Welcome to Craigendarroch · avoided in 20 years of Craigendarroch ownership and wanted to help me sell! The firm's address in Dover reminded me that the narrow Straits of Dover still

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Craigendarroch Owners Club News

Issue 15

Craigendarroch Owners Club News

Issue 15

Welcome to CraigendarrochWelcome to Craigendarroch

2

This is my introduction to you as yournew Editor and it comes at the end of arollercoaster ride of my first year on theCommittee. In common with many otherstaking their places for the first time on acommittee, I wasn t quite sure what toexpect and it has certainly involved asteep-learning curve! Someone at thisyear s AGM (and I think it was a lone voice)asked if it was necessary to hold sixcommittee meetings a year and this gaveme food for some thoughts which I mightshare with you.

First of all, the breadth of subject matterthat has to be covered is extensive andcrucially important. Recurring agenda itemsare budget considerations, including whatto do about the not inconsiderable problemof bad debts and forced sales, and theongoing debate about the best way forwardin the refurbishment programme. Theseitems require painstaking analysis anddiscussion and cannot be dismissedlightly. Some topics only come up on anoccasional basis, such as smoking in thelodges, but they still generate intenseand lengthy debate. None of the agendaitems is ever glossed over and a normalcommittee meeting lasts about five hourswith only a brief break for a cup of teaor coffee.

But now to more immediate matters. Thisissue of the Newsletter contains someimportant information and warnings aboutthe growing problem of scam timesharesales companies who “cold-call” ownersoffering to sell their timeshare weeks. Mostof these companies have almost certainlyobtained your contact details illegally abreach of the Data Protection legislation but

since most of them are based abroad theycan usually by-pass the law. TATOC (theTimeshare Owners - Timeshare OwnersCommittees) has issued an email on thesubject and it is reproduced here, togetherwith a follow-up article by CommitteeMember Philip Johnston. Michael Coletta,in his article, Making the Most of yourTimeshare , also refers to the subject andsuggests a safer way to negotiate a sale.

On a happier note, Richard McIntoshreminds us that we are about to celebrate25 years of Craigendarroch as a resort.For longer-established owners his article willbe a trip down Memory Lane!

Food lovers will enjoy the contribution (anda recipe) from the Executive Chef. For thoseowners who have abandoned the Oaks inrecent years, I can only urge you to give itanother try. My wife and I dined there dur-ing our week in May and found the food tobe of excellent quality and good value formoney. At the risk of sounding like a foodcritic, I can only rave about my lightly friedlamb s liver starter and main course ofsupreme of cod with broad beans andoyster sauce. My wife was equallyimpressed with her scallops, spaghetticourgette and grape and sesame seedsalad followed by loin of highland venison.It was good to see that, in keeping withthe Eat Scotland award won by theCraigendarroch, there was a strongemphasis on Scottish cuisine. Of thesix main courses on offer, three weredistinctively Scottish - Highland Venison,Aberdeen Angus beef fillet and ScottishSalmon. At £26.95 for two courses and£29.95 for three courses, it was very goodvalue.


Welcome to the Craigendarroch Newsletter

A Note From The Editor

3

As the year draws to a close it gives me anopportunity to reflect on my time whilstchairing Craigendarroch Owners Club.During the last 12 months we have beenlooking into the pros and cons of carryingout major refurbishment works across theestate. We recognise the need to replacemany of the bathrooms along with someof the bedroom furniture. In addition tothis, security has been an issue especiallywith the sliding patio doors. Taking theseissues on board we are now looking at thepossibility of giving each lodge a majoroverhaul. As with any project of this size,costings are the controlling factor beforeany works can commence. At the time ofgoing to press we have appointed acompany to Project Manage the works andput together a works specification. Thisspecification needs to reflect the quality andstandards that we have been used to overthe years. To date there is little informationI can give you on the project as we are stillat the discussion stage but as soon asanything is agreed details will be availableto all owners via the lodge owners’ office.

In April we held our 23rd Annual GeneralMeeting at Craigendarroch with an excellentturnout and whilst the some of thequestioning was robust it was presentedpositively and in some cases with a senseof humour. I would like to thank all thosewho attended and especially those whotook the time to ask testing questions notonly for the benefit of themselves but onbehalf of all the owners. A summary ofthe meeting minutes can be found withinthe newsletter.

Fees and costs are close to everyone’sheart especially when they have to be paidto third parties where it may appear that wesee little in return. Over the last few yearsMichael Coletta has worked tirelessly toattempt to get the rates to the level wherethey should be. This he has achieved whichallowed us to seek recompense foroverpayment from Aberdeen Council.Recently he presented good news to thecommittee and we are due to receive asubstantial refund, I therefore feel it is only

right to thank him on behalf of all theowners for the hard work that he has put infor the benefit of the club.

During the last year we have started to seeimprovements in the hotel and whilst thisarea is not part of the committee's remit itis good to see progress being made andthe hotel management taking on boardthe owners' concerns. Hopefully the workwill continue and we will see further im-provements.

Going forward, along with keeping thestandards high, we would like to progressthe refurbishment programme but this canonly be carried out if costs are within thescope of the club and during these tightfinancial times we want to ensure thatfees do not become excessive which willonly lead to more owners defaulting on feepayments and I would like to thank allowners who paid on time.

As 2009 draws to a close we willcommence planning for the 2010 AGM.This is to be held on 24 April 2010 at theTower Bridge Hilton Hotel in London, thesame location as our 2008 AGM. Thisproved to be an excellent venue and welook forward to a good turnout and anotherlively debate.

May I take this opportunity to thanks allthe owners for their support over the last12 months and hopefully continued supportin the future.

Finally I would like to thank all the committeemembers for the hard work and supportthey have given me so far in my role asChairman.

Keith WilliamsChairman

[email protected]

Craigendarroch Owners Club News Issue 15

Chairmans Report

4

Timeshare Cold CallersIt is an ongoing concern for TATOC, and a source ofmuch frustration for legitimate Timeshare companies,that there are still scammers out there who aregiving the industry a bad name and fraudulently partingthe general public from their hard-earned cash.

One of the current scams that TATOC has receiveda significant number of complaints about is theresale scam. Timeshare owners are being targetedby fraudsters who are offering to sell their weeks forthem. The victims are being asked to pay upfrontfees for any number of reasons and then hearnothing more from the scammers - no sales, no refunds.

Others are duped into parting with upfront cash -often hundreds or even thousands of pounds - onlyto find that the supposed buyer has dropped out ofthe deal. They are then lured to a foreign country tomeet a "corporate buyer" who is interested inbuying their week.

However, when the owners arrive at their destinationthey usually find that the corporate buyer is really asales person who subjects them to a hard-sellpresentation for a bogus Holiday Pack.

TATOC strongly recommends that consumersonly deal with resale companies who are affiliatedto TATOC and/or are members of the ResortDevelopment Organisation (RDO).

