Comrie Croft Journeys - Terms and Conditions
Please take the time to read and understand these conditions prior to booking with us. They set out our respective rights and obligations. We strongly recommend that prior to booking you read all the information on our website regarding your trip to ensure that you understand all aspects of the trip and that it is suitable for you.
1. Agreement
These booking terms and conditions together with any other written information regarding your trip, form the basis of your contract with Comrie Croft Ltd (“we”, “our”, “us”) of Comrie Croft, Braincroft, Crieff, PH7 4JZ, UK, a company registered in Scotland with company number SC265297.
References to "you" and "your" include the first named person on the booking and all persons on whose behalf a booking is made or any other person to whom a booking is added or transferred.
By making a booking, online or otherwise, the first named person on the booking agrees on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking that they:
Have read these terms and conditions and have the authority to and agree to be bound by them;
Consents to our use of information in accordance with our Privacy Policy;
Is over 18 years of age and where placing an order for services with age restrictions declares that they, and all members of the party are of the appropriate age to purchase those services;
Accept financial responsibility for payment of the booking on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking.
Have made all others listed in the booking aware of these terms; regardless of how final payment is made; and, that all persons accept and agree to be bound by these terms.
2. Booking & Payment
2.1. Booking. It is your responsibility to ensure you have read all the trip information carefully, and that you are fully aware of, and agree to, the trip before booking and before the start. Your trip is booked when:
you complete an online or an email booking form,
and you pay us in full or pay a deposit (as per individual trip requirement),
and, we issue you with a booking confirmation.
At this point we accept your booking and we agree to carry out our obligations as defined to you in all materials sent to you from us. This agreement is made subject to, and must be interpreted and enforced by Scottish Law.
If you are making the booking for a group of two or more people you will automatically be allocated the status of ‘party leader’ and will be the primary contact and responsible person for all persons on the booking and all information and matters concerning the reservation.
2.2. Payment. For the majority of our trips we require payment in full at time of booking. For certain trips, a deposit is enough to secure the booking, with payment of the remaining balance by the date in the trip information. If we do not receive the full payment within the timescale stated, we will treat the booking as cancelled, with applicable terms from section 27 applying.
We reserve the right to return either your full payment or deposit and decline to issue a booking confirmation at our absolute discretion.
2.3. Contract. A binding contract will come into existence between you and us once we have issued you with a booking confirmation. You are responsible for ensuring your contact information is correct, including email and mobile phone number. Any failure in services resulting from us having incorrect contact information will be deemed to be the fault of the person booking and no compensation will be available.
3. Confirmation
Bookings will be confirmed electronically by email once payment has been received. If you do not receive a confirmation email, this could be for various reasons, including incorrect spelling of email addresses during the booking process. In this case please get in touch with us via email on journeys@comriecroft.com.
For bookings that include collection and/or drop-off at train stations or bus terminals, it is your responsibility to provide the correct pick-up and drop-off information (e.g. arrival location and time).
Any loss of service or extra charges incurred by you as a result of any incorrect information being supplied to us will not be deemed our responsibility and will not be compensated by us.
4. Accuracy of Trip Information
We do our best to ensure that all the information on our website and in our advertising material is correct, however occasionally errors and changes occur. We cannot be held responsible for any error, omission or unintentional misrepresentation that may occur and we reserve the right to correct prices and other details in such circumstances.
You will be provided with detailed trip information at point of booking, this includes itinerary, meeting point, accommodation, ‘what is’ and ‘what is not’ included in the price. Changes may have to be made to the trip at any time, we will notify you of any changes as soon as we are reasonably able to do so.
5. Personal Insurance
It is strongly advised that all participants are adequately insured in respect of:
medical expenses and emergency repatriation in the event of illness or injury;
personal liability (third party cover);
legal expenses;
baggage and personal effects;
cancellation charges;
missed departure, delay and abandonment.
If you choose to travel without adequate insurance cover, we will not be liable for any losses arising, in respect of which insurance cover would otherwise have been available.
When taking out a policy you are advised to check that the policy provides cover for the activity you are undertaking, e.g. multi day cycle touring and off-road cycling, and covers the country and area where your chosen trip is to take place. You must also check that there are any clauses that limit the amount of cover based on age and/or pre-existing medical conditions that might affect you. We recommend considering insuring your bike, as most travel insurances do not cover this as standard.
