Cameron House Hotel, Argyll
Loch Lomond
A perfect,luxurious break for all the family.
From the time you step out of the car, to
the time that you have to leave, your stay at Cameron House will be one of the
most laid back experiences that you might encounter in any hotel, let alone a
full blown 5 star one – it’s SO relaxed you’ll feel at home – blimey imagine
that!
There is loads to do – from strolling around the grounds to swimming,
putting, draughts (or chess) in the garden, the crèche for babies and exciting
adrenaline inducing activities for older kids to the golf course, amazing spa
(I had to drag myself out) and fantastic places to eat for parents Cameron
House delivers – in buckets!
Smiley staff greeted the girls, as did
smiley guests – always sure to hear me sigh with relief. The hotel was busy with families from
the youngest to the oldest all seemingly very happy to not be anywhere else.
The family room was fantastic – Eve and Lottie had
to be prised out of their small bunk room – padded velvety walls to lounge
against whilst watching their own tv – a bit too decadent if you ask me. 'Our' area was really comfortable,
big bed, lovely sheets, crisp towels, ample bathroom to bath the kids with enough 'living' room despite the travel
cot and tons of paraphenalia that appears from no-where within 5 minutes of our
walking into a space.
Situated on Loch Lomond the hotel has a
huge advantage – Mother Nature has provided some stunning views to appreciate
from your hotel room, the lounge, the garden, the Boathouse; anywhere that you
might wander.
We spent a lazy afternoon playing draughts
on the lawn – chess is too taxing with Aggie running off with pawns – and
putting (£6 for two clubs all day) – you should have seen the faces of the
adults let alone the frustrated kids when the balls flew over the fence. And then we dipped into the pool which
caters for kids and adults alike - there's a reassuringly long slide for the older ones to
make a splash.
There’s lots of loungers to chill out on too – just no chance to do so with
my lot.
The Boathouse mentioned above is a fantastic
place to eat, it’s just a stroll down from the hotel along the Loch – fish fingers
resembled none that the girls have had previously and the kids meals were very
reasonably priced at £6 for delicious freshly prepared fare – we ate in the
lounge area as we were too late to book a table (typical of moi). Eve and Lottie shared their’s with
Aggie so we were quids in. The
prospect of Bob scoffing his HUGE burger filled me with delight as I pictured
him trying to eat it – he cut it in half and spoiled my fun!
There are 3 other
restaurant experiences to choose from; the Cameron Grill where steaks abound, fine dining courtesy of Martin Wishart and the Claret Jug over at the Carrick where the spa and golf club are located.
There is lots to do in the area – you can ride
around the car park in a golf cart grinning (Aggie) – courtesy of a very kind
caddy, go on a Loch boat tour, visit the Aquarium and have a little shop, take in
many pretty villages, visit the wild-life park or go on some splendid walks where the views seemingly
just keep coming. The spa is more
than worth a trip and it’s easy to get the time given the crèche and activity
centre will keep the kids safe and busy – Eve and Lottie baked shortbread for
an hour at a cost of £5 each and had a lovely time.
The girls concluded they would like to stay
at Cameron House – I have promised an annual trip as we need to do that spa
thing yet (the treatments are inspiring rather than frightening) after which –
if I could muster the energy - the infinity pool with it’s fabulous views along
with a glass of bubbly would be perfect.
Bob has been promised no more than 1/2 hour in the Whisky Bar!
5 stars may sometimes be a little daunting - don't be worried as staying doesn’t have to be extortionately expensive. Room rates are seasonal and there are some
fabulous offers on the web-site so check in. It’s worth it.