TATOC also recommends that consumers areextremely cautious of resale companies that:

* Make an unsolicited contact i.e. a cold call

* Request any form of upfront payment. Common reasons for an upfront fee are: deposits, administration fees, bonds of trust, surety against withdrawal, insurance cover, validity survey, land registry tax, certificate charge and VAT

* Assure you your payment would be fully protected under laws governing the use of Credit Cards

* Ask for your credit card, debit card or bank details but assure you they will not take any payment

* Suggest they can obtain an unexpected or unrealistic high price

* Say they have a buyer waiting to buy your particular timeshare product

* Ask you to send them your Ownership Certificate

* Apply undue pressure for a decision within a short time period

These people have unlimited imaginations when itcomes to stealing your money so don't trust them -no matter how convincing and reassuring they mayseem.

Companies who have recently been cold callingconsumers are:

* Global Reservation Services

* Secure Leisure

* Club Class Concierge

* Incentive Leisure

* Golden Sales Services

* S.H.P Holiday Sales

* Starting Point Marketing

* Sol Bookers

* VENTURA 1

* Bollacord International SL

* Diverse Marketing

* Iberian Dream Homes

* Key Property Advisory SL

* Global Travel Network

* MONTE MAR Estates

* UK Timeshare Solutions

* CONNECTIONS 6

* Holiday Group Sales

* Selling Time

* Travel Worldwide Warehouse

* Diamond Resort International Resale's

NO Association with Diamond Resorts

International(r)

This list will be updated on a monthly basis.

For more information contact [email protected]


Timeshare ResalesThis is an e-mail from 'TATOC -

The Timeshare Association - Timeshare Owners’Committees

5

“Dover calling”was the imperious message whichcaught my attention, as a one-time sailor. In someways it seemed an appropriate place from which tobe calling, although it was addressed to my wife andthe address of the county was Delaware, USA, notDover, Kent. It was the beginning of a true blitz ofletters and phone-calls from familiar-sounding, butunknown [to me at least] firms who had somehowgained knowledge of my ownership of Timeshare atCraigendarroch, something which I had so faravoided in 20 years of Craigendarroch ownershipand wanted to help me sell!

The firm's address in Dover reminded me that thenarrow Straits of Dover still remain one of the mostdangerous seaways in the world, with a strictenforcement of navigational lanes, policed by radarand regulated by coastguards every nauticalsea-mile of the Channel. Only a mad idiot would tryto cross this narrow passage, and yet there arethose whose approach to selling their Timesharescould be likened to naked madmen rowingbath-tubs from Dover to Calais!

Despite the best attempts of the Timeshare industry(through its wholesale and retail arms) to regulateTimeshare resales, dishonest and unscrupulousfirms and individuals have now perfected scamswhich plague the Timeshare world, and have movedfrom being a minor irritation to be a major source ofconcern to all interested parties. Indeed such is theblackening of the very word Timeshare that manyGovernments seek to legislate for consumerprotection from the sharks which thrash to and fro inthe straits of Timeshare. Indeed I can recall, when Iwas serving as the Chairman of TATOC, appearingbefore one of the European Union's consumerprotection bodies in Brussels at which the thenSecretary-General and I actually admitted not onlyto enjoying our Timeshare holidays but begging thecommittee members not to legislate againstsomething which we believed was/is inherently good(and similar representation has been made toour own Office of Fair Trade). Because of therequirement for simultaneous translation in Brussels,there is a time lag between one's spoken words andthe understanding of those listening to you; I shallnot forget the look of incredulity on members'faces as my words were understood, followed byguffaws......

Pages of evidence could be adduced todemonstrate that a few rotten apples have spoilt a agood holiday experience; that Timeshare resales areassociated with dubious practice at best, anddownright dishonesty at worst. Much of themalpractice stems from Spanish sources, andInterpol and others have closed down quitenakedly dishonest resale firms one day, only to havethem able to reopen at a different location the next.

Sadly reputable resorts like ours have been targetedmore recently and your Owners' Committee is atpains to point out to you that anyone who cold-callsyou about the sale of your Lodge should be totallyignored, the phone being slammed down.

Despite much careful research, no-one hassatisfactorily identified the source of supply of ourpersonal data to these sharks. There is evidence thata number of our own Owners have fallen victim toscams spelt with a capital S. Indeed a distressingcall to me recently revealed that one of us hadparted with £1200 after carefully researching theResale company, and will not see any of thathard-earned brass again. Never ever part withmoney up front in your attempts to sell; never everlet prudence give way to healthy suspicion; treat withthe utmost caution blandishment, even in the mostreputable of newspapers. I have one such in frontof me now: “Timeshare not working for you?Call free on...if you would like to dispose of yourTimeshare and enjoy the holidays for which youbought it in the first place. It did not work for meeither; I tried to sell it and that did not work. I triedto give it back to the resort but that did not workeither..........”

Touching on the last point, an Owner recently askedme about that very issue. and-sadly- I had to saythat, at least, that comment is correct. Nor can youjust walk away, handing your week/s back tothe Committee, and forgetting about the annualMaintenance fee which still has to be paid; indeedthe present Committee has sedulously pursuedthose who have failed to pay such timeously. Thatthere are reputable companies out there isundoubted but it pays to seek advice and toquash any idea that you might achieve a financial'killing' by proceeding down dubious paths. YourOwners' Committee will certainly seek to giveadvice to those in need but the reverse of the oldLatin tag applies, “Let the seller beware”. ApproachJohn Pringle or Colin Sabey at Hilton's Sales office.But if you are crossing the Straits of Dover, pleasefirst insert the bath-plug !

Philip Johnston


“Dover Calling”

6

When making any decisions regarding thegovernance of the club, your committee placesgreat importance on the impact that these decisionswill have on the owners. Not every decision willaffect owners, but setting annual maintenance feesfor the year ahead is one on which everyone has anopinion.

The budget process takes place in September eachyear to allow the billing process to be completed bythe end of November. Fees are payable on the firstbanking day of January, unless a Direct Debitmandate exists. In those circumstances payment isdue on 31 January or the last banking day of eachmonth, if the 10 monthly payment option has beenadopted.

It is not the desire of the committee to impose latepayment penalties or pursue owners through thecourts, but mechanisms exist that will see theseactions being taken, should owners not fulfil theirobligations to the club. These are communicatedclearly when the annual mailing for the fees occursand is also included in every edition of the clubnewsletter.

Despite these communications, owners who defaulton their fees often enter into great dialogue with theManagement Company team who are employed tocollect the fees on behalf of the club, challenging themanner in which the penalties are applied.

Debt collection is not an enjoyable process foreither the debtor or the collector and can be mademuch easier if owners would advise the ManagementCompany earlier if they may be facing difficulties inpaying the fees.

While the Management Company are empoweredto recover the debt, using all of the tools that thecommittee have made available to them, they arealso authorised to enter into agreements withowners who they believe are experiencing genuinedifficulties.

Not all difficulties are financial ones, some are dueto lack of time or the ability to visit the resort and ithas become clear that in some cases, ownersbelieve that simply doing nothing is the only optionopen to them.

This has resulted in conflict between the owner andthe club and is not what anyone wants.

The key message of this article is that whatever youchose to do with your week, unless you have madea legal transfer of ownership, you are still obliged topay the annual fee.

As you would expect, timeshare has changed in thelast 30 years and there are more choices now thanthere have ever been, but what is the right choicefor you?

ExchangeBecoming a member of an exchange company canbe a very rewarding experience, but only if youunderstand how to get the best from the system. Inan ideal world, you will simply call the exchangecompany and get the time and location that youdesire, but because of the human interface in thesystem, this is not what happens. You can only getout what others put in and the flaw in the system isthat all exchangers want to hold back placing theirweek into the system until they get what they want.The message from the exchange companies is thatyou should plan your holiday as early as possibleand place your week into the system as quickly asyou can.