6. Acceptance of Risk and Responsibility by You
You acknowledge that the nature of an off-road mountain bike trip is adventurous and participation involves a degree of personal risk. You will be visiting places where the physical challenges are greater than those present in daily life. It is also your own responsibility to acquaint yourself with the nature of your itinerary, and you acknowledge that your decision to travel is made in light of this information and that you assume the personal risks inherent in such travel.
You also acknowledge and clearly understand that during the course of the trip certain risks and dangers may occur, including but not limited to the hazards of travelling in mountainous regions and that by the very nature of the activities you are exposed to an element of personal risk over and above those associated with conventional trips. You agree to assume all risks associated with the journey and agree that no liability will attach to Comrie Croft Limited in respect of delay of the participant, or for any loss of or damage to the property of the participant, including to your bike or other cycling equipment, during the course of the trip.
Furthermore, you must be adequately fit and of an adequate proficiency to undertake the itinerary set out in the trip you have chosen. You therefore accept and consent to the risks inherent in the implementation of these Terms and Conditions and accept as reasonable the limitations of our responsibility.
Please contact us to discuss the challenges of your chosen trip and any concerns you may have, by emailing journeys@comriecroft.com. Further information will also be provided in the trip briefing.
Nothing in this clause or in any part of these Terms and Conditions is intended to exclude or limit Comrie Croft Ltd’s liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence.
7. Your Trip
7.1. Weather. All our trips take place outside. This is Scotland. You are highly likely to get wet, to experience wind and there may be snow. Equally it could be absolutely glorious. We all need to be prepared and keep our sense of humour. To that end it is your responsibility to ensure you bring the personal kit as detailed in the kit list and that it is fit for purpose.
We reserve the right to pause and/or cancel day(s) of the trip, in the interests of your safety, if the weather becomes extreme, and without compensation. In addition, we reserve the right to seek alternative arrangements, potentially at extra cost, if we deem it is essential.
In the event of extreme weather, where there is a danger to life, the trip will be cancelled and alternative dates offered.
7.2. Flexibility. Trips that take place outside and are subject to the Scottish climate need participants to remain flexible. The day to day agenda and ultimate aim of the trip is taken as an objective and not as a contractual obligation. It is a fundamental condition of booking that you accept this flexibility, and acknowledge that delays and/or alterations and their subsequent results, such as inconvenience, discomfort or disappointment, are possible.
If there is a significant change to your trip after booking, but before your departure date, we will notify you of these changes as soon as possible. If you are not satisfied with these changes we will give alternatives where reasonably possible and practical. If you are not satisfied with the alternative, you will be entitled to cancel your booking without penalty and receive a full refund of any monies paid minus an administration fee up to 7 days after notification of changes. No refund will be given for services not booked with us, such as travel costs, including flights.
If after departure we are unable to provide a significant proportion of the services we agreed to as part of our Contract, we will act reasonably to make suitable alternative arrangements.
7.3. Authority on the Trip. Our trips are led by a Comrie Croft guide. The decision of the guide is final on all matters likely to affect the safety or well-being of any person participating in the trip. If you fail to comply with a decision made by a guide, or interfere with the well-being of the group, the guide may request you to leave the trip immediately, with no right of refund. In such a circumstance, where a participant is removed from the trip Comrie Croft Ltd accepts no responsibility for their transfer to the start or end point of the trip, or any costs incurred therein. Any transport arranged for the participant in question will be at the sole discretion of Comrie Croft Ltd.
7.4. Group Composition. We cannot, at any time, guarantee the composition of the group in terms of age, nationality, gender, singles and/or couples, in accordance with our anti-discrimination and data protection policies.
7.5. Travel to the start of your Trip. You must accept that travel to the start of the trip is arranged separately by you, whether by private or public transport, and does not form part of your contract with us.
Our responsibility to you does not commence until the time given at the designated meeting point. If you fail to arrive at this time and point for whatever reason, we will not be responsible for any additional expenses incurred by you to meet up with the group.
Your vehicle, including its contents, is parked at your own risk. No liability whatsoever is accepted for any vehicle used to access the start-point of any of our trips.
