cold as embers can continue to burn throughout the ash.

The water is heated by an immersion and controlled by a timer to economically provide hot water throughout your stay, please do not adjust the timer on the control panel.

Please note that the bath is very large and will take a whole tank of hot water to fill. It will take a couple of hours to replenish the hot water tank.

Do not dispose of any rubbish in the toilet (including wet wipes) nor food or cooking fats down the drains, as we are on a septic tank system which will block.

Condensation can occur in The Gate Lodge particularly during winter months.

To keep the property warm and dry, we recommend opening the bedroom window during the day. Make sure to always use the kitchen extractor fan when cooking and keep the bathroom door closed after showering, with the fan left on and window open to clear the steam.

The Scandi hot bath is wood-burning, chemical free and we empty, clean and refill the hot tub between guests.

Points to note:

• The hot tub takes around 1 hour to heat up with a continuous fire provided that you top the fire up every 30 minutes or so with fresh logs.

• We recommend showering before using the hot tub each time, to keep the water pleasant for longer.

• Do not introduce soaps, chemicals, dyes or oils to the water.

• Keep the lid on the hot tub any time you are not in the tub

• Please do not drain the water while the stove is still burning as this will cause detrimental damage and danger to life.

To light the fire:

Follow the same process as lighting the indoor stove.

When the fire is starting out, please keep the stove lid slightly adjar to allow airflow to intensify the fire.

The stove is relatively small, and works best if you start with putting your kindling de4ep into the stovew and lighting with a couple of firelighters. Once the fire takes hold, introduced 2/3 small logs on top of the fire and 2 logs on top of kindling. Never stack logs up the opening of the stove as the fire will dangerously burn upwards towards you and not along in the direction of the chimney.

Allow the fire to burn out once the desired temperature has been reached. The water will continue to get hotter while a fire is burning.

1. Remove the BBQ cover

2. Open the top vent and bottom vent fully

3. Carefully remove and set aside the metal grates and stone

4. Pour in BBQ coals into the egg and place a few firefighters on top. Do not use lighter fluid as this damages the stone

5. Light the firefighters, add back in the stone and grate and close the lid

6. Once the fire has taken hold, close the bottom vent

7. Monitor the temperature of the BBQ and use the top vent to control the temperature

8. When the coals have turned grey, you can cook on the stone or grates with the lid closed

9. Wait until the BBQ has completely cooled before replacing the cover

For recipe ideas, check out Big Green Egg on Youtube

The Guardhouse’s pizza oven is gas powered. It’s quick and easy to use.

Points to note:

• We offer pizza kits for sale in our shoppe

• Do not attempt to cook anything other than a pizza in the pizza

  oven

To use the pizza oven

1. Remove the pizza oven cover

2. Locate the knob on the back of the pizza oven. and light the oven like you would a gas hob, by pushing in and twisting the knob.

3. Heat the oven on maximum heat for 10 minutes

4. Turn the knob to the lowest heat setting and use the paddle to pop your pizza in the oven

5. Rotate the pizza using the paddle. It will only take a few minutes to cook.

6. Wait until the pizza oven has completely cooled before replacing the cover

For pizza recipe inspiration, check out the Ooni website.

When walking on the estate, you’ll be almost guaranteed to come across some of the beautiful, biodiverse nature that reside here at Mayen. This includes Roe Deer, Hares, Pine Martins, Red Squirrels, Pheasants, Barn Owls, Ospreys, Woodpeckers, Partridge, Foxes, Badgers and Wildcats to name just a few!

We recommend you use the OS maps app to navigate your way around Mayen.

When enjoying the beautiful nature, we ask you to please take only memories and leave only footprints behind. With this philosophy, we can protect the stunning habitats throughout Mayen which in turn will improve the biodiversity on the estate.

We are a working farm with free range livestock and field animals (including Sheep and Highland Coos). In the interest of Health and Safety, we do ask that you do not enter any fields which are fenced off and we kindly ask that you do not feed any of the animals.

We take pride in our Estate and strive to continuously work to ensure that we are able to maintain a beautiful place for our guests to explore.  From time to time, have contractors working on our Estate who help to manage our restorations and our livestock, and in the interest of health and safety, we kindly ask that you do not enter any construction areas which will be visibly marked. 

Between November and February, we also host Driven Bird Shoot Days for external guests only. On these days, we kindly advise that walking around the grounds of Estate is prohibited in the interest of Health and Safety.

Please do also make sure to leave gates as you find them, and do not walk through any fields with animals or livestock.

Please do not feed any of our livestock or animals, including birds, as this does increase the risk of contamination and disease spread.