There are various exchange companies in themarket and Hilton Grand Vacations Club is the Hiltonsystem. Initial membership is £325 and the annualfee is $65. Like all exchange companies there arealso additional transaction fees. The HGVC schemeis a “points” system which allows the member tosplit their week into shorter breaks, or use weeksfrom future years to create longer periods of holidayin the current year.

The HGVC system does not require an owner totransfer the title of their week, which does happenwith other systems and this has created a lot ofconfusion. Most owners believe that once they joina points system that they are no longer required topay the annual maintenance fee to the owners club.Please take care here; points companies do not takeon the responsibility for your annual fee, but veryoften ask you to cede your week with them.


Making the most of your ownership

7

Internal ExchangeHilton now offers a facility whereby owners in theresorts in Scotland are able to put their weeks onthe HIGVC.co.uk website and indicate whatthey would like to exchange into. There is a £65administration fee payable on successful exchanges.

RentAn owner is free to rent their week to anyone, butthis does not alter their obligation to the club to paytheir maintenance fee in accordance with the clubrules. The Management Company have beeninstructed to deny access to all owners and theirguests, if accepted arrangements are not in place.

Renting agencies exist to assist in securing a rentaland the club would encourage the owners to usethe facility provided by Hilton. The advantage to theclub of this facility is that Hilton will liaise with therelevant members of the Management Companyteam, to ensure that maintenance fees are in order,before accepting the rental onto their system.

Of course no rental can be guaranteed and that iswhy the Hilton programme does not see anycommissions paid until a rental has been secured.Hilton set the rental tariffs for the year in advance,which vary according to season and size of unit andwill make all efforts to rent. On occasions this willrequire discounting against the tariff price andincreasingly the system is being adapted to allow thereservations team the freedom to discount in orderto secure a rental. Bear in mind that the lowerthe rental price, the lower the commission earnedby Hilton.

ResellThis is not as simple or as profitable a process asmost people believe. You are unlikely to makemoney on selling your week. Hilton have never soldtimeshare as a financial investment. Indeed it is theirview that you should consider the return on yourinvestment as having your holiday.

There are many resale agencies in the marketplaceand numerous “special” offers. DO NOT PAY ANYUP FRONT FEES to any agency (asking for ortaking fees in advance will become illegal in Europein 2011). If an offer sounds too good to believe, thenit probably is.

When placing your week up for resale, you need toconsider the time of year or season that you ownand research the market to establish the best pricepoint at which to sell your week. Most ownersovervalue their weeks and the result is that the weekdoes not sell.

Many resale companies will promise you a sale andcan deliver, however the price that they achieve iswell below expectations and once they take theirfees off, there is very little left.

Your committee would recommend selling throughthe resort sales office, rather than exposing yourselfand the resort to external market influences. This willhelp to protect the value of all weeks and willhopefully see existing owners who love the resortbeing replaced with new owners who have fallen inlove with the resort.

For more information or paperwork relating tothe any of the above topics, please go towww.higvc.co.uk or contact the reservations officeon 013397 55558.

Maintenance FeesThe word “maintenance” infers that the fee paid byowners for their annual membership to the club, isspent on purely maintenance. However, as the chartoverleaf highlights, maintenance is only one ofseveral items which make up the fee, falling underthe description of “reserve fund” which includesongoing refurbishment works.

When your committee sets the budget for the yearahead, all of the components above are considered,firstly on their own then as a whole, to identifythe overall impact on owners. The allocation tothe reserve fund is the balancing factor for thecommittee, but if this is set too low, then futurerefurbishments are placed in jeopardy.

The budget that your committee sets is finelybalanced and relies heavily on owners paying theirfees. Your committee and Hilton want you to enjoyyour holidays but do understand that peoplescircumstances change. In order to maintain yourclub at the standard that you have come to expect,please give consideration to all of the options opento you, but at all times please keep your clubinformed.

Michael Coletta


Making the most of your ownership

8

One of the highlights of my week at the resort is

most certainly a walk to the top of Craigendarroch

hill. In twenty years I have probably climbed the hill

about thirty times. It is an interesting walk and the

views are varied and spectacular. This year I made a

short documented video detailing the route up and

down the hill starting from the dry ski slope behind

the hotel. The 7min 25sec video can be accessed

in ‘youtube’ at www.youtube.com by typing

‘craigendarroch hill’ into the search box. There is

no need to register.

Step by step instructions for the ascent and descent follow:

1. Walk up the right hand side of the dry ski slope.

2. At the top go over the wall and take the path straight in front.

3. After a short distance this meets the main path and go right.

4. Follow this ‘round the hill’ path for about 250m.

5. Then take the well defined path on the left.

6. This leads gradually upwards to the summit.(there are a couple of rocky bits but it is quite safe)

7. At the viewpoint on the top follow the path across the top of the hill.

8. This path is clearly marked and descends the back of the hill.

9. Once the ‘round the hill’ path is reached turn left (not right as indicated).

10. This path leads to the pass of Ballater with some spectacular views.

11. Follow the path to the pine forest and the ‘ant hill’.

12. Just past the ant hill take the path on the right back to the ski slope.

The video shows all of these points in detail. The

complete walk takes in the region of an hour.

For those who prefer something a bit more

strenuous I have put a documented video on

youtube of a climb to the top of Lochnagar. This

details an ascent from the car park at the Spittal of

Glen Muick by the ‘ladder route’ and a descent by

the Glas Alt burn. The complete trip takes about

7 hours.

This 9min 13sec video can be accessed by typing

‘lochnagar 2009’ into the search box


A Walk Up Craigendarroch HillJohn Milne

9

This walk, from just south of Braemar, follows a good track to Callater Loch, a high loch, hemmed in bymountains and with good views. It is possible to lengthen the walk by going round the loch and wading theinflow river which makes a pleasant but more demanding circuit. Clear track and then path along the side ofthe Loch.

1. There is a parking area on the A93 on the south side of the bridge over the Callater Burn by Auchallater Farm.The walk begins up the track, which is signed as a public path to Clova - a reminder that this is part of thehistoric route known as Jock's Road, heading over the hills from Braemar to Glen Doll. The track goes througha gate (locked to vehicular traffic) and soon bends to the right to enter the barren lower reaches of Glen Callater.Interest is added by the cascading river alongside the track. Jock's Road has a key place in the history ofScottish Access. When Duncan MacPherson bought the Glen Doll estate in the late nineteenth century he triedto ban all access to the estate. John Winter ('Jock') fought for the right to walk this old drove route; legalaction went as far as the House of Lord's and by the time it was finished, both MacPherson and the ScottishRights of Way Society were bankrupt. It led to the passing of the Scottish Rights of Way Act, the mostimportant piece of legislation for walkers until the more recent Land Reform Act of 2005 granted increasedrights to walkers.

2. Ignore a branch off to the right and stay on the main track, eventually crossing a bridge over theCallater Burn and continuing up the far side of the glen. There are good views back towww.walkhighlands.co.uk/cairngorms/ben-avon.shtml, Ben Avon, identifiable by the line of granitetors along its summit. At one point there is a small quarry on the left and a smaller track going off to the right;continue on the main route.

