The Tall Pines Yurt & Bunkhouse
The yurt
A HOME
AWAY FROM HOME
The Tall Pines Yurt is unique to most glamping accommodation in that all of its facilities are not shared with anyone but are for the exclusive use our guests; as you would expect in any self-catering provision. In this respect the yurt has its own fenced off garden with BBQ and an outside eating area. There is also a bistro table and chairs on the decked patio so that you can enjoy a glass of something refreshing as you take in the amazing views of the Moray Firth. Next to the yurt you have your own toilet and shower with built in provision for washing up and inside the yurt there is a two-ringed gas cooker with grill and a food preparation area. The garden extends down to your own enclosed car park.
FACILITIES
The Yurt
KITCHEN AREA
- Two Ring Gas Cooker with Grill
- Cool Box (ice packs changed daily)
- Tea / Coffee / sugar / Oil / Salt and Pepper provided
- Cooking utensils / Equipment
- Food Preparation Area / Storage
- Washing-up Area.
The Bunkhouse
Sleeping
- Double Bed with Foam & Pocket Sprung Mattress
- Bedside Table
- Double Bed Settee
- Four Drawer Unit
- All Bedding Supplied
Toilet/Shower
- Shower
- Toilet
- Toiletries Included
- Drop-down washing/washing-up shelf
- Cold water tap
- Towels provided
We have designed the bunkhouse as a warm and cosy respite for weiry travellers exploring the Highlands. Whether walker, cyclist, motor-cyclist or motorist; come and stop for a break and enjoy our facilities which include: Dry Room,
off-road parking, equipment/cycle storage, kitchen, lounge, shower room and, of course 4 cosy bunkbeds.
We understand that travelling light can have its drawbacks so we also offer a laundry service and packed lunches for a small extra charge. Bedding, tea, coffee, crockery and toiletries are all included in the price. We do ask for a £5 deposit for a towel however this is refundable on check-out.
FACILITIES
Kitchen
The kitchen area comprises:
- Fridge.
- Microwave with grill.
- Kettle.
- Crockery and cutlery.
- Tea, coffee, sugar provided.
- Dining area with bar stools.
Sleeping
Each bunkbed comprises of:
- Foam and pocket-sprung mattress.
- Bedding - includes Sheet, duvet & pillow, duvet cover and pillowcase.
- Power socket.
- Charging socket.
- Light.
- Fitted shelf for personal items.
Shower Room
The Shower Room comprises:
- Overhead Heater.
- Electric Power Shower.
- Wash Basin.
- Toilet
- Toiletries and Toilet Tissue Provided.
- Towels Provided
(£5 refundable deposit)
Lounge
For your comfort:
- Comfy Bucket Chairs.
- Beanbag seating cubes.
- Coffee Table.
- Overhead Heater.
- Insulated Wooden Floor throughout.
- Games, Cards etc.
- Free WiFi
AMENITIES
THE YURT
The Tall Pines Yurt is different to other glamping providers in that its facilities and amenities are exclusive to its guests and it is sited in its own fully private area which includes a fenced-off garden, BBQ and outside dining.
Our ethos is to be as eco-friendly as possible therefore power and lighting comes from solar energy and batteries and our modern compost toilet is as hygenic as any water closet with no unpleasant odours.
- WiFi
- Toiletries and Towels provided
- Inside Cooking
- Wood Burning Stove
- Both Yurt and Wooden Floor are Insulated.
- Fantastic Sea Views
- Private Garden
- Shower and Wash Room
- BBQ
- Outside Dining
- Decking with Bistro Table
- Exclusive Private Parking
Meet The Owners
Hello and welcome to our page. Paul and I moved to Helmsdale from Manchester in August 2016, with our son and daughter, to get away from the hussle and bussle of city life. Helmsdale was a perfect place to wind down and take life at a calmer pace. The village is picturesque with a harbour and meandering river and only 3 minutes away by car. The views from the house are breath-taking and look out over the Moray Firth.
I have a job at the local shop whilst Paul, my partner, continues to develop the land. We have 1/2 an acre, surrounded by pine trees, hence the name of the yurt and bunkhouse. We have always loved camping and the outdoors and wanted a self-catering business that allowed our guests to experience living under canvas but without the disadvantages and compromises that are associated with camping. A yurt was the obvious answer as it not only provides all the luxuries of a home-let but with the romantic feel of a Mongolian nomadic dwelling.
We selected a supplier who sold only traditional ethnic Mongolian imported yurts and we built the insulated wooden base ourselves in fact all the land it sits on and also that surrounding it was transformed by us (by hand and hard work) from an overgrown forest into the beautiful grounds, garden, outside amenities and dwelling that is The Tall Pines Yurt today.
We love it and are so proud of what we have created. We hope that you will love it too.