You are welcome to explore the grounds and gardens at Mayen and take photography, however please note that photography and videography of Mayen House is strictly forbidden. With health, safety and security in mind, the use of drones or aerial photography on any part of the Estate is strictly forbidden to protect the privacy of our guests.

Gate Lodge features an outdoor Sauna with a stunning glass view into the woods where you can spot red squirrels, deer and nature as you relax and unwind. While we encourage you to relax, please take a moment to understand our safety guidelines before using the sauna.

The Sauna is heated by an electric heater, and it is important to ensure that this is switched off after use in the interests of health and safety.

There are two knobs; one which controls the temperature of the heater, and one which selects a timer.

To turn the heater on, turn the knob clockwise and start with the highest heat setting, but if the temperature becomes unbearable, you must either turn the thermostat down or leave the sauna until it has cooled down.

The second knob has two sets of numbers, with the first set counting up to four with each number indicating the number of hours the sauna will remain on for. Ideally we would recommend setting to 1 hour.

The sauna will take around 25 minutes to heat and we encourage you to wait for the heater to reach temperature before applying water. You can fill the water bucket up using the tap for the hot tub.

The air in the sauna becomes dry when warmed, therefore you can throw some water on to the stones to create steam.

Before use, please take a quick shower and remain in the sauna for as long as comfortable - do not exceed 30 minute sessions at a time and ensure that you remain hydrated throughout the session - alcohol and food consumption in the sauna is not permitted.

After use, we recommend taking a shower or a dip in the outdoor cool bath to cool your skin. We also kindly ask that you wipe down wooden benches after use to avoid slippery surfaces.

Aerosols, Oils and Detergents are not permitted to be used the the sauna or outdoor bath.

Keep away from the stones during the session and avoid bringing dry clothes into the sauna, as this creates a fire risk. We only advise bringing a towel into the sauna to sit on.

After the session, we recommend taking a cooling dip into the outdoor bath to hydrate your skin.

You should not user the sauna if you have a experienced illnesses, recent surgery or a history of heart or blood pressure problems, and you should always consult your doctor before use.

If you start to feel unwell during sauna use, immediately stop and leave the sauna, cool your skin down and drink plenty of water. Should symptoms persist, seek medical attention immediately.

Children under the age of 18, animals and pregnant women are not permitted to use the sauna.

Should you require urgent medical assistance, you must dial 999 for the emergency services, let the team know and ask for assistance to:

Gate Lodge, Mayen Estate, Rothiemay, AB54 7NL.

In the interest of health and safety, you must ensure that the heater is switched off after use to avoid the risk of fires - even if the sauna is still operating on a timer. Never leave the heater unattended and ensure that the sauna door is closed after use.

You must be aware of all associated health risks of using a sauna or taking a cold water dip.

Inhaling hot dry air can increase risks of dehydration, unconsciousness or serious medical problems. Cold water shock occurs when the body temperature changes drastically to below 15 degrees celcius and can cause death on occassion. You must not do the cold water dip after using the sauna if you have recently underwent surgery, have a history or seizures or heart problems, or if you have long term medical conditions.

Please consult your doctor before hand and please do not take the risk if you are unsure.

One of our favourite features at Gate Lodge are the folding glass patio doors which brings you close to nature!

To open , please ensure the curtains are drawn open. Starting with the right hand door, pull and turn the leaver to unlock and push outwards - the other doors will fold as you pull them along.

To close, slide the doors along, and pull the middle door closed first before closing the last (or first opening) door.

Never force the doors to open or slide - in the event of a jam, please advise one of our team members who will assist.

In the event of adverse weather conditions including weather warnings which we deem to impact your journey or stay, our team will contact you ahead of your journey or as soon as possible.

Should you experience adverse weather during your stay, we will communicate the best course of action to take. Should power go out, your cottage has an emergency box in the cupboard containing a torch, wind up battery torch with USB charger, mini gas stove, notepad and pencil, and water can be heated on your wood burning stove.

We will communicate to you (do not leave the property during storm conditions for health and safety).

Gate Lodge benefits from a brilliant SmartTV which you can watch online television through many streaming apps such as Netflix or Amazon Prime. Once you have connected your device to the WiFi, you can cast any of these shows to the TV or device, or log into the TV app using your own details (please remember to sign out once you are finished!)

Enjoy freshly ground coffee morning after morning with Gate Lodge’s Ninja Coffee Machine! We provide the beans and some milk (locally sourced Neptune’s Coffee and Kerr’s Dairy Milk) to get you started, and the touch screen information screen allows you to select from a range of speciality coffees and an instruction guide to deliver the most luxurious, hassle-free coffee.