'What a wonderful spot. I would love to come back and stay in the little cottage'

'Thanks for all your help and lovely food. I have found a new love in Scotland'

'We have been waiting a whole year for an excuse to come and stay at the Lodge. It is everything and more – thank you for a fabulous time'

In the know

House style

Country house

Grounds

The two-acre garden leads down to the loch and is surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery.

Sleeps

16, in seven bedrooms in the main house and two in the summerhouse.

Ideal for

Gastronomic getaways, active holidays, very special occasions and Highlands weddings

Rates

£200 a person a night including Scottish breakfast, afternoon tea and a gastronomic three-course evening meal. The Lodge is fully serviced and catered.

Minimum hire

A minimum of eight guests and two-night stays at weekends. The rental period normally starts at 3pm and ends at midday.

Also

Smoking is not allowed in the Lodge but you may smoke on the veranda. Pets aren’t encouraged but if you have a well behaved pooch it's worth asking. Don’t expect your mobile phone to work.

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Interior

Bedrooms 

Arran bedroom: Large double bedroom with loch views and a spacious en suite bathroom with free-standing roll-top bath. Bute bedroom: Large double bedroom with loch views and en suite bathroom. Coll bedroom: Smaller wood-panelled bedroom with en suite bathroom; sunny in the mornings. Iona bedroom: Light and airy double bedroom at the back of the house with en suite bathroom. Islay and Jura bedrooms: These two bedrooms are a bit more self-contained and share a large bathroom; they’re ideal for a couple with children. Mull bedroom: This wood-panelled double bedroom is snug and cosy and has an en suite bathroom. Summerhouse: The secluded, red and white summerhouse is at the far end of the garden; it has a small kitchen and a barbecue on the deck built over the water.

Kitchen 

Living room Theatrically decorated in black and red with velvet chairs, burnished copper mirrors and a period fireplace. The separate drawing room is a concession to the 21st Century, with flat screen TV and an extensive DVD library.

Dining room The grand centrepiece of the house, with beautiful stained glass windows, hand-painted wall coverings and an imposing fireplace.

Other The hallway is hung with contemporary artwork by local artists, depicting some of the region’s most beautiful vistas; it may be possible to buy some of the artwork. There's also a peaceful conservatory which is perfect for breakfast on a sunny morning.

Outdoor

Poolside If you're brave enough to swim in the loch, watch out for submarines!

Gardens The gardens cover two acres and run along the western shore of Loch Goil; there are wonderful views along the loch to Lochgoilhead and the Arrochar Alps.

Parking There is private parking next to the house with enough space for about 10 cars.

Other Supported by the branches of a hugh Scots pine overlooking the loch, the charming tree house is where afternoon tea is usually served; there’s a balcony and a wood-burning stove. Another mighty tree next to the water supports a viewing platform.

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Planes For some real indulgence, you can reach the Lodge by seaplane; see www.lochlomondseaplanes.com for details.

Trains The nearest station is Arrochar and Tarbet, on the West Highland Line; you can catch the sleeper train direct from London with First ScotRail (see www.trainline.co.uk for details). Journey times are eight hours from London, four hours from Manchester and one hour from Glasgow.

Local taxi service The Lodge staff will come and collect you from the station with prior notice. There is one local taxi driver but you have to book in advance via the Lodge. For car hire, click on our Travel Offers page. Smithcard holders get a 10 per cent discount with Hertz.

Directions by road From Glasgow, take the A82 along the western shore of Loch Lomond. At Tarbet, follow the A83 to Arrochar and continue up into the Arrochar Alps to the Rest and be Thankful viewpoint, at the top of the pass. Turn left here, down the twisting road to Lochgoilhead and bear right along the western shore of the loch. The Lodge is five minutes further on and has a long stone wall.

Review

It may be little more than an hour north of Glasgow but The Lodge, on the shores of Loch Goil, might as well be in a different world. Surrounded by the breathtaking splendour of the Trossachs and the Arrochar Alps, this is the ideal venue for a peaceful escape with friends or family; it’s so quiet you can hear conversations 100 yards away. The Lodge is fully catered so you can devote yourself to simply relaxing; the excellent cuisine skilfully prepared by the house chef adds an extra treat to the fabulous setting.

Built in the late 1860s as a holiday home, the Lodge has been meticulously restored to its original turn of the century Arts and Crafts style. Period features such as tongue-and-groove panelling, burnished copper mirrors, antler lamp stands and Bakelite telephones indicate a microscopic attention to detail, while the use of rich fabrics and beautiful Timorous Beasties wallpaper creates a fabulous sense of drama. Often used as a location for fashion shoots, each aspect of the house appears perfectly lit and framed, waiting to have its picture taken.

The evening normally starts with an expertly guided wander through the Lodge’s extensive whisky selection in the bar, but the real centerpiece of the house is the dining room, with its original hand-painted wallpaper, grand fireplace and loch views. Art students have been known to make the trip out to The Lodge simply to admire the luminous stained-glass windows designed by Daniel Cottier. Following the piper to the table and enjoying the perfect dinner party is what the Lodge experience is all about, and the food is more than a match for the wonderful surroundings.

Each of the bedrooms is named after a Scottish island and has its own unique character. The Arran and Bute rooms at the front of the house are the most spectacular, with iron bedsteads and more of that fantastic Timorous Beasties décor, as well as heart-stopping views over the loch. All rooms have en suite bathrooms with roll-top baths, except for the Jura and Islay rooms which share a spacious bathroom. The dinner party atmosphere of The Lodge isn’t really designed for children but there’s no hard-and-fast rule and these rooms are well-suited for a couple with children.

There are a few essential concessions to the 21st Century, in the form of a flat screen TV and iPod docking stations, but the Lodge is dedicated to slow paced, traditional enjoyment (the area has a blissfully erratic mobile signal). Everyone falls in love with the beautiful tree house in the mighty branches of a Scots pine in front of the house; it’s an unforgettable place for 1920s-style afternoon tea with views across Loch Goil and a popular choice for intimate wedding ceremonies. The other star attraction in the grounds of the house is the secluded red and white summerhouse down by the water’s edge. It’s possible to stay here, too. If you organised the trip or if it’s your wedding, then this could be a richly deserved perk.

The Lodge can arrange all kinds of activities and there is no shortage of ways to work up an appetite among the mountains and sea lochs. Quad biking, clay shooting and hiking are some of the exhilarating ways to explore the Trossachs and Loch Lomond National Park; simply climb the nearest mountain to be rewarded with views that will stay in your memory for years. If you fancy taking things a bit easier, massage, golf, loch cruises, whisky-tasting tours and fishing on a traditional Scottish Gleaner boat are very popular; the Lodge can also organise painting classes or a tour of the Glens in style; in a range of beautiful classic cars.

Reviewed by Jim Whyte

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