What is it?

The Short Breaks Bureau provides vital time-out for unpaid Carers who often struggle to find time for themselves due to financial pressures, caregiving concerns, and limited opportunities to take breaks. Through our network of hospitality and tourism providers, we offer donated short breaks to Carers on our waiting list, allowing them to recharge and reconnect with loved ones. 

Our Short Breaks and Respitality Development Officer, Rosie, sources donated breaks from local businesses, which are then matched with Carers based on their preferences, such as the type of break or length of time. 

What kind of breaks do we have in the Bureau?

We offer a variety of breaks for Adult Carers, Young Carers, and families, including: 

• Overnight stays at hotels 

• Self-catering accommodation (e.g., pods, cottages) 

• Family days at places if interest such as castles, wildlife parks and activity centres 

• Short breaks such as local lunches, afternoon teas and cinema tickets

What difference does a break make? 

Short breaks provide Carers with much needed time to recharge.  Carers have expressed how valuable it is to have something to look forward to that isn’t part of their usual routine. Here are some comments from Carers about the impact of their breaks: 

“I got a day out with my family, something done so rarely. Lots of photos and memories. It was fantastic.” 

“It was a fantastic day out. Not needing to think about anything but the here and now. Care was put in place for my grandfather before the day. It was so nice to get away and do something with the kids.” 

“Words cannot describe the gratitude I feel for this 2-day break at Eddrachilles Hotel. I was gifted the much-needed time out. I felt a complete release of worry of having to attend to my husband’s needs. I chose to sit in the garden with its wonderful views and took time to reflect, listen to calming music and read. I enjoyed the company of other travellers and my own company alone. Being cared for and not having to care for my husband felt restoring. Such a beautiful place to sit in stillness and peace. I was able to work through some of my feelings of regarding loss and guilt at being away. It was a lovely healing experience, and I am truly grateful”. 

How do I apply? 

To register with our Short Breaks Bureau, a Carer must be registered with our service and have an Adult Carer Support Plan (ACSP) in place. If you are a Young Carer, please reach out to your Young Carer Community Worker.  

If you are a Carer residing in Highland and are not currently registered with us, you can complete our referral form here. 

If you are already registered with Connecting Carers and have ACSP in place, please contact Rosie, rhazleton@connectingcarers.org.uk for more information. Alternatively, if you wish to self-refer, please see here. 

List of supporting local businesses 

Here are some of the local businesses that generously donate breaks to support our Carers in Highland: 

• The Palace Hotel
• The Kingsmill Hotel
• Caledonian Micro lodges
• The Cabin
• Scottish Youth Hostel Association
• Historic Scotland
• Forss House Hotel
• The Highland Wildlife Park
• Landmark Adventure Park
• The Highland Cinema
• Eden Court
• Leckmelm Holidays
• Jacobite Cruises
• The Loch Ness Inn
• The Fiddlers Inn
• Café Eighty2
• Café Biagiotti
• Caffe Cardosi
• In Your Element
• Belladrum Festival
• The Highland Soap Company
• Nandos
• The Eddrachillies Hotel
• Lorimers Family Restaurant 
• Inverness Crazy Golf
• Inverness Youth Hostel
• The Star Hotel
• The Rowan Tree Hotel
• Fairy Hill Retreat 

We are always looking for more businesses to join us in supporting Carers in Highland. If you run a hospitality or tourism business and would like to donate a break, please contact Rosie Hazleton, rhazleton@connectingcarers.org.uk