Chariclo Terms & Conditions
Effective from 22nd October, 2026
1. Welcome to Chariclo
Chariclo is a space for growth, connection and creativity. We welcome people to slow down, reconnect and share experiences, caring for ourselves, one another and the natural world.
These terms explain our booking arrangements and help us care for the space and everyone who visits.
Chariclo is operated by Sarah Buchanan, a sole trader trading as Chariclo, at:
Gartenbantrick Farm, Old School Road, Gartocharn, Alexandria, G83 8SD, Scotland.
For enquiries, changes or cancellations, please contact hello@chariclo.co
2. Which terms apply?
These terms cover:
Venue hire by external facilitators and organisers, including agreed accommodation or exclusive farmhouse use.
Workshops, circles and events booked directly with Chariclo.co.
Residential retreats organised and sold by Chariclo.
Accommodation booked directly with Chariclo.
Your quotation, booking description and confirmation explain the price and what is included. Any special arrangements must be agreed in writing before booking.
Externally organised events: your event booking is with the facilitator, who collects participant payments and provides their own event and cancellation terms. Chariclo provides the venue under a separate hire agreement. Our house rules still apply to everyone visiting.
Airbnb and Booking.com: bookings made through these platforms follow the payment and cancellation conditions shown when booking, together with the applicable house rules.
Private sessions and online programmes offered separately under Saraswati Kundalini are outside these terms.
3. Booking and payment
A booking is confirmed when we have accepted it in writing and received the payment required to secure it.
Prices and any compulsory charges will be explained before you book. Optional extras are included only where agreed.
Please check your confirmation and let us know promptly if anything is incorrect.
Workshops, gong baths and circles
Full payment is required when booking.
Residential retreats organised by Chariclo
A 25% non-refundable deposit secures your place and counts towards the total retreat price.
The balance is due one calendar month before the retreat start date, unless we agree otherwise in writing.
A three-month payment plan may be available by arrangement. The final instalment must be paid by the balance deadline unless otherwise agreed.
Bookings made within one calendar month of arrival require full payment when confirmed, unless another arrangement is agreed.
Venue hire
A 25% non-refundable deposit secures your booking and counts towards the total hire price.
The balance is due one calendar month before the hire starts, unless otherwise agreed in writing. Bookings made within that period require full payment when confirmed.
Farmhouse Accommodation
Full payment is required when booking.
Missed payments
If you are having difficulty making an agreed payment, please contact us before it is due.
If payment is overdue, we will contact you and give a reasonable deadline to resolve it. If payment remains outstanding, we may cancel the booking and apply the relevant cancellation policy. We will explain any charge and account for payments already received.
4. How to cancel
Please email hello@chariclo.co, giving your name, booking details and the date of the event or stay.
Notice is measured from when your email is received, rather than when we reply.
Cancellation charges are calculated against the total agreed booking price. Deposits and instalments already paid count towards the charge; they are not additional fees.
The charges below are maximum amounts. Where appropriate, we will reduce them to reflect costs saved and income recovered from replacement bookings. We will take reasonable steps to reduce our loss and will not charge twice for the same loss.
These policies do not limit your statutory rights.
5. Cancelling a workshop, gong bath or circle
Notice received before the start time – At least 48 hours
Cancellation charge – Full refund, or transfer to another available date at your request
Notice received before the start time – Less than 48 hours, or non-attendance
Cancellation charge – Non-refundable, subject to section 4
For example, for an event starting at 7 pm on Sunday, the refund deadline is 7 pm on Friday.
6. Cancelling your place on a Chariclo residential retreat
Notice received before arrival - Less than one calendar month
Maximum cancellation charge - Up to 100% of the total retreat price, reduced as explained in section 4
Any payments above the applicable charge will be refunded. If payments received are less than the applicable charge, the difference may remain payable.
The same calculation applies whether you paid upfront or by instalments.
Replacement guests
You may ask to transfer your place to a suitable replacement guest. Please contact us as soon as possible so we can confirm the arrangements and any participation requirements.
Any additional transfer charge will be limited to reasonable costs actually incurred and explained to you.
Any statutory rights to transfer or cancel a qualifying package take priority over this policy.
7. Cancelling venue hire
Notice received before the hire starts – Fewer than 30 days before hire starts
Maximum cancellation charge – 100% of total hire fee
Charges are subject to the reductions explained in section 4.
