Pets are welcome but must be kept off furnishings out of bedrooms, and not allowed to foul the garden. You are responsible for any damage they do and may be charged for it.
You are reminded to keep dogs under control around farm animals, and that most hill and many coastal areas are common grazings for sheep and dogs running apparently out of control may not be tolerated.

We welcome you as guests, and expect that you will act responsibly and respect our property and leave it clean and tidy.  Please tell us if anything doesn't work or breaks down. 
While the majority of guests have acted responsibly, some have left the house in a mess which we owners have had to clean up.  These will not be welcome back.
We are resisting the inconvenience of introducing a refundable advance deposit to cover such incidents, so please do not spoil it for others by forcing us to introduce this.

Electricity and moderate telephone use is included in that charge, but excessive use will be surcharged and it is presumed that you agree to this on renting the property.

Further information on Beach House or Shetland in general can be obtained from:

Janet Barclay (in Sandwick, Shetland) on tel: +44 1950 431 590 (e-mail: bowser123@madasafish.net) (rental availability and agreement)
or Robin Barclay (in Midlothian) on tel: +44 131 663 1138 (e-mail: r.barclay@virgin.net) (general information)
 

Sandwick is on the east coast of the south mainland of Shetland, approximately mid-way between Sumburgh (airport) to the south, and the capital, Lerwick, where the ferries arrive, to the north.

Beach House is a traditional house built around or before 1900 of local stone, and updated over time. It can sleep 6 in the following accommodation: it has two double bedrooms upstairs (with a small middle room between, currently used for storage); there is a third bedroom downstairs which is twin bedded. The bathroom is in the middle downstairs and has a bath, washbasin and toilet: there is no shower. The living room is downstairs on the south end, nearest the beach. The eat-in kitchen is a modern extension on the back, behind the living room. Both the living room and kitchen have uninterrupted views south to Hoswick bay. There is garden to the front (east) and back (west) and access from the front garden gate to a path to the beach, which is approximately 50 meters away.

The heating is electric storage and/or convection radiators. Additionally, there is an open fire in the living room which can be used with coal or peat, but we prefer that you use the additional electric heating provided since fuel is not supplied for the open fire and there are no facilities for removing hot ashes. Cooking and water heating is electric. The kitchen has a washing machine and fridge. If required, there is a small chest freezer in the shed. Fresh bedding and towels will be provided

Pets are welcome, but owners will be liable for any damage they may do.  Dog owners should be aware that this is a crofting community and most crofters will not tolerate dogs roaming free amongst livestock. Do not let dogs foul the garden, and keep them out of the bedrooms.

Hoswick beach is mostly white quartz pebbles at the top, changing to sand down into the bay.

The Hos’ick burn enters the east side of the beach, while at the west there is a small pier and place for beaching boats (a nowst or noost).

Hoswick was involved in the past with fishing and weaving, but neither take place now commercially. There is a knitwear business with display/shop facility. There is a visitor centre with tearoom and a local museum in the former weaving sheds.  There is a hotel (Orca Country Inn) at the top of the village, up the hill, however it has recently not been open to non-residents (shame!). There is also a Social/Community club in Sandwick with bars, food and frequent functions/entertainment's. Non members may require to be signed in.

The nearest shop is around 1/2 mile away at Stove, and is a bakery with village shop and post office.  A modern swimming pool with various facilities including a steam-room is situated just past the school, turn up at the road junction close to the shop.

Some local bus services call at Hoswick, while others can be caught nearby at Stove by walking up out of the valley. However, use of a car is highly recommended to take full advantage of what is around to visit, and for shopping in Lerwick where there are supermarkets. If visitors do not bring their own cars on the ferry, they should pre-book car hire before arriving to avoid disappointment. Car rental is available at the airport and in Lerwick. There are taxi services available in Sandwick.

There are a number of fine coastline and hill walks in Sandwick, and it is particularly recommended that a visit to the island of Mousa, off the east of Sandwick, should be made. Mousa has the best preserved example of a pictish broch anywhere, and there is a seal colony on the east of the island in a shell-sand "lagoon" where the seals can be approached closely. The Mousa boat trips are run by arrangement with Tom Jamieson (telephone 01950 431 367) and leave from Leebitten on the east of the parish.

A number of broch ruins exist in many locations in Shetland (part of a beacon system?) – and there is an example of a ruined broch at the deserted (clearance) village of Burland, opposite Mousa, which can be taken in on a walk from Sandlodge, by Leebitten.

There are fine cliffs and many seabird colonies at Noness on the east side of Sandwick, where seals are common and otters can frequently be seen.

Most locals are keen sea anglers, and most keep boats for that. While there are many traditional boats launched from Leebitten and some at Hoswick, most modern boats are moored in the sheltered water of the voe at Cunningsburgh, the district to the north of Sandwick. While there is no sea-angling tours or rental locally, it is worth inquiring whether any locals may be willing to take visitors along when they are going sea fishing.

Sea trout run off the mouth of the Hoswick burn, and it is worth trying at the mouth of the larger Channerwick burn over the hill to the south of Hoswick. The Channerwick burn is also good for small brown trout caught on worm.

There is a good sea trout run at the small beach at Spiggie, about 7 miles south of Sandwick on the west of the mainland, and the lochs nearby are fished for brown trout (permits required).

For details of trout fishing in Shetland contact Alec Miller, secretary of Shetland Anglers Association, on 01595 695903. The Association have clubrooms in Lerwick, open on Tuesday and Friday evenings, where members are happy to advise visitors (there is a bar). Check it out on www.troutfishing.shetland.co.uk on the internet. However - try to get in some sea fishing as it is highly recommended.

Back to archaeology, a visit to Jarlshof at Sumburgh is highly recommended to see well preserved stone to bronze to iron to Viking to medieval settlement excavations all on one site. Excavations of more settlements continue nearby most summers.

There are a number of boat tours operating out of Lerwick and Scalloway, and many land-based guided tours.

There are museums and galleries in Lerwick and throughout Shetland.

It is strongly advised that you use the internet to find information on events and places of interest in Shetland. The sites run by the Shetland Times newspaper and Shetland News (web based) are useful.
Also, the Shetland Tourism site will have much useful information at: http://www.visitshetland.com/