3. After a while the fences and buildings of Callater Loch Lodge come into view. The track forks again; this timetake the left branch. A path goes off to the left by the fence - this is an old stalkers path that leads eventuallyto www.walkhighlands.co.uk/cairngorms/lochnagar.shtml, Lochnagar, instead pass through the gate andbetween the decaying lodge and the stable. The main building was used as a lodge for shooting and stalkingparties from the estate. The neighbouring stable is now a walkers’ bothy.

4. From here you can go straight ahead and cross a stile to join the path that runs along the left bank of theLoch. There are a number of small sandy bits of shore and there are good views into the mountains ahead, with www.walkhighlands.co.uk/cairngorms/tolmount.shtml Tolmount, prominent at the head of the glen. Thepath forms part of Jock's Road, a traditional droving route used to drive cattle to the markets in the south. Itis still popular as a through route for walkers joining Glen Clova to Braemar and the eastern Cairngorms.

5. After continuing along the shore foras long as you wish the return route isby the same path and track. It ispossible during dry spells of weather(only) to continue around the Loch andcome back on the track on the far sideand cross the bridge near the Lodge.However this does involve wading theriver above the Loch, which can behigher than walking boots. The bestplace to cross is to follow the path wellbeyond the end of the Loch and lookfor the spot used by the Landrovers asa ford - a cairn marks the place toleave the path. You can then turn rightand follow the track back along thefar side of the Loch. This extension willadd approximately 1-2 hours to thewalk.

Aileen Munro


Favourite WalkLoch Callater near Braemar

Distance: 11.5km/7 miles Time: 3 - 3.5 hours Route: OS Map 37

10

Eat Scotland is a quality assurance “where to eat”scheme from Visit Scotland and a websitepromoting all positive aspects of food and drinkin Scotland. The Eat Scotland food gradingscheme assesses the presentation, quality andservice of food in every kind of eating establishmentin Scotland.

Last October we were lucky enough to beawarded the “Eat Scotland” Silver award for theOaks Restaurant on our very first grading. Thisbeing the first time we were assessed for such aprestigious award, myself and the kitchen brigadewere very proud to say the least. There are 60establishments within Scotland that have receivedthe Silver Award and only 9 have achieved the GoldAward.

During a “mystery audit” we were assessed onthe level of quality of food, quality of service andquality of cleanliness. Eat Scotland has two mainobjectives. Firstly it helps the residents and visitors toScotland find great places to eat. The second aim isto raise the profile of Scottish food as an importantpart of tourism, giving credit to those who areachieving high standards and encouraging others toaspire to that standard.

Web page for further information is:www.EatScotland.com

One of the tasting dishes for the award was the DarkChocolate and Salted Caramel Tart, which hasproved to be very popular with our Oaks diners andfeatures in the “Taste of the Oaks” menu and here Ishare the recipe.

Dark Chocolate and SaltedCaramel TartIngredients – using an 8” flan ring

MethodPastry – Sift the flour and icing sugar together, rubin the butter, add the water and mix until it comestogether. Do not overwork the pastry. Roll thepastry out as thin as possible, grease the flan ring,then gently ease the pastry inside the ring, you canlet the pastry overhang the edges.

Cover the pastry with greaseproof paper and add insome baking beans or a small plate. Bake in theoven for 15 minutes at 170°C, then for a further5 minutes with the greaseproof off. Remove fromoven and leave to cool.

Filling – melt the chocolate and butter together overa bowl of water. In a mixing bowl, add the eggs andsugar and whisk, preferably by machine until themixture is light and fluffy. The next stage is to put thechocolate mixture into the egg mix and fold in untilthe 2 mixes are combined.

Ice cream – Whisk the eggs and sugar until doublein volume. Heat the milk but do not boil. Be carefulnot to let it burn. Whisk the milk into the egg mix andlet it cool down. Pour it into a container for thefreezer and freeze. You will have to whisk it everyhour for a minute until its set.

To put together – Using the back edge of a knife,scrape the excess pastry from the edge of the flan.Take a couple of spoons of caramel and spread ontothe base, a thin layer is all you require. Sprinkle somesea salt on top of the caramel; this balances thesweetness coming from the caramel and chocolatefilling. Pour on the chocolate filling as near to the topof the pastry ring as possible. Cook in the oven at100°C for 15 minutes. It will be soft when it comesout, but will set when cold. Leave to cool for a goodfew hours, preferably overnight. Once it is chilled cutinto portions and serve with ice cream.


News from Craigendarroch’s Executive ChiefBrian Donaldson

Pastry

120g Plain Flour

90g Butter

25g Icing Sugar

30ml Water

Caramel

1 tin Condensed milk

or Condensed

caramel milk

Sea Salt

Chocolate Filling

300g Dark Chocolate

200g Butter

2 Eggs

2 Egg yolks

60g Sugar

Ice Cream

600ml Evaporated milk

6 Egg yolks

175g Sugar

11Craigendarroch Owners Club News Issue 15

Resort Matters

(Seated) Katie Smith, Accommodation Manager and Karen Garioch, Assistant Accommodation Manager.

Hotel UpdateOver the last year we have made a number ofimprovements and changes in the Hotel

Health and Beauty – In November last year were-opened the health and beauty spa. The newfacility - ‘The Retreat Spa’- includes 3 state of theart treatment rooms, a nail bar, St Tropez spray tanbooth, relaxation suite ‘The Den’, and onehairdressing station. The spa offers a range ofbeauty treatments, Elemis spa products andhair care products by Schwarzkopf.

Bar/Lounge – Improvements have been made tothe Club Bar area. The carpet, wooden flooring,tables, chairs and sofas have all been replaced anda new bar menu is in place. We have also madethis more affordable and reduced the food andbeverage prices by approximately 25 to 30% whichis more in keeping with the local area.

Clubhouse Restaurant – The Club Houserestaurant is due to be refurbished later in the year.There is a new a la carte menu already in placewhich rotates every 5 days and also an ‘Early BirdMenu’ option between 5.30pm and 6.30pm whereyou can have a 3 course meal for £15.00.

Leisure Club Changing Rooms – There were noplans to re-vamp the changing room facilities (on alarge scale), however we have made some changesin this area. We have removed the tiles and replacedthem with aqua-panelling and installed new sinksand surfaces. I fully intend to gain some funding forthe lockers etc and this will be a process that will beundertaken by our maintenance team.

We have a new smaller games room, which waspreviously the crèche, and have installed a tabletennis table in the squash court to give more sportoptions. The tennis court has also been repaired andre-lined.

Ski Slope – We are currently seeking a new tenantfor the Ski Slope. Several potential operators havecome forward and we are liaising with them.

I hope that you will see the improvements andchanges on your next visit.

Paul Wood, Hotel Manager

A Promotion and a New Faceat the ResortKatie Smith was promoted to AccommodationManager in March 2009. We welcome on boardKaren Garioch.

Karen Garioch Hello, my name is Karen. I started with HIGVC at theend of June this year as Assistant AccommodationManager, working alongside Katie.

I have been coming to this area for 43 years now(oops, giving away my age), for regular holidays.Although I have moved around the country quite abit, Deeside has always been where my heart liesand the only place that has truly felt like home.

