diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/ICat/inc/MantidICat/CatalogDownloadDataFiles.h b/Code/Mantid/Framework/ICat/inc/MantidICat/CatalogDownloadDataFiles.h
index 27b97c90f04d..013a3b0631fc 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/ICat/inc/MantidICat/CatalogDownloadDataFiles.h
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/ICat/inc/MantidICat/CatalogDownloadDataFiles.h
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ namespace Mantid
       std::string testDownload(const std::string& URL,const std::string& fileName);
 
     private:
+      /// Throw a catalog error.
+      void throwCatalogError() const;
       /// Sets documentation strings for this algorithm
       virtual void initDocs();
       /// Overwrites Algorithm method.
diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/ICat/inc/MantidICat/CatalogLogin.h b/Code/Mantid/Framework/ICat/inc/MantidICat/CatalogLogin.h
index a03d8c9013ca..c6022fdf4d0c 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/ICat/inc/MantidICat/CatalogLogin.h
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/ICat/inc/MantidICat/CatalogLogin.h
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ namespace Mantid
       virtual const std::string category() const { return "DataHandling\\Catalog"; }
 
     private:
+      void throwCatalogError() const;
       /// Sets documentation strings for this algorithm
       virtual void initDocs();
       /// Overwrites Algorithm method.
diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/ICat/src/CatalogDownloadDataFiles.cpp b/Code/Mantid/Framework/ICat/src/CatalogDownloadDataFiles.cpp
index e323ebb301d5..1c1570f44bbe 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/ICat/src/CatalogDownloadDataFiles.cpp
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/ICat/src/CatalogDownloadDataFiles.cpp
@@ -64,6 +64,18 @@ namespace Mantid
                                                      Direction::Output),
                       "A list of containing  locations of files downloaded from data server");
     }
+
+    /// Raise an error concerning catalog searching
+    void CatalogDownloadDataFiles::throwCatalogError() const
+    {
+      const std::string facilityName = ConfigService::Instance().getFacility().name();
+      std::stringstream ss;
+      ss << "Your current Facility, " << facilityName << ", does not have ICAT catalog information. "
+          << std::endl;
+      ss << "The facilities.xml file may need updating. Contact the Mantid Team for help." << std::endl;
+      throw std::runtime_error(ss.str());
+    }
+
     /// Execute the algorithm
     void CatalogDownloadDataFiles::exec()
     {
@@ -76,11 +88,11 @@ namespace Mantid
       }
       catch(Kernel::Exception::NotFoundError&)
       {
-        throw std::runtime_error("Error when getting the catalog information from the Facilities.xml file.");
+        throwCatalogError();
       }
       if(!catalog_sptr)
       {
-        throw std::runtime_error("Error when getting the catalog information from the Facilities.xml file");
+        throwCatalogError();
       }
       //get file ids
       std::vector<int64_t> fileids = getProperty("FileIds");
diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/ICat/src/CatalogLogin.cpp b/Code/Mantid/Framework/ICat/src/CatalogLogin.cpp
index 7ab21b29aa37..714ddf782098 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/ICat/src/CatalogLogin.cpp
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/ICat/src/CatalogLogin.cpp
@@ -52,16 +52,27 @@ namespace Mantid
       }
       catch(Kernel::Exception::NotFoundError&)
       {
-        throw std::runtime_error("Error when getting the catalog information from the Facilities.xml file.");
+        throwCatalogError();
       }
       if(!catalog_sptr)
       {
-        throw std::runtime_error("Error when getting the catalog information from the Facilities.xml file");
+        throwCatalogError();
       }
       catalog_sptr->login(username,password,"");
 
     }
 
+    /// Raise an error concerning catalog searching
+    void CatalogLogin::throwCatalogError() const
+    {
+      const std::string facilityName = ConfigService::Instance().getFacility().name();
+      std::stringstream ss;
+      ss << "Your current Facility, " << facilityName << ", does not have ICAT catalog information. "
+          << std::endl;
+      ss << "The facilities.xml file may need updating. Contact the Mantid Team for help." << std::endl;
+      throw std::runtime_error(ss.str());
+    }
+
 
   }
 }
diff --git a/Code/Mantid/Framework/ICat/src/CatalogSearch.cpp b/Code/Mantid/Framework/ICat/src/CatalogSearch.cpp
index ec19f03293fc..7564a6c018a7 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/Framework/ICat/src/CatalogSearch.cpp
+++ b/Code/Mantid/Framework/ICat/src/CatalogSearch.cpp
@@ -72,7 +72,11 @@ namespace Mantid
       }
       catch(Kernel::Exception::NotFoundError&)
       {
-        throw std::runtime_error("Error when getting the catalog information from the Facilities.xml file.");
+        std::string facilityName = ConfigService::Instance().getFacility().name();
+        std::stringstream ss;
+        ss << "Your current Facility: " << facilityName << " does not have ICAT catalog information. " << std::endl;
+        ss << "The facilities.xml file may need updating. Contact the Mantid Team for help." << std::endl;
+        throw std::runtime_error(ss.str());
       }
       if(!catalog_sptr)
       {
diff --git a/Code/Mantid/instrument/Facilities.xml b/Code/Mantid/instrument/Facilities.xml
index 7ec2460ef7a9..e44da0832b56 100644
--- a/Code/Mantid/instrument/Facilities.xml
+++ b/Code/Mantid/instrument/Facilities.xml
@@ -219,9 +219,6 @@
 
 <facility name="HFIR" FileExtensions=".nxs,.dat,.xml">
    
-   <catalog name="ICat3Catalog">
-   </catalog>
-   
    <instrument name="HB1"> 
       <technique>Triple Axis Spectroscopy</technique>
    </instrument> 
@@ -266,17 +263,6 @@
 
 <facility name="SNS" delimiter="_" FileExtensions="_event.nxs,.nxs.h5,.nxs,.dat,_runinfo.xml,_histo.nxs">
 
-  <archive>
-    <archiveSearch plugin="SNSDataSearch" />
-    <archiveSearch plugin="SNSDataSearchICAT2" />
-  </archive>
-  
-   <catalog name="ICat3Catalog">
-   </catalog>
-  
-   <soapEndPoint url="https://icat.sns.gov:8181/ICATService/ICAT">
-   </soapEndPoint>
-
    <instrument name="DAS"> 
       <technique>technique</technique>
    </instrument>