The largest fresh water loch in UK has a magical aura about it and is a place where you either relax and switch off completely or though yourself into physical activity. When it comes to taking a break on Loch Lomond, the choice of where you will base yourself is crucial. From here you can plan out your activities or decide to do as little as possible. We stayed at The Lodge on Loch Lomond which is joined on the village of Luss. A weekend get-away destination lives or dies by how easy it allows its guests to switch off from their daily lives. The Lodge on the Loch Lomond’s bar-come-restaurant area has a sweeping vista on the loch. One of the great pleasures in life, for me at least, is reading about two or three Sunday papers cover to cover. Not long after arriving, I settled in the bar area armed with a stash of Sunday papers and for the next few hours enjoyed both the news and the views. Lodge on the Loch had passed its first test with flying colours. Our suite was an ideal weekend bolthole and came complete with balcony overlooking the loch and in-room sauna. You could happily stay in here for the entirety of your stay. The bed was beyond king size - the type you could get lost in - and provided an excellent refreshing nice sleep. If you stay here, use the in-room sauna, order some champagne from room service, put on a dressing gown and then head out to the balcony. After this you’ll feel brand new. The Lodge on Loch Lomond sits next to the village of Luss. Visit this quaint village during the day at peak tourist season and it is akin to downtown Tokyo. Busloads of tourists decamp throughout the day for a quick stop off and picture. It was therefore novel to stroll around the village’s deserted streets on an October evening. It has a charm and peace about it. Worth a visit is the Loch Lomond Arms hotel who have an impressive craft beer selection and enticing-looking menu focused on Scottish produce. The food on offer at The Lodge on Loch Lomond offers a mix of traditional with a few experimental options from the Market Menu which is changed on a regular basis.Worth a mention is the starter of drop scone with pork belly and the seared cod with chorizo while the cheeseboard is excellent crucially supplying enough biscuits to go with the amount of cheese supplied. The bar is not overstocked with whisky but there are a few interesting malts available including a rich Glengoyne 18 year-old and a tasty Strathisla.Gin however is well represented with a healthy range including Edinburgh Gin, Rock Rose, Eden Mill and Carouun. The Lodge on Loch Lomond also has a reasonably-sized pool that you can clock up the lengths in or alternatively sit and relax in the adjacent hot tub. There is also a steam room, sauna and laconium to unwind in. On our visit we had the facilities near enough to ourselves despite the hotel being relatively busy. The hotel is going undergoing a gradual refurbishment with the bar area having been tastefully reupholstered since my last visit. I had visited here for wedding previously and not thought about staying as weekend getaway. However based on this experience we will definitely be back .