I have had various jobs over the years from Managerof a pub to Operations Controller for an airline atAberdeen Airport but I find most job satisfactionin a position where I can help people and make adifference to their lives.

Due to my love for the area, I find the enthusiasmshines through in my work. I intend to retire inCrathie and look forward to many more yearsworking with such a lovely team at HIGVC.

If anyone sees me around the resort, please comeup and say ‘hello’. It is always nice to put a faceto a name or voice on the end of a telephone.

Lodges For SaleContact: Susan and Trevor Drake

01243 263917

Week 43 Sleeps 6 £4500

Contact: Angus Strachan

Tel No.: 01224 749492

Email:

[email protected]@angusms.plus.com

Lodge 87:

Weeks 6 & 9 1 Bedroom, Sleeps 4

Price: Nil - buyer would only have the

legal expenses to meet.

12

Arriving at Craigendarroch in March 1985, I neverimagined that I would be writing this article, now inmy 25th year of association with the resort. Ballaterhas become our home, and for Alison and me manyhappy years as our family, (Katie & Stuart) havearrived, grown up, and now almost left !

I know too, from speaking with many lodge owners,that they share similar sentiments, albeit theymay be limited to only one week here a year.Craigendarroch has become part of their lives, partof their families’ lives, and as a result part of theirlifelong memories.

I wonder how many of the names and events youmight remember from those early days.

The resort opened in June 1985, set up andestablished by George Simpson from Aberdeen,Mike Bevans was the resort GM, and Chris Gordonran the sales and marketing. The nature of the hotelbusiness is such that, as soon as you get settled,things change, and we have seen a stream ofhotel managers over that time. Following on fromMike were Nick Holmes, Alistair Forest, Eric Brown,Yours truly, Andy Townsend, Andrew Murphie, MikePickford, Tom McDermott to the present incumbentPaul Wood. On the time ownership side wehave been much more stable, with the resortmanagement passing through many fewer hands,from Peter Medley, David Corkhill to myself, andsince 2003 in the capable hands of Aileen Munro.

Do you remember purchasing your lodge fromme personally? Around 500 of you did so, or fromGraham Hughes, Craig Mitchell, Patrick McArthur,Tom Smith, Liz Gerlings, Brodie Hepburn or from ourremaining team of Colin Sabey and John Pringle toname but a few.

Opening in June 1985, we had a 23 bedroom hoteland three lodges (9, 10 & 11) and a country club ofwhich I was the manager. The hotel was opened byAlan Devereaux, the Chairman of the Scottish TouristBoard as it was then known, and our very first lodgeby Alex Ferguson, the then Aberdeen Football Clubmanager, who along with his team became regularguests at the resort and the Oaks restaurant. Wethen as lodge sales increased added another 22rooms to the hotel, to allow us sufficient rooms toaccommodate the many weekend inspectionvisits to the resort. Do you remember the 40 plusidentical hire cars in the car park every weekend?Avis used to introduce their new cars to theirScottish fleet at Aberdeen Airport every week toaccommodate our requirements.

From those first three lodges we have now grownto 99 lodges. The original development beingcompleted in 1990, with six more added onDarrochshiel Drive in millennium year, after theaddition of Darrochshiel itself in 1997.

The resort’s swimming pools became a regular treatfor the young princes when holidaying at Balmoral,and we were very proud to welcome Princess Dianaand Duchess of York on many of these occasions.

From captains of industry to politicians and popstars, TV personalities and famous sports people,the resort has welcomed everyone in the samemanner, and we have been delighted to see somany return time and time again.

Craigendarroch for many of us has been the catalystthat has allowed us to explore the world, withexchange holidays to all parts of the globe. How formany that one short trip to Royal Deeside all thoseyears ago, has influenced our lives. Send us apostcard to our Postcard Wall.

We are planning on celebrating what Craigendarrochhas come to mean to everyone next year, as wecelebrate the resort’s 25th year. We look forward tosharing some fun times with you over this next year,and to welcoming you back. Our 25th anniversarylogo will symbolise our celebrations, as we planspecial dining events, sports, entertainment andsocial occasions that we hope many of you will enjoyduring your holidays with us over the next year.

Richard McIntoshManaging DirectorHilton Grand Vacations

25 Anniversary Postcard WallIn the past 25 years, many owners have usedtheir Craigendarroch week(s) not only to enjoythe pleasures of Royal Deeside but also toexchange into many other fabulous places aroundthe world. To mark the 25 year celebration, it isintended to put up a special notice board(perhaps in the Club) and to ask owners to sendin photographs of some of the wonderful placesthey have visited through their ownership atCraigendarroch.

Please send your cards to:

Postcard Wall

Hilton Grand Vacations

Craigendarroch

Braemar Road

Ballater

AB35 5XA


25 Years on!

13

On average a typical person will use over 15,000 litres of clean water a year to flush away their waste. That is equivalent to a large hotel flushing

an Olympic sized swimming pool every year.?

Cambus O’ May on Royal Deeside has been voted Scotland’s Best Picnic Spotin a national competition organised by Warburton’s.

?Craigievar Castle, near Alford, was the inspiration behind

Walt Disney’s fairytale castles…and Slain’s Castle at Cruden Bayinspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

?At around 1,200 feet above sea level and in the heart of the

Cairngorms National Park, Braemar is the highest 18-hole golf course in Britain.?

In 2008 Craigendarroch Lodge properties produced 91.64 tons of rubbish for landfill, 0.92 tons per property. Please recycle your waste.

?Stock holding for linen, bedding and towels is in excess of

18,400 items for the entire Estate.?

The onsite laundry turns over a 250,000 towelling items per annum.

Useful web addresses:


Did you know?

www.aboynegames.comThe Aboyne Games held on the first Saturday in August

www.lonach.orgThe Lonach Games held on the fourth Saturday in August

www.braemargathering.orgThe Braemar Gathring held on the first Saturday in September

Other useful links are…

www.walkhighlands.co.uk

www.visitballater.com

www.royal-deeside.org.uk

www.braemarhighlandsafaris.co.uk

www.deesidenatureactivities.co.uk

Craigendarroch Green PolicyAs a member of the Green Tourism Business

Scheme we are committed to sustainable

tourism practices.

Recycling - paper, cardboard, glass and cans

Composting - garden and raw food waste

Reducing water consumption -with the Hippo bags

Monitoring our energy usage

Recycling - Printer/Toner cartridges

Postage Stamps – saved for donation to charity

Lighting - low energy light bulbs used wherepossible

Provision of information on Flora, Fauna and

Wildlife at the Resort

Resort ExchangeA trial resort exchange had recently been set up forCraigendarroch, Dunkeld and Coylumbridge athigvc.co.uk.

Last minute breaks have been enjoyed by manyand this has been extended to the Algarve. If youare interested in this scheme, please contact theLodge Office who will inform you what is availableand arrange the exchange for you.

