(01866 833333, www.ardanaiseig.com)
THERE are times when you feel you need to get away from it all, leave the bustle of the town behind and get back to nature. This country house hotel allows you to do all of that – and indulge yourself too.
Th
e magnificent grounds alone – 100 acres of gardens and woodland – are worth the trip. There are ongoing efforts to bring them back to their peak, when they were regarded as the finest grounds in Argyll, but even as they stand they are impressive.
Rolling lawns stretch from the main house to the water's edge of Loch Awe, where there is a stone amphitheatre that is used to host dance and theatre performances.
In the hotel, the entrance hall has a fine collection of antique furniture and art, the roaring log fire in the library makes you hope for chilly evenings, and you can enjoy occasional chamber music and piano recitals in the long drawing room – or head for the games room and its full-size snooker table if all that gentility is just too Jane Austen.
Room service Most of the bedrooms are in a traditional style – though ours was the exception. We felt that we had the best of both worlds in the boat house: use of all the hotel's traditional public rooms, and the best of modern design in our loch-side retreat.
You barely have to lift your head to enjoy the view from the bed on the mezzanine level. Downstairs, there is a lounge and dining area and mini kitchen, as well as a bathroom.
Getting there Some guests arrive in a seaplane, others by boat (coming from the east, you can cut at least half an hour off the journey if you leave the car at Loch Awe railway station – you and your luggage will be taken to the hotel by boat).
Coming from Glasgow or Oban, take the A85, then turn on to the B845 and carry on until you reach the hamlet of Kilchrenan. At the Kilchrenan Inn, turn left on to a single-track road. After three miles, you will reach the Ardanaiseig Hotel.
What's the food like? Chef de cuisine Gary Goldie's five-course gourmet menu is sublime and offers equally high-quality vegetarian options.
Little extras As the murky water slowly fills up the huge bath, you might have second thoughts about having a dip. Don't worry, the colour is simply from the peat and it is perfectly safe – in fact, it seems to give an added softness to the water to enhance your soak. There are good-sized Molton Brown products in the bathroom, plus fluffy robes and slippers. Bottled water is also supplied. Should you tire of the view from your balcony, the boat house also has a flat-screen TV and a DVD player.
Out and about As well as the amazing grounds, there's the loch, where boating and fishing are popular. And although it may sound like a best-forgotten holiday romance – shallow with a sandy bottom – the small bay is good for swimming if you don't mind the chill. Oban is only a short drive away and there are several Munros within easy striking distance.
The bottom line During October, Ardanaiseig is offering three nights for the price of two. Packages range from £320 to £447 for three nights' dinner, bed and breakfast between Sunday and Thursday.
