#cruiselochlomond

We have just been on our fourth Argyll Holidays weekend in Loch Lomond Holiday park and once again absolutely loved it.  We had a nice lodge and the scenery surrounding the park is just spectacular.  We had last been there in the winter, so this time the scenery looked even better than it did then.

On the Friday evening we had a nice time having a kick about with the kids, Jamie played in the play park and on the beach.  We just relaxed and enjoyed the lovely views of Loch Lomond and the surrounding hills.  Bliss!

On the Saturday morning we were off to Luss to go on an Island Explorer Cruise with Loch Lomond Cruises.  This was an absolute treat as the weather was lovely and we really enjoyed it.  The crew were really knowledgeable about the Loch and pointed out lots of interesting things and told us a bit about quite a few of the different islands.  We saw an osprey nest and learned lots of interesting facts about who owned the islands, what is on them and watched a sea plane take off and land.  We sailed from Luss to Inchcailloch, where we got off the boat and were left to explore the island for an hour and a half.

Whist on Inchcailloch, we walked round the woodland walk, spotting some unusual birds and deer, before heading to the beach for some sunbathing, paddling in the water and had a picnic, before the boat came back to get us and sail back to Luss.  This was a lovely trip that I would highly recommend.  This cruise can be done as a half day or full day so we would like to do this again and stay on the island for a few hours longer if it is a nice day.

Our Saturday afternoon was a lot more adventurous, with much fun had at Loch Lomond Wakeboard.  We were provided with wetsuits and life jackets and had an hour of kayaking in two double kayaks.  This was great fun, although quite challenging and exhilarating.  We went up the coastline, then back down to a river and back.

Next we went on a ringo ride, where we were towed on a big rubber ring behind a speedboat.  Wow, amazing fun.  I had not been particularly looking forward to this, but it was absolutely fantastic!  No-one fell in, the guys in the boat were great and we really had a great time.  

On Saturday evening we kept ourselves entertained by watching DVDs kindly lent to us by the friendly staff at Loch Lomond Holiday Park while also watching a thunder and lightening storm across the loch.  Scottish weather at its best, roasting sunshine all day then suddenly a thunder storm and torrential rain!

On Sunday morning we had my favourite activity of the weekend.  A guided canoe trip with In Your Element at Lomond Shores.  We were given life jackets and a paddle and got into our canoes.  Our instructor Dominic was brilliant, we had a really enjoyable trip and a good laugh.  We paddled to a beach, had races and a few games in the canoes.  The water was pretty still and it was really enjoyable, fun and relaxing.  We all loved it.

After an energetic morning, we were then off to Slanj Restaurant in Arrochar for a tasty Sunday lunch where we were warmly welcomed by Tom.  The restaurant is really uniquely set in an old converted church and is full of character, dog friendly and has a traditional Scottish menu.  We learned that they have live music on a Saturday night and a free bus that collects and returns you to Loch Lomond Holiday Park, so that will be what we do next time we visit.  Lovely fish & chips and steak pie were enjoyed, and Jamie had fun on the rocking horse.

We walked off our Sunday lunch by heading back down to Lomond Shores for a bit of shopping, then on to Balloch Castle and County Park. We found the play park and even came across a fallen tree which had been made into a dragon.