14

Committee: Keith Williams, Philip Johnston, Roy Colquhoun, Michael Coletta, Aileen MunroPresent:Keith Williams, Philip Johnston, Roy Colquhoun, Michael Coletta, Aileen Munro,

Richard McIntosh, Paul WoodApologies: 8 Attendees: 106

The Chairman, Keith Williams, opened the meeting and welcomed all owners to the 23rd AGM. The committee and others present were introduced as follows:

Philip Johnston SecretaryRoy Colquhoun MemberAileen Munro HIGVC Lodge Estate ManagerMichael Coletta HIGVC Finance DirectorAnne Jessiman Apologies received HIGVC Finance ManagerEmma Simpson Lodge Office ManagerRichard McIntosh HIGVC Managing DirectorPaul Wood Hotel Manager

Agenda:Item 1: Minutes of the 22nd AGMItem 2: Accounts to 31 December 2008Item 3: Committee ReportItem 4: Committee ElectionItem 5: Any Other Business, Questions & Answers, Election Results

Agenda Item 1:Minutes of the 22nd AGM held on 26 April 2008 approved by Mr Kelly lodge 7, week 10 and seconded byMr Stephen lodge 27, week 32.

Agenda Item 2: AccountsThe “Gross Maintenance Fees” for 2008 were as budgeted, a 3% increase over the 2007 level. This figure of £2,221,813is presented inclusive of VAT to assist the membership in interpreting the financial results.

In setting the annual budgets, your committee has to take into consideration 6 components i.e. VAT, Disbursements, WaterRates & Insurance, Leisure Club Charges, Management Fees and the Reserve Fund.

The first 3 are out of the direct control of the club, although there has been some success in influencing the disbursements,which is property rates and TV licences, in recent years. These were budgeted to increase by 1.94%, over the year endforecast at September 2007. The actual result was an increase of 6.34% on the actual result for 2007 and was due toproperty rates coming in significantly higher than was anticipated.The Leisure Club charges are those paid to the Hilton Craigendarroch Hotel and increased by the budgeted level of 3%.

The costs paid under the management agreement of £1,055,389, represents the management fee paid to HiltonInternational Grand Vacations Company. This is an amalgam of costs relating to the day to day operation of the lodges, fromHousekeeping to refuse collection. The detail of how this figure is made up can be found on the back page of the AGM pack.

Your committee agree each year the content of these costs and also the maximum level of profit that HIGVC can make fromthe fees in any year. This capping facility exists to give the committee an element of comfort that value for money is beingachieved.

The final component that your committee needs to consider is the level of funds that will be required to finance futurerefurbishments within the lodges. When setting the budget for 2008, it was hoped that £466,250 would be transferred intothis account, but due to the higher than budgeted costs mentioned earlier, this was short by £5,815 at £460,435 - anincrease on the prior year of 2.78%.

Your club have been fortunate in recent years to be able to rely upon the fact that the majority of owners pay their feeon the due date at the end of January. As a result of this inflow of cash and due to good cash management by themanagement company, it has been possible to record significant interest income. In 2008 this was 13.5% higher thanthe prior year at £58,587. Given the current economic climate, we cannot expect such high returns in the short term.


Minutes of the Twenty ThirdAnnual General Meeting of Craigendarroch

Owners’ ClubHeld at Craigendarroch

Saturday 18th April 2009

15

Charges on late fees in 2008 have increased by 103% and while the number of owners defaulting on their obligation to paytheir maintenance fees has not increased by the same rate. This is an area that your club is viewing with great attention,hence the prudent approach being taken with regards to debtors.

The administration fee for non payment by annual direct debit has increased again this year and reflects the number ofowners who are switching to the recently introduced facility which allows owners the option of paying their maintenancefee over 10 months.

The movie rental income is that income taken from the movies that are available to owners on their TV system. It isdisappointing to note that the uptake from owners here is not high enough to cover the annual cost of the film rental, whichis noted below and efforts have been made to market this better to owners, but with little success. This facility was enteredinto for a 7 year period and if the existing usage levels persist for the term of the contract, then it is likely that yourcommittee will elect not to renew the contract and thereby remove the facility.

The proceeds from the sale of redundant equipment are a result of the sale of second hand equipment that arises from therefurbishment programme in the lodges.

All of the income generated from the foregoing areas is not budgeted for by your committee and assist in covering theadministrative costs required to operate the club. These are listed below and I would only comment on the following:

Movie rental - This is up on 2007 by 20% because the facility only became available part of the way through the year.

There is a significant increase in the bad debt provision of £33,750 and is required at such a level to be consistent with theclub’s accounting policy on this matter, which is mentioned in the report to the committee. It should be noted that at thistime, this is only a provision. The club's rigorous debt collection process is being followed and your committee remainhopeful that there will be no need to realise the provisions.

This year, the net effect of the unbudgeted income and expenditure means that your committee have been able totransfer an additional £13,347 into the reserve fund, taking the total transfer for the year to £473,782.

The refurbishment programme in 2008 saw some of the works that were not carried out in 2007, due to timing, beingcompleted this year. This is why the level of expenditure is 23% higher than the previous year. Note 5 on page 7 gives anindication of where the increased spends took place and the detail of this will be covered under the report from the Lodge& Estate Manager.

This increased level of expenditure resulted in a deficit for the year of £2,198, which means that the reserves of the club atthe end of the year sat at £482,060, down 45% on the 2007 level.

The billing of the maintenance fees to owners takes place at the beginning of December each year and as a result of thisthe debtors' figure for the club reflects this. Correspondingly the deferred income noted under the current liabilities is all dueto the billing process.

Of concern is the fact that the debtors over 1 year have increased by £10,683, which is an increase of 40%. As wasmentioned in the committee report, the current climate is impacting on the club and your committee are confident that theappropriate action is being taken by the Management Company to recover as much debt as possible, as quickly aspossible. This is a main focus of the committee meetings that take place and the Management Company ensure that yourcommittee are kept fully up to date on these matters.

The increase in the bad debt provision has been made to ensure consistency with club accounting policies, but is alsoviewed by your committee as being a prudent accounting exercise.

Prepayments and Sundry Debtors have increased by 33% and 537% respectively and are a result of the timing ofrefurbishment works and an administrative error by a supplier which saw an invoice raised for a higher amount than wascontracted. Cash did not change hands but documentation was processed which gave rise to the accounting entries. Thiswas very quickly corrected.

The bank account balance at the end of the year is down by a level similar to the fall in the Other Creditors balances andis a result of supplier’s accounts being settled before the year end.

Mr Goodfellow lodge 4, week 40 raised the query regarding 1c of the AGM pack which he was advised was a printing errorand should read 1d.

Mr Gerrie lodge 57, week 5. Mr Gerrie asked what the weekend transportation costs were for. Michael Coletta explainedthat this was to cover the bus for bringing in staff on Saturdays and Sundays. He also questioned staff uniform,accommodation and training. Michael explained that this was to cover new staff coming in and investment in training to keepstaff long term.

Mr Alan lodge 64, week 40 asked why the bad debt policy was not noted on accounts, Michael Coletta pointed out that itwas on page 3 in the Chairman’s report.

Agenda Item 3: Report of the CommitteeThe chairman outlined the strategy for the coming year as follows:

QualityTo maintain the Gold Crown Status, continue with maintenance, refurbishment and training of staff. The appointment ofStuart Lorrimer was explained and that it is his wish to see the resort operating as one. A balance of quality and commonsense must be achieved.

AppealTo encourage existing owners to retain their lodges and encourage new owners. This can only been done if we have theright appeal.


