#ardkinglas

Well, here it is.  Our last adventure as Argyll Holidays Active Family 2017/2018.

This time we returned to Hunters Quay in Dunoon and had a fabulously relaxing and chilled out time.

We stayed in a Rowan Comfort lodge, which although is basic, had everything we needed and plenty space for the four of us.  It was great to have a TV with so many channels available and DVD player too.  It is great how spaced out the lodges are and they are certainly not all crammed in close together.

We visited the Castle House Museum in nearby Dunoon.  This is quite small but really interesting.  It was nice to be able to step back in time and see the old Dunoon and there is a lovely high viewpoint at the side of the museum with a great view out over the water and down the coast.

I enjoyed walking between Dunoon and Hunters Quay right along the sea front which takes about an hour.

Our next activity was pretty special.  We had an amazing visit to Portavadie.  It is absolutely beautiful and one of the most relaxing places we have ever been.  We had a spa and leisure experience and we all had a truly wonderful day.  There is a gym, indoor pools and jacuzzi, a glass sided sauna which looks out over the water, outdoor spa pools, and our favourite - the outdoor heated infinity pool with spectacular views.  We spent the day in and out of the different pools and sauna, then had an amazing meal.  Jamie also enjoyed playing on a bouncy castle.  We all loved our day at Portavadie.

On our way back from Portavadie we stopped at the Tighnabruaich viewpoint to admire the scenery.

Our next day was spent visiting Ardkinglas House and Woodland Trails.  This is a beautiful woodland garden that runs along Kinglas Water and has giant trees, a ruined mill and lots of colourful plants and shrubs along the paths.  We all particularly like the Gruffalo Trail which has pages from the book and you can read the story as you make your way along the trail.  Well worth a visit.

Our final activity was a Paddle Steamer trip from Dunoon to Rothesay with Waverley Excursions.  This was a lovely trip.  The boat had a grand arrival with pipers on the pier and all the guest were piped onto the boat.  We travelled faster than expected and in less than an hour we arrived at Rothesay for a three hour visit.  We played putting, visited the Visitor Centre and had a nice lunch before returning to the boat.  It is a really impressive boat, with different levels to explore with bars, a restaurant and you can also visit the engine to see how the paddle steamer works.  We really enjoyed this trip and thought it was quite different to other boat trips we had experienced.

When we were not away out on activities we enjoyed just being together as a family in the lodge and in the park.  We visited the swimming pool, steam room, jacuzzi and sauna at some point during each day.  The leisure facilities have long opening hours so it was great to be able to fit in a swim from early morning, right up to late evening.  I love the size of the pool and the dolphin murals on the walls.  It was never overcrowded so was enjoyable every time.

Jamie visited the play park most days too and as he had loved the archery so much during his last visit to Hunters Quay in April, he wanted to do this again.  We enjoyed the arcade, soft play, and evening entertainment too.

So, our year as the Active Family has been an absolute blast.  What an amazing prize to have won and what an experience we have had.  We have made so many memories and enjoyed such special family times.  The West Coast of Scotland has so much to offer as it is so beautiful and there is such a huge variety of things to do.  With Argyll Holidays we have stayed in the absolute top of the range luxury hot tub lodges to the more basic comfort lodges and a caravan too and there is definitely something for everyone that would suit a range of budgets.  

We have had the opportunity to go skiing, tree climbing, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, laser tag, horse riding, and ringo riding behind a speed boat!  We have visited gardens, museums, aquariums, swimming pools and loads more visitor attractions and lovely restaurants.  

It has honestly been awesome!  Argyll Holidays will always be our first point of call when we can fit in a weekend away or short break as we have enjoyed our holidays so much, there are lots of things we would like to do again and yet more that we would still like to do.

Thanks for reading our blogs and thanks to Argyll Holidays for everything.

Happy Holidays!

The Gibbons xx

By Linda Tancs Inspired by a children’s book about a mouse walking through a European forest, the Gruffalo Trail is a whimsical walk in Ardkinglas Estate, one of many features awaiting visitors at this property in Argyll, Scotland. On the shore at the head of Loch Fyne, set against a spectacular background of mountains and forest, Ardkinglas is noted for its outstanding collection of plants and…

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