No refund or compensation will be given for any unused accommodation or services on the trip which remain unused, for whatever reason, by you at the end of the trip or your departure.
7.6. Mobile Phone. You must ensure you have a charged and functional mobile phone on at all times for contact with the trip leaders.
8. Minimum Participants to Run a Trip
We will make every effort to ensure your trip goes ahead as planned. However, we do require a minimum number of participants per trip and reserve the right to cancel if the minimum number is not met. In the unforeseen circumstance of a trip being cancelled, we will either provide a full refund or offer an alternative date.
9. Personal Kit
We will provide you with a full personal kit list on booking, including details of what kit is provided by us. It is your responsibility to bring the personal kit detailed and that it is fit for purpose. If you arrive at the start of the trip without the correct personal kit you may be prevented from participating, at our discretion. For multi-day bikepacking trips, you are expected to carry all your own kit and equipment either on your person or your bike.
10. Kit Loan
All hired bikes, bags and camping kit remain the property of Comrie Croft Limited and shall not be sold, hired or loaned out by the participant. You are expected to use the equipment and facilities provided to you with care and to keep them in a clean and tidy condition. We reserve the right to charge you for any extra cleaning, missing items or damage.
11. Bike / Hire Bike
All trips will state what bike is most suitable for that trip. If you are using your own bike, it is your responsibility to transport it to the start of the trip and ensure that it is in good working order.
If you do not own a bike, or are unable to transport it to Comrie Croft, you can hire a bike from Comrie Croft Bikes.
We are not responsible for any damage caused to equipment whilst taking part in a trip.
12. Helmets
You are responsible for ensuring your helmet fits correctly and meets the required safety standard (EN 1078 for adults and EN 1080 for children). A helmet must be worn at all times when riding a bike. If you do not own a helmet or are unable to transport it to Comrie Croft you can hire one from Comrie Croft Bikes.
13. Navigation
Our routes are created to include the best riding and scenery in our local area. The majority of our trips will be navigated by the Trip Leader. Routes will not be signed or marked, and as such you are expected to either:
Follow the ride leader, which will include stopping at all possible junctions if you choose to ride ahead of the group.
Follow a navigation device on your handlebar.
Different trips have different navigation approaches (self-navigated or guided), and this will be confirmed in the information relating to your individual trip. You must ensure you have a fully charged and functional mobile phone on at all times for contact with the trip leaders.
14. Your Behaviour
You are expected to conduct yourself in an orderly and acceptable manner and not to disrupt the enjoyment of others in any way. If, in our opinion or in the opinion of any Comrie Croft guide or any other person in authority, your behaviour or that of any member of your party is causing or is likely to cause distress, difficulties, danger, risk, disturbance or annoyance to any other customers or any third party, or damage to property, or to cause a delay, disturbance or diversion to transportation or a trip arrangement, we reserve the right to terminate your booking with us immediately. In the event of such termination our liability to you and/or your party will cease and you and/or your party will be required to leave your accommodation or other arrangements immediately. We will have no further obligations to you and/or your party. No refunds for lost accommodation or any other arrangements will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of termination. You and/or your party may also be required to pay for loss and/or damage caused by your actions and we will hold you and each member of your party jointly and individually liable for any damage or losses caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or losses must be paid directly to the other supplier prior to departure. If you fail to make payment, you will be responsible for meeting any claims, including legal costs, subsequently made against us as a result of your actions together with all costs we incur in pursuing any claim against you.
We cannot be held responsible for the actions or behaviour of other guests or individuals who have no connection with your booking arrangements or with us.
15. Accommodation
All accommodation used on our trips, tent, bothy, bunkhouse or hostel, is done so on a shared basis. Single room occupancy may be available for a tent or hostel at an additional cost, if you require your own room please contact us before booking.
16. Special Requests
Any special requests must be made to us at the time of booking e.g. diet, room, a particular facility. You should then confirm your requests in writing. Whilst every effort will be made by us to try and arrange your reasonable special requests, we cannot guarantee that they will be fulfilled. The fact that a special request has been noted on your confirmation invoice or any other documentation is not confirmation that the request will be met. Failure to meet any special request will not be a breach of contract on our part unless the request has been specifically confirmed by us. We do not accept bookings that are conditional upon any special request being met.