Minutes of the Twenty Third AGM

16

Refurbishment:To adopt a pro-active attitude to refurbishment instead of reactive.

Delinquent owners:This puts financial constraints on the future of the resort, we cannot make improvements if people do not pay. A choice ofpayment methods has been introduced by way of annual and monthly direct debit options. Forced sales were discussed.If owners do not pay then lodges have to be put to sale. A lot of time and money is spent on chasing delinquent owners.

Resales:Philip Johnston explained the difficult subject of resales and outlined the following 3 misconceptions:

Resold lodges make profit – not true.Owners were under the impression that the resort would stand still with only 35-39 lodge. This has now increased and itis feared that the exclusivity has been lost. Owners are asking unrealistic prices when selling.

Michael Coletta advised that £4,790 was the actual average price over last 10 years. If forced to sell inject note of realism.

Richard McIntosh thanked Philip for his introduction and gave health warning of fraudulent resale companies operatingaround Europe which have been highlighted on TV by Trevor MacDonald, Watchdog and the One Show where owners aremake ridiculous offers then charged a large fee to transact. All present were advised never to send any money and that goodcompanies never ask for “up front” fees. A trial resort exchange had recently been set up for Craigendarroch, Dunkeld andCoylumbridge at higvc.co.uk which is administered by the lodge office. Last minute breaks have been enjoyed by many andthis has been extended to the Algarve. It was requested that this information be put into the newsletter.

Refurbishment:Roy Colquhoun introduced the refurbishment subject and explained that a substantial part of the reserve fund was requiredfor this project. As soon as the bedrooms and bathrooms refurbishment are achieved then kitchens would need doingwhich would mean lodges being out of commission for 2-3 weeks. Roy confirmed that 3 companies had been approachedto come up with their strategy and timescale for the refurbishment programme over 6-7 years and that this would now betaken to the next stage. Roy introduced Aileen who works tirelessly in the background.

Lodge and Estate:Today, my presentation will be an overview of the Lodge & Estate covering the following topics:

2008 ExpenditureApproved Expenditure 2009Your Committee’s VisionQuestionnaire Feedback 2008

The sum spent on approval by the Committee amounts to four hundred and seventy five thousand nine hundred and eightypounds. (475,980) against a budget of £552,230.

Spending: One hundred and sixty five thousand, six hundred and ninety five pounds (£165,695) on the Clubs annual costsfor Linen and Towel replacement, Repairs and renewals, contract carpet cleaning, system supports, along with the TV,DVD and Sky contract. In 2008 we upgraded the towels, in both size and quality and had been much commented on byguests.

£104,100 on fixtures and fittings to include leather suite replacement, mattress renewal, dining and patio furniture.

£67,772 on internal and external decoration to include painting, wallpaper, balcony decking, gutter and roof checks. Forthe 6th year running we will carry out external painting during the summer months - accessing during occupation. We aimto keep disruption to a minimum and I am sure everyone will co-operate in allowing the contractors access.

£26,278 was spent on the replacement of white goods in the kitchen, which included ovens, microwaves, dishwashers andwashing machines. Due to insurance claims on worktops, we only paid out the excess on this item.

£24,434 on general items. These include, electrical, heating, drying cabinets, external lighting, double glazing, to name buta few.

£70,589 was spent on the refurbishment of bathrooms. As Keith has mentioned in his report of the Committee these areashave been highlighted for the need for substantial work to be carried out. Later on I will be covering details highlighted.

£16,613 on flooring for lounge, hallway, stairwell and bedroom carpets, along with entrance matting, kitchen floorcoverings and bathroom floor coverings. The contingency element of our plan – is built in to absorb costs that occur thatare not planned for. in 2008 we had expenditure of £8,472 for telephone cabling and renewal of the water pumps.

Approval of the following annual expenditure is prepared for our September meetings as the maintenance period crossesover two budgets from November through to February. The committee have provisionally approved the 2009 refurbishmentplan of £563,070, this is made up of:

The refurbishment programme has always been managed as a rolling plan allowing for the general upkeep of allproperties. At various committee meetings we have highlighted the need for substantial spend on bathroom and bedroomareas. This has also raised the question on other areas such as:

Kitchens, heating systems, hot water, insulation decorative elements, Wifi and remote electricity meter reading

From this discussion, it has been agreed that we should review our strategy of the current program and accelerate therefurbishment works if possible.



Annual Costs: £178,742Fixtures & Fittings: £61,112Decoration: £88,840Kitchen Works: £37,719

Bathroom Works: £91,690Flooring: £31,335General Items : £55,331Contingency : £18,301

17

On instruction from the committee I have produced a bill of works, as a tender document and engaged three companieswho were willing to tender and project manage such a large scale of refurbishment. These tenders provide an indicationon funds required, timescale of project, logistics to accommodate Owners, procurement, delivery and scheduling of works.

We have appointed a company from the three received to produce detailed specification for the committee to discuss further.

At our next committee meeting I am sure there will be lively debate on all implications of such a change prior to anydecision being taken.

Questionnaire feedback allows us to gauge our customer satisfaction and improve our services across the estate and hoteloperation. They are a useful source of information that has often then influenced the decision-making process of yourCommittee. I encourage everyone to complete the short form and hand in at the end of your stay.

On comparing with 2008 results we have maintained housekeeping respectively at 81%. We are challenged to raise ourservice standard levels in maintenance, although the scoring in my opinion relates also to the age of the properties.

Lodge interior has increased to 84% against last year’s figure of 83%

The Resort. The overall perception of the hotel and lodge experience combined was 84% in 2007 down to 80% in 2008

I am please to report we have been awarded the RCI Gold Crown recognition for the resort for 2009 and award we haveachieved for service excellence since the early 90’s.

We are committed to get things right for your arrival and whilst focused in doing so, should we have missed anything outwe will do our utmost to rectify immediately any housekeeping or maintenance issues that are reported.

Today of course is another changeover day and I am sure the team will be working to ensure that this week’s arrivals arewell accommodated for.

I would like to acknowledge the work of the maintenance and housekeeping departments, the lodge office and our hotelcolleagues, who all work hard throughout the year to operate the resort.

May I now hand you over to Michael Coletta.

Rates:Michael reported that 11% of maintenance fees goes on rates which is a significant figure paid to the local authority a majortopic since the 1990s.

Mr Coletta advised all present that at the 2006 AGM he outlined a 3 pronged plan to recover money that both he and theclub's rating advisors believed was due to the club.

The first of these related to the 'cumulo entry' that the local authorities had placed on the club, which meant one rates billfor all lodges instead of individual ones, which was one of the outcomes of the 1995 lands tribunal appeal. The significancewas that it was believed that the cumulo entry carried a higher rate in the pound charge to be applied against the rateablevalue of the properties.

The second was the pursuit of a new scheme called the small business rates relief scheme and it was believed that the clubcould benefit by a reduction in the annual rates bill of up to 25%, depending on responses from owners.

The third was the rating values attached to holiday homes and the belief that the usage patterns of timeshare ownersmeant that timeshare could be valued in the same way. The benefit of this was that the rateable value of the properties couldbe reduced by 50%.

In the first case Mr Coletta announced that a rebate of £62,000 had been achieved.

