Overview

Our journey began with the purchase and transformation of Ardvullin, a former ghillie’s croft located in the stunning Scottish Highlands. Today, Ardvullin serves as a warm and inviting respite centre, surrounded by grounds that include an adventure playground and Taigh Sona our bespoke activity centre. It is the heart of our organisation.

Our holiday program now provides respite for 36 weeks each year. During this time, our dedicated and passionate team designs unique activities tailored for each group. Through these experiences, we nurture confidence, build essential life skills, and foster lasting friendships. Regardless of their home circumstances, our goal is to offer every child the chance to experience the joy and magic of childhood.

We believe that the memories created during these precious moments can last a lifetime. Our aim is to send each child home from their respite break filled with wonderful memories, empowering them to carry those bright moments into their future. Together, we are building hope and happiness, one child at a time.

Two children being lead on horses 550 x 550 px

Vision

HopScotch Children’s Charity has a vision to provide transformative respite experiences for children and young people facing challenges in Scotland. Our respite centre, Ardvullin in the Scottish Highlands, offers a nurturing environment where children can create lasting memories, build confidence, and develop essential life skills. Our annual programme of respite breaks empowers young people to take a break, form friendships, and embrace new experiences that enhance their well-being, mental health and resilience.

Meet the team

Staff Members

Anna Marshall

Activity Leader

Roberta McKay

Co-founder and CEO

Alison Bass

Operations Manager

Rowena Wilkes

Housekeeper

Frank Divers

Bus Driver

Andy Preston

Caretaker

Anna Marshall

Activity Leader

Roberta McKay

Co-founder and CEO

Alison Bass

Operations Manager

Rowena Wilkes

Housekeeper

Frank Divers

Bus Driver

Andy Preston

Caretaker

Committee Members (Trustees)

Derek Taylor - Co-founder and Chair

Sascha Macleod - Director

Michael Timmins - Treasurer

Chris Gotts - Director

Laura Macdonald - Director

Consultants

Vicky Allen - Communications and social media consultant

Timeline

October 1998

HopScotch was founded, marking the beginning of our journey to create unforgettable experiences.

Question you might have

Group

No. All our breaks are self-catering. You will be responsible for buying, bringing and cooking food for your group during your holiday. Our advice is to keep meals simple; more information is in our Holiday Guide.

Our breaks are free to applying groups. The only cost to each group is for food and your own staffing costs. We do require a refundable deposit of £300 to secure each booking.

You must identify 12 children between 7 and 12 years old who fit our application criteria. These should be either 6 boys and 6 girls or 12 children of one gender. This is because we have two children’s dorms which each sleep 6 children. You will also have to provide 3 members of staff or volunteers from your own organisation for the duration of the HopScotch break. Our Activity Leader will work in partnership with your staff/volunteers to ensure the children have a brilliant time.

You will get picked our by our minibus driver in the HopScotch bus on the Monday morning of your holiday week, and you will be driven back home in the minibus on the Friday. This means you will have a whole week of holiday fun to enjoy!

You will be staying at our beautiful respite break centre, called Ardvullin. Ardvullin is on the Ardnamurchan peninsula in the Scottish Highlands. Fort William is the closest large town. The Victorian house is a former gate-keeper’s lodge, which we have converted into a lovely and very comfortable holiday home for the children who come to us for a HopScotch break. In addition to the house, we also have large grounds to explore, including a fantastic adventure playground. You will be the only group staying at Ardvullin House for the week, so you will have the whole place to yourselves.

There is so much to do! As well as being able to enjoy the house and its grounds, you might find yourself: taking the gondola up the Nevis Range; using the playroom in Ardvullin, riding Segways; playing lots of games; riding bikes through the beautiful highland scenery (or learning to ride a bike if they have never cycled before); horse-riding; using Taigh Sona, our new onsite activity centre; playing on some of Scotland’s most beautiful beaches; visiting a climbing centre; canoeing…the list goes on. Our Activity Leader always makes sure there are plenty of fun things to do, so your group will have lots of incredible new experiences, and make some wonderful memories.

You will be picked up by the HopScotch minibus on the Monday morning of the week you are coming to stay. During your time with us we will transport the group everywhere you need to go in our minibus. At the end of the week our minibus will also drive you home again.

We have two big bedrooms, with bunkbeds for 6 children in each room. There are also two rooms for the adults who accompany the group, each sleeping up to 3 people.

Parent and Guardian

The holiday is free!

Your child will be staying at Ardvullin. Arvullin is a lovely converted Victorian house which we have been using as our respite break centre since HopScotch Children’s Charity began back in 1998. Ardvullin is on the Ardnamurchan peninsula, a very short ferry ride across Loch Linnhe in the Scottish Highlands. It’s about 8 miles from Fort William.

Your child will be coming as part of a group of children, who will be brought by at least 3 workers from the organisation who applied for them to have a HopScotch break. They will already know your child, and they will be responsible for your child’s welfare whilst they are away from home. In addition, HopScotch Children’s Charity has its own Activity Leader. Our Activity Leader will work closely with the children throughout the week too. It is the Activity Leader’s job to ensure your child has a wonderful time, and to support them as they experience new things.

You will receive detailed information about this nearer the time, but don’t worry if you don’t have everything. HopScotch keeps some outdoor wear at Ardvullin for the children to use, and we ensure they have all the appropriate clothing and safety equipment for every activity they will take part in. Just get in touch with us if you have more questions about this.

No, no pocket money is needed.

Useful Links

Respite Breaks for Children and Young People’

Resources

Learn more

Support us

Learn more

Apply here

Positive thoughts generate positive feelings, and they attract positive life experiences. Hopscotch richly enhanced all our lives for the week we were resident at Ardvullin. The children and adults left feeling part of a wonderful experience that will last a lifetime.