17. Fitness, Medical and Special Requirements
17.1. Fitness. It is your responsibility to ensure that you meet the fitness requirements as outlined in the trip information. We reserve the right to require you to produce a doctor’s certificate of fitness to participate in your chosen trip.
17.2. Medical. If you have a condition, medical or otherwise, that might affect your or other people’s enjoyment of the trip, you must advise us before booking. If you do not do so, we may, at our sole discretion and at any time during the trip, treat your trip as being terminated by you. In this event, you will be responsible for any and all additional costs that you may incur, as a result. If you are unsure, please reach out to journeys@comriecroft.com.
Any participant suffering from conditions requiring medication must ensure that the Trip Leader is aware of this.
You must inform us immediately if, within 4 weeks prior to the start date or during the trip, you develop an infectious or contagious medical condition. In this event, we have the right to cancel your trip or ask you to leave, to protect the health of others.
17.3. Special Requirements. We do not specialise in trips for people who have a disability, but we will do our utmost to cater for any special requirements you may have. If you or any member of your party has a medical or disability requirement which may affect your trip, please provide us with full details before we confirm your booking. This will enable us to advise you as to the suitability of your chosen trip and discuss any practical and reasonable adjustments that can be put in place by us. We may require you to produce a doctor’s certificate certifying that you are fit to participate in the trip. Acting reasonably, if we are unable to properly accommodate your needs, we will not confirm your booking or, if you did not give us full details at the time of booking, we will cancel your booking and impose applicable cancellation charges when we become aware of these details.
18. Global Pandemic
We both acknowledge the potential for another global pandemic crisis after Covid 19 and accept our obligations to comply with any official guidance from governments or local authorities within the UK.
We will have no liability for any refunds, compensation, costs, expenses or other losses of any kind incurred by you, if you, or anyone in your booking party, test positive for a particular virus (causing pandemic) and have to quarantine for a period of time, or are notified or otherwise become aware that you have, or suspect you may have, come into close contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus (or where they otherwise suspect they may have the virus) and have to self-isolate for a period of time. Normal booking cancellation conditions will apply. We highly recommend seeking travel insurance that covers you for global pandemic related issues, both pre and during trip.
19. Liability
We shall not be held liable for any injury, illness, death, damage, loss (whether direct or indirect and howsoever caused), expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever arising from
the acts or omissions of the person affected or the acts or omissions of any members of the booking; or
the acts or omissions of a third party unconnected with the provision of any of the services included in your booking; or
unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances which are beyond our control, pursuant to clause 5; or
the theft of bicycles or injury as a result of cycling either on or off road and, in particular, injuries as a result of either inadequately maintained and/or serviced personal equipment, or failure to wear the correct safety equipment (including cycle helmets).
Our liability will be limited in accordance with and/or in an identical manner to:
the contractual terms of the companies that provide the transportation for your travel arrangements in destination, which are incorporated into and form part of your contract with us; and
any relevant international convention, which shall be incorporated into and form part of your Contract with us, where applicable, and we shall further be regarded as having all and any benefit of any limitation of compensation contained in such conventions.
We will also not be liable for any direct or indirect damage or loss of any nature caused, or contributed to, by any defect in or failure (whether partial or complete) of any travel services not provided by us, and which we could not reasonably be expected to be responsible for.
We accept no liability for any breach of contract or negligent act or omission of any excursion/activity provider that you contract with outside of your booking with us.
Any activities, restaurants and/or other venues that we may refer to are not under our direct control and have not been inspected by us. Therefore any mention of them is merely an indication that these facilities have proved popular with other guests and are not a personal recommendation by us.
20. Law and Jurisdiction
These Booking Conditions are governed by Scottish law and we both agree that the court of Scotland has exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute, claim or other matter which may arise between us.
21. Photography and Promotional Material
Official photography and video may be taken during the trip or event, and you consent to this. Participants agree to waive all rights to any photography, film, video and sound recordings that features them, and hereby grants Comrie Croft Ltd sole and complete permission and authority to utilise in full any photography, film, video and sound recordings. You specifically waive any right to any compensation you may want for appearing in any of the content from a Trip.
22. Cutting Your Trip Short
If you are forced to return home early, or choose to leave the Trip early, we cannot refund the cost of any services you have not used, or be liable for any associated costs you may incur. Depending on the circumstances, your travel insurance may offer cover for curtailment and we suggest that any claim is made directly with them.