Any payment above the applicable charge will be refunded. An unpaid amount may remain due where the applicable charge exceeds payments received.
The venue booking is separate from the hirer’s participant bookings. Low ticket sales or participant cancellations do not automatically cancel or reduce the venue charge.
Changes to dates, spaces or accommodation require our written agreement. A request to postpone does not automatically remove a cancellation charge.
A replacement organiser or event must be approved by Chariclo in writing.
8. Cancelling direct accommodation
Booking – Individual room
Notice required for a full refund – At least seven days before the agreed check-in time
Booking – Whole farmhouse
Notice required for a full refund – At least 28 days before the agreed check-in time
With less notice, cancellation charges may be up to the full accommodation price, subject to section 4.
Residential venue hire by a facilitator follows the venue-hire policy in section 7.
9. Illness, travel disruption and early departure
If illness or travel disruption prevents you from attending, the relevant cancellation policy still applies. These circumstances do not create an additional refund entitlement after the cancellation deadline.
No refund is normally provided for non-attendance, late arrival, early departure or activities you choose not to attend.
This does not affect your rights where Chariclo has failed to provide the agreed service or where the law provides a different remedy.
We recommend suitable insurance covering cancellation and travel disruption.
10. If Chariclo changes or cancels your booking
If we cancel, postpone or significantly change your booking, we will contact you as soon as reasonably possible.
You may choose:
A full refund for the affected booking; or
A transfer to an available alternative date that you accept.
You do not have to accept a credit or alternative date.
We may make minor adjustments that do not materially change the booking. We will tell you about changes that affect your plans.
If an agreed optional extra becomes unavailable, we will refund its charge. Where its loss significantly changes the overall booking, we will discuss the appropriate options with you.
These arrangements do not limit any further rights you may have by law.
11. Refunds
We will process refunds within ten working days of cancellation or confirmation of the refund due, unless the law requires a shorter period.
Payments taken through Stripe will be refunded to the original payment method. Bank-transfer payments will normally be returned by bank transfer.
Your bank or payment provider may take additional time to display the refund.
12. What venue hire includes
Your agreed quotation and booking confirmation identify:
The spaces and bedrooms included.
Whether farmhouse use is exclusive.
The permitted number of attendees and overnight guests.
Access, setup and departure times.
Included equipment, catering and other services.
Any agreed extras.
Only the areas and facilities expressly included may be used. Exclusive use applies only where confirmed in writing.
Setup and clearing must take place within the agreed hire period unless additional time is approved.
The farmhouse accommodates a maximum of ten overnight guests, subject to the rooms agreed for your booking. Daytime event limits are confirmed separately and must not be exceeded.
13. External facilitators and organisers
The hirer is responsible for:
Managing their event, participant bookings and payments.
Providing clear participant terms and cancellation information.
Holding appropriate public liability insurance and any other cover needed for their activities.
Providing evidence of insurance when requested.
Having suitable qualifications, experience and activity risk assessments.
Managing relevant health questionnaires, consent and participant information securely.
Briefing attendees on Chariclo’s house rules and emergency arrangements.
Ensuring activities and equipment are suitable for the agreed space.
Obtaining Chariclo’s agreement before bringing in additional suppliers or changing the nature of the event.
Chariclo remains responsible for its own obligations as the venue provider.
14. Refundable damage deposits
Hire type – Day hire
Refundable damage deposit – None
Hire type – Residential retreat hire without exclusive farmhouse use
Refundable damage deposit – £250
Hire type – Exclusive farmhouse hire, including residential use
Refundable damage deposit – £500
Only one damage deposit applies to each booking. It is separate from the booking deposit and hire price. Its payment deadline will be stated in your booking confirmation.
Please report damage or breakages promptly.
We may deduct reasonable, evidenced costs for damage, missing items or additional cleaning caused by the hirer or their group. We do not charge for ordinary wear and tear, pre-existing damage or routine cleaning already included in the hire price.
We will explain proposed deductions and provide supporting information, giving you an opportunity to respond.
Where there are no deductions, the deposit will be returned within ten working days of departure. If an issue requires further assessment, we will explain this and return any undisputed balance within that period.
The deposit does not automatically limit responsibility for a larger loss where the hirer is legally liable. Reasonable damage costs may also be payable for day hire where no deposit is taken.
15. Caring for the space
Please treat the buildings, furnishings, equipment and grounds with care.
Leave spaces reasonably tidy, wash used kitchen items, separate waste using the facilities provided and follow the departure instructions.