Now 2 years later (2019) we have designed and built the Tall Pines Bunkhouse, for those guests who are looking for a stop-over whilst touring the NC500, maybe, or on their way to and from Auckney or beyond. Again we have tried to facilitate all the needs of any weary traveller looking for respite and refreshment by adapting the extention to our crofthouse and providing 4 bunkbeds, a kitchen and a shower room. Adjacent to it is a drying room and storage area.
As with the yurt, our heart and soul has gone into its construction and we hope that it is enjoyed in the same way as our guests have enjoyed staying in the yurt.
Jackie and Paul
THE BUNKHOUSE
The bunkhouse has been designed and adapted as an extention to our croft house. Sturdy, outer walls and traditional Scottish decor give a secure and homely feel to your surroundings.
Our amenities have been built to facilitate those weary travellers who need somewhere warm, relaxing and functional to rest and to re-charge their batteries.
It is also reassuring that, for those of our guests who travel by bicycle, foot or motorbike, there is a drying-room and storage room adjacent to the bunkhouse and for travellers less susceptible to the changing Scottish weather, there is ample parking for 2 cars.
- 4 Single bunkbeds with light and charging socket.
- Kitchen area with microwave, kettle, fridge.
- Tea, coffee and sugar provided.
- Crockery and cutlery provided.
- On-suite shower room with toilet and handbasin.
- Toiletries and towels provided
- Lounge area with 2 seats and coffee table
- Free WiFi
Our Story.... The Yurt
The Floor
Once we decided where the yurt was to be constructed we got on with clearing 50 years or so of debris and growth! We then dug out the area, levelled the ground and put in the concrete foundations which were to support the outer floor bearers. These bearers where constructed into an octagonal shape and strengthened by horizontal and vertical posts. Each bearer meets in the centre and to give the yurt base structual intergety, the central concrete foundation was laid to a depth of 4 foot and reinforced with steel rods which were attached to the end of each bearer. Pictures 2 and 3 show the spot where we hit hard granit rock which was directly in the way of the last 2 outer floor timbers - time for a brew before we chop out the rock with chisel and hammer!
Once the frame was constructed, 4-inch thick polystyrene thermal insulation was laid in each 'cell' of the frame and the floor panels laid on top until the whole floor was completed. A skirt was then attached to the edge. This provision acts as a draft excluder and also prevents the yurt's lattice inner frame from moving out of place.(see yurt construction below).
The Yurt Fabrication
Our yurt was sorced from a supplier of genuine traditional Mongolian-made yurts. These yurts are constructed without using permanent fixings in order to be erected and removed easily, as is their original intention as a nomadic dwelling. The pictures below show us putting up the 4 concetinaed latticed frames and attaching both frames and door to each other using silk twine. Two bands of plaited strapping encircle the whole of the latticed frame in order to both stablise and strengthen it. These are attached at the door frame. The top of the wall frames are slightly curved in order to further strengthen the overall construction once the roof poles go on. The crown was the next thing to go up and was one of the most trickiest. Four of the poles are inserted into the holes around the crown at right-angles to each other. The crown is then lifted into place and the poles are supported on the edge of the framework. The rest of the poles are then inserted and supported in the same way until they are all in place.
Finally......
A layer of insulated wadding is wrapped around the framework and also over the roof poles. This has an inner white polyfabric lining to reflect light around the inside of the yurt. The thick outer canvas cover is then wrapped around and held into place with horse-hair rope. The canvas roof skirt is laid down and held down by twine threaded in a zig-zag manner down through islets in the canvas and then up under the top rope. The final addition is the square crown cover. We chose to use the one which has a circular see-through perspex window in the centre so that more light can enter and also allows you to look up at the stars at night. Rope is threaded through the eyelets on each of its corner and secured firmly into place on the ground providing downward pressure to stablise the entire yurt.
TA-DAH!
And now for the outside........
Shower
Our next job was to construct the floor for the shower and toilet shed. In the same manner as the yurt, the bearers for this were also laid on supports which were concreted into a 4 foot foundation. The ground here tapers down which was perfect for our water filtering idea. The floor was laid and the shed erected. We then plumbed in the compost toilet which was basically a pipe from the toilet which takes the liquid waste down into the ground through a pebbled filtering system. The toilet also has a fan to eliminate any odours. Both the fan and the shower pump are connected to a solar panel on the roof of the shed.
The shower is an outdoor version heated by propane gas. The water comes from a 350 litre water butt on the outside of the shower and is pumped in using an electrical pump hooked up to the solar panel, as mentioned earlier.
We cut out the floor of the shed on the shower side and constructed a pebble filter box underneath which filters the dirty water before it soaks into the ground in the same way as the toilet. The floor was then replaced by 6 inch wide wooden slats which were first water-proofed and sealed.
This side of the shed is also used for washing up etc. We added a hinged shelf for this purpose which can be clipped back against the wall when not needed. A fresh cold water tap and feed were then fixed above the shelf which provides drinking water etc.
Decking/Veranda...