23.Changes to your trip
23.1. Changes by Us. As we plan our trips many months in advance we may occasionally have to make changes or cancel your booking and we reserve the right to do so at any time. If we make a change to your trip, we will inform you as soon as reasonably possible if there is time before your departure but we will have no liability to you.
23.2. Cancellation by Us. We will make every effort to make sure your session goes ahead as planned. However, we do require a minimum of people per course and reserve the right to cancel if the minimum number is not met. In the unforeseen event of a course cancellation, we will either refund 100% of course fees or offer an alternative date.
We cannot offer compensation for expenses incurred (e.g. non-refundable accommodation or travel tickets) so please be aware of that when booking travel and/or accommodation.
You must notify us of your choice within 7 days of our offer. If you fail to do so we will assume that you have chosen to accept the change or alternative booking arrangements.
If we become unable to provide a significant proportion of the services that you have booked with us after you have departed, we will make alternative arrangements for you at no extra charge or, if appropriate in all the circumstances, offer a refund.
If we have to curtail your trip after you have departed due to events of Force Majeure, then we may make a partial refund of the cost of your trip to you, but only where we are able to obtain refunds from our third party suppliers. In this event, we reserve the right to retain from any refund made to you an amount sufficient enough to cover the costs that we have incurred in relation to organising and administering your trip.
Travel insurance is strongly recommended as stated in clause 5.
24. Events outwith our reasonable control / Force Majeure.
If we have had to cancel the booking caused by events out with our reasonable control, that shall include – but not be limited to - war, riot, civil or political unrest, terrorism (and their consequences), acts of god, floods, earthquakes and other disasters (including nuclear), fires/explosions, adverse weather conditions, epidemic or pandemic (including risks to health), airport closures or flight cancellations/alterations, industrial disputes, strikes or other industrial action, problems that may arise with transport and governmental decisions and acts (including FCO advice that may result in restrictions to travel); and/or
In this event, we reserve the right to retain from any refund made to you an amount sufficient enough to cover the costs that we have incurred in relation to organising and administering your trip.
Personal travel insurance is strongly recommended as stated in clause 5.
25. Changes by You
If you wish to change any part of your booked arrangements after our booking confirmation has been issued, you must inform us in writing as soon as possible. This should be done by the first named person on the booking. Whilst we will do our best to assist, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet your requested change. Where we can meet a request, all changes will be subject to payment of any applicable rate changes or extra costs incurred as well as any costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers. Where we cannot, if you do not wish to proceed with the original booking we will treat this as a cancellation by you.
26. Transfer of Booking:
If any member of your party is prevented from travelling, that person(s) may transfer their place to someone else, introduced by you. The transferee must be of an appropriate level of experience and ability as required for the event in question. You will be liable to pay costs and charges incurred by us and/or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers and the transferee agrees to these Booking Conditions and all other terms of the contract between us. If you are unable to find a replacement, cancellation charges will apply. Booking transfer can be done no later than 7 days prior to trip departure.
27. Cancellation by you
If, for whatever reason, you wish to cancel your booking, it must be made in writing to our email - journeys@comriecroft.com. Your notice of cancellation will take effect on the date we receive your email. Given enough notice (detailed below) we will either endeavour to accommodate alternative dates or give you a refund less an admin fee.
In all scenarios, we will allow you to transfer your booking to an appropriate person should YOU find one. If you do, we will provide a full refund minus any costs incurred to transfer the booking upon receipt of payment from that person. If you are unable to transfer your booking, the following cancellation charges will apply:
Short Trips - up to 2 nights
More than 60 days from the start date - deposit only
31 - 60 days from the start date - deposit only
1 - 30 days from the start date - 100% of the trip cost
Multi Day Trips - over 2 nights
More than 60 days from the start date - deposit only
31 - 60 days from the start date - 50% of the trip cost
1 - 30 days from the start date - 100% of the trip cost
Except - if there is a waiting list and we can fill your place. We will offer either a full refund (minus an admin fee) or transfer to a suitable alternative date.
In exceptional circumstances please get in touch and we can have a conversation. We will always be reasonable but please understand we are running a small business.