Please obtain permission before moving substantial furniture, attaching decorations or using candles, flames or equipment that may create a safety risk.
Smoking
Smoking is not permitted indoors. Outside, please use the designated areas and ashtrays, fully extinguish cigarettes and dispose of cigarette ends safely. Never leave them on the ground.
Alcohol
Hirers must not serve alcohol at Chariclo.
Quiet hours
Quiet hours are 10pm to 8am. At all times, please be considerate of neighbours, other guests and people working on the farm.
Pets and assistance animals
Pets require prior written agreement. Assistance animals are welcome; please tell us about any arrangements that would help your visit.
Children and babies
Our current events are intended for adults. Attendance by children or babies requires express agreement before booking.
16. The working farm and parking
Chariclo is situated on a working farm. Please respect the animals, land and people carrying out their work.
Do not approach, touch or feed livestock, and do not enter fields containing animals. Cows and bulls may be present, particularly from May to September.
Follow safety signs and instructions, leave gates as directed, and keep farm roads and access routes clear.
Free parking is available in the designated areas. We encourage car sharing where possible.
17. Accessibility and participation
Wheelchair access ramps and an accessible toilet are available at both the farmhouse and the bothy.
Please contact us before booking to discuss access requirements, room arrangements and whether the spaces suit your needs. We will provide relevant information and discuss reasonable adjustments.
For activities organised by Chariclo, please complete any required health questionnaire accurately and tell us about relevant changes. We ask only for information needed to assess and support safe participation.
You may pause or decline an activity. Please follow safety instructions and tell the facilitator if you feel uncomfortable or unwell.
External facilitators manage the participation requirements and health information for their own events.
18. Hot-tub use
Hot-tub access is not automatically included. It is available only where expressly confirmed as part of your package or agreed as a paid extra.
Advance setup is required. Do not fill, light, heat or use the hot tub without authorisation and the relevant instructions.
Anyone using it must follow the supplied safety and hygiene guidance. We may suspend use where reasonably necessary for safety, maintenance or water quality.
Where confirmed access cannot be provided, section 10 applies.
19. Arrival, departure and safety
Standard overnight check-in for farmhouse accommodation is from 4pm, with check-out by 11am, unless different times are confirmed.
Venue-hire access times are stated in the booking confirmation.
On departure, close the windows and follow the key-return instructions supplied for your stay.
Please familiarise yourself with exits and emergency information. Keep escape routes clear and do not interfere with alarms or safety equipment.
We may request guest details necessary to meet applicable accommodation record-keeping requirements. Our privacy notice will explain how these records are handled.
20. Respectful conduct
Everyone should feel welcome and respected at Chariclo. Harassment, abuse, discrimination, threatening behaviour and conduct that creates a serious safety risk are not acceptable.
Where appropriate, we will explain the concern and give an opportunity to resolve it. We may refuse entry or require someone to leave where reasonably necessary to protect people or property.
Any cancellation charge or refund will depend on the circumstances and applicable legal rights; removal does not automatically result in forfeiture of every payment.
21. Photography and privacy
Where Chariclo plans photography or filming, we will tell attendees and seek separate permission before taking and using identifiable images for publicity.
You may decline without affecting your participation. Please contact hello@chariclo.co to change your preference or withdraw consent.
External organisers are responsible for obtaining appropriate permission for their own photography. Permission given to one organiser does not automatically allow another to use the images.
Please respect other attendees’ privacy. Do not photograph, record or share another person’s image or personal contribution without permission.
Our separate privacy notice explains how we use booking information, health questionnaires, photographs and other personal information.
22. Our responsibilities and your rights
We will provide our services with reasonable care and skill.
We are responsible for loss or damage where the law makes us responsible. Nothing in these terms excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.
Please take reasonable care of personal belongings and tell us promptly if anything is lost or damaged.
No health questionnaire, consent form or house rule removes your statutory rights.
23. Questions and complaints
If something is not right, please tell us as soon as possible so we have an opportunity to help.
You can speak to your host or email hello@chariclo.co. We will consider your concern fairly and aim to resolve it promptly.
24. Updates and applicable law
The version of these terms supplied or made available when you book applies to your booking. Later updates do not automatically change an existing agreement.
These terms are governed by Scots law, without removing any mandatory consumer protections or rights to bring proceedings in another court available to you by law
By making a booking with Chariclo, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to the above terms and conditions.