Introduction
This Privacy Policy explains how Loch Ness Retreat (operated by Zara Wildon) collects, uses, and protects your information when you visit our website, sanctuarylochness.uk. We do not collect personal data through registration forms or store any personal information in databases. Our goal is to provide you with a transparent understanding of how standard web technologies are used to enhance your experience.
Information We Collect
When you visit our website, certain information is automatically collected through standard web technologies. This includes:
- IP address and approximate location derived from it
- Browser type and version
- Operating system
- Pages visited and time spent on each page
- Referral source (e.g., search engine or other website)
- Standard server log data
No names, email addresses, phone numbers, or other personally identifiable information are collected unless voluntarily provided through contact forms — and even then, such data is not stored in any database.
How We Use Information
The information collected is used solely for the following purposes:
- To analyse website traffic and improve user experience
- To understand which content is most popular and relevant
- To ensure the website functions correctly and securely
- To comply with legal obligations under UK and EU data protection laws
We do not use your data for marketing, profiling, or automated decision-making. No personal data is sold or shared for commercial purposes.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies — small text files stored on your device — to improve website functionality and performance. These include:
- Essential cookies: Necessary for the website to operate, such as maintaining session security
- Performance cookies: Used by analytics services to understand how visitors interact with the site
- Functionality cookies: Remember your preferences, such as language or region
You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some website features, but you will still be able to access all content.
Third-Party Services
We use trusted third-party services to help us analyse website traffic and deliver relevant advertising:
- Google Analytics: Provides anonymous statistics on visitor behaviour. Google may collect IP addresses and use cookies, but we have enabled IP anonymisation to protect your privacy.
- Advertising networks: We may use ad networks such as Google AdSense to display relevant, non-intrusive ads. These services may place cookies to serve ads based on your browsing activity across other sites. We do not control these cookies or their use.
These third parties have their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review them for details on how they handle your data.
Data Security
We take the security of your data seriously. While we do not store personal information in databases, we implement industry-standard measures to protect our website infrastructure:
- Secure HTTPS encryption for all pages
- Regular software updates and security patches
- Firewall protection and intrusion detection
- Access controls for administrative systems
Despite these precautions, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but strive to maintain the highest practical standards.
Your Rights
Under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right to access: Request a copy of any personal data we hold about you
- Right to rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete information
- Right to erasure: Request deletion of your data where applicable
- Right to restrict processing: Limit how your data is used
- Right to data portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within one month.
Children's Privacy
Our website is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected such data, we will take immediate steps to delete it.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The most current version will always be posted on this page with the Last Updated date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. If material changes are made, we will notify you via a prominent notice on our website.
Contact Information
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact:
Zara Wildon
University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
Email: [email protected]