Mr & Mrs Smith

All kinds of outdoor pursuits can be organized and the Lodge is happy to help make arrangements. There’s excellent fishing on Loch Fad on the Isle of Bute (www.isle-of-bute.com/lochfad) or you could simply try your luck at the end of the garden. The area has some world-class golf courses within easy reach, including the links courses at Machrie on The Isle of Islay (www.machrie.com) and Machrihanish on Kintyre (www.machgolf.com); even Lochgoilhead has its own gentle nine-hole course. You can admire the scenery on horseback with Argyll Riding (www.horserides.co.uk) or take to one of the many mountain bike trails. If you have the stamina, the Lodge can also arrange sea kayaking, gorge walking and mountaineering with a former Royal Marine; alternatively you might prefer some gentle curling at the nearby Drimsynie ice rink. If you want to drive through the mountains in style then try Caledonian Classics; the Lodge can have the classic car of your choice delivered to the door (www.caledonianclassics.co.uk).

Did you know that whisky has legs? No, we’re not talking about drunken staggering. The older the whisky, the slower if runs down the side of the glass; these are its ‘legs’. Whisky can be a complex business so it’s best to put yourself in the hands of a local expert for a tasting. The word ‘whisky’ comes from the Gaelic, uisge beatha, meaning 'water of life’. Although we can’t vouch for its medicinal qualities, it can certainly make you feel pretty good.