For the SBRRS, it had been indicated that a minimum rebate of £241,000 (23.5% reduction) was likely, but that Ab-erdeenshire Council were dragging their heels on processing the papers. This scheme had now changed into the Small Busi-ness Bonus Scheme and will be in place until the end of 2010/11, when it may be abolished. In the meantime the club wouldreceive the benefit.

The third area of attention is now scheduled to go to the Lands Tribunal and a hearing date has been set for November2009. This case was being funded jointly by Craigendarroch and Coylumbridge and has been estimated as a cost of£60,000, but if successful could result in another 6 figure refund to the club."

Agenda Item 4: ElectionThe Chairman explained that detailed in the constitution a committee member must stand down every three years by ro-tation. The following owners put their names forward for election: Mr Johnston & Mr GerrieThe result to the election would be announced after the question and answer session.



18 Produced for The Owners by The Owners

Summary

19

Agenda Item 5: Question and Answers

Q: Stephens Lodge 27 week 32 – AM figure of 80% satisfaction what does this mean?A: AM percentage of satisfaction.

Q: McSweeney Lodge 92 week 11 – Apologised for strong letter to the committee, shocked at demand for maintenancefee and threat of debt collection. Questioned the “shiny magazine” and do we need it, do the committee need 6 meetingsa year and electric bill is outrageous?A: EKW explained how much we have to pay for staff compared to other parts of the world and as buildings get older main-tenance needs rise. The committee do not have 6 meetings a year. Regarding the electric we are only allowed to chargeas we buy from the energy company. EKW put a vote to the audience regarding thenewsletter and the majority voted to keep it.

Q: Stevenson Lodge 45 week 15 lodge 61 week 1 – does not want to see constraints on the committee as long term is-sues need focus and time.Q: Jones Lodge 64 week 18 – How often is the inventory in lodges checked? Some glass dishes were missing.A: AM explained that it was the supervisors responsibility, that checks were carried out when time allows and that staffingissues were a problem and that training continues.

Q: Jones Lodge 64 week 18 – who used radio and TV at same time?A: EKW Fair point and explained that the Bose system was put in first to replace the Bang and Olufson and that the TVsystem had not been planned at that time.Q: Goodacre Lodge 28 week 6 – when maximum capacity in lodge is used hot water is not sufficient. Underfloor heatingin bathroom requested.A: AM looking at hot water provision in the refurbishment programme as present is 22 years old. Regarding bathroom un-derfloor heating on AM wish list.

Q; Robinson Lodge 76 week 40 – Why was the smoking ban not put in place?A: EKW difficult subject. How do we police? We had to look at the minority and as a committee would like the ban but theconstitution does not allow it. A bye-law would have to be passed which would be lengthy and expensive.

Q: Cumming Lodge 9 week 1 – Trees obscuring view: can a section be cut out?Q: Goodfellow Lodge 4 week 40 – 20 years ago could see the river, cannot now.A: AM explained that trees are debated and that some are not even on our property and belong to the Royal estate. Handstied with local authority.

Q: Hughes Lodge 72 week 13 – Don’t have a view; would like to look at trees maturing.Q: McBean Lodge 4 week 48 – Regarding inventory, can’t remember when it has been complete. Would the committeeconsider putting wallets with business cards for local restaurants, etc in all lodges for owners to add comments to.Q: Mclver Lodge 9 week 45 – Trees that are 4-5 years old, not asking for them to be cut down just pruned.A: EKW explained that he understood the frustrations and it would be reviewed by the committee and planning.

Q: Dinnie Lodge 93 week 52 – The children's entertainment at Christmas was good; it would be nice to have a variation.A: MC this is a hotel issue and we are working with our hotel colleagues and had discussion with hotel events co-ordina-tor with more imaginative ideas for all year round.

Q: Gerrie Lodge 57 week 6 – Suggestion to put a bucket of sand in the cupboard under the stairs for use in winter and acanopy over the entrance to prevent drips especially for the elderly. Cleaning issues: techniques need looking at, bed inlounge covered in dust, waste disposal had grit in it, do staff know how to clean it? Video system not good, only interestedin up to date films, a video dispenser used with credit card would be a deterrent for people not putting videos back.A: EKW don’t have answer at the moment, keeping the video library was expensive. AM valid points on cleaning issues,turn around 50 lodges in 5.5 hrs if guests leave on time, it takes 3 months for someone to be trained.

Q: King Lodge 79 week 43 – Paying at the end of January is not good. C an it be changed to a different month?A: Direct debit an option.

Q: Kelly Lodge 7 week 10 – Beautiful drive to Ballater and hotel and Oaks with the new manager back to what it used to be.Q: Russell Lodge 67 week 22 – two years ago asked question regarding falling standards, now significant happenings withnew beauty suite and lounge bar area seeing things happening.A: Paul Wood advised that £300K to spend last year, had lots of issues, general aesthetic appearance. 100% driven to-wards getting things done. Labour turnover 69%. Driving standards and service quality.

Q: McSweeney Lodge 92 week 11 – 4 bulbs outs in swimming pool for 2 years now not working.A: Paul Wood, pool and Jacuzzi closed for 3 days due location difficulties to get workmen out to sort. Lots of things leftand left have become a task. Paul confirmed that there were changes in the bar, offer of 25% back on lodge ownerscharged to lodge. Slash prices permanently: Gin from £3.60 to £2.75, Coke under £2.

Election ResultsPhilip Johnston was re-elected onto the committee, Mr Gerrie was thanked for putting himself forward for election.


Question and Answer

20 Produced for The Owners by The Owners

Maintenance Fee Collection ProcedureCraigendarroch Owners’ Club

✄

✄

Payment Options

By Annual Direct Debit: Full amount payable on the last banking day of January.

By Monthly Direct Debit: 10 Equal Installments.Payable on the first banking day February to November.Includes £30 plus vat administration fee.

By Cheque: Payment due by the first banking day of January.Includes £30 plus vat administration fee.

By Credit Card: Credit Card payments by Visa or Mastercard are accepted and a commission of 3% is charged. American Express is also accepted at a commission charge of 3.5%.Payment due by the first banking day of January.Includes £30 plus vat administration fee.

Penalties for non-payment

• Those owners who have Direct Debit arrangements in place but whose payment is not honoured will be reinvoiced at the Non Discounted amount and payment becomes payable immediately in full.

• Any fee not paid 30 days after the due date will be subject to a £50.00 (inc VAT) surcharge, and formal debt collection procedures will be invoked without further reference to owners. Debt collection costs will be passed on to these individual owners.

• The Committee will use its constitutional powers to rent or sell weeks for which fees remain unpaid.

• As at present, a further 10% charge will be added to the outstanding balance still unpaid as at the 30th November.

Please pay your fees on time and spare the Committee the need to apply these measures.

I have read the various methods of payment for the annual Maintenance Fee, and wish to change my present method of paying as indicated below.

Full Name(s): (✓ Please tick preferred option)

Annual Direct Debit

Lodge Number: 10 Monthly Direct Debit

Week Number: Annual payment by Cheque / Credit Card

Signature: Date:

Please return slip to: Craigendarroch Owners’ Club, Braemar Road, Ballater AB35 5XA

Documents

Welcome to Craigendarroch · avoided in 20 years of Craigendarroch ownership and wanted to help me sell! The firm's address in Dover reminded me that the narrow Straits of Dover still