Castles & Loch Lomond, Scotland (August 8)

Friday, August 8, 2025

Start: #7 Seabeds Luxury Lookouts, Woodlands, Glencoe, Scotland

End: #351, Cameron House, A82, Loch Lomond, Alexandria G83 8QZ, Scotland

Highlights: Kilchurn Castle, St. Conan's Kirk, Inveraray Castle & Garden, Ardkinglas Woodland Garden

I woke at 07:30, showered, and dressed. The weather outside was gray and drizzly, but we had to get ready to check out. It always seems to be drizzling in the Scottish Highlands. I packed my luggage and all the power adapters.

Our last breakfast basket arrived, and I took it inside. The basket contained one plain croissant, one pain au chocolat, bread slices, raspberry jam, cheddar cheese, and two glass containers of yogurt with granola. I made coffee in the room's Nespresso coffee machine, and we enjoyed the delicious yogurt and the bread. I still didn't care for the plain croissant (in general, the quality and variety of food declines as we get further from Edinburgh).

We loaded our bags into our Vauxhall Mokka and drove to the Woodlands Glencoe office to check out. I left the key in the door of our #7 SeaBed and stopped at a nearby gas station to fill up. The price of gasoline was GBP 1.39 per liter, which translates to $7.13 / gallon (very high!)

At 10:00, we started our drive to Kilchurn Castle, our first stop on the way to Loch Lomond. About 10-minutes into the drive along A82, we hit heavy traffic that continued for most of the drive. Later, we learned we had gotten stuck behind a large boat being transported. I should have taken a different route, using the A828 (which Google Maps suggested but I ignored). This delayed our arrival at Kilchurn Castle by 90 minutes, to 12:37 (we had been expecting to arrive at 11:00).

Kilchurn Castle stands beside Loch Awe. Built in the mid-1400s, it served as the base of the Campbells of Glenorchy for about 150 years before becoming a garrison stronghold after the 1689 Jacobite Rising. Its ruins include a five-storey tower house and the oldest surviving barracks on the British mainland. Historic Environment Scotland provides visitor information.

I had programmed the Kilchurn Castle Viewing area (instead of the Kilchurn Castle itself) by accident. When we finally reached it, we were surprised to see it plainly, as many other cars and buses parked nearby did, but we could not reach it. There was a wire fence and grazing animals in the field. I had read on ChatGPT that the castle was a 10-minute walk from the path, but I did not see a path to the castle. After taking a few photos, we decided to drive to our next destination, St Conan's Kirk.

However, as soon as I started driving, we reached the Davisons of Dalmally (parking lot), where lots of cars were parked. Upon parking, we saw a clear pathway to Kilchurn Castle. For 10 minutes, we hiked to the castle, past fields of cows. The castle looked much more scenic and impressive at a distance. Now that we were close, it was not very remarkable at all. It was falling apart, and the surrounding area was boggy and muddy.

After a quick stroll around the castle, we returned to our car and drove a few minutes to St Conan's Kirk, arriving at 13:15. Inna was hoping to stop by for afternoon tea at the Stag & Ivy at The Kirk, but the receptionist told us that there was no room now (or in the future). Inna was a bit disappointed. She was looking forward to afternoon tea and scones.

Nevertheless, we walked around the small, privately built St Conan's Kirk, taking photos and admiring the lovely church.

St Conan's Kirk overlooks Loch Awe in the village of Lochawe. Walter Douglas Campbell began the original church in 1881, then started a much larger expansion in 1907. After his death in 1914, his sister Helen continued the project. The building combines Norman, Romanesque, Gothic and other styles, with playful carvings of animals, faces and cherubs. The Kirk's own history explains this unusual family project.

At around 13:30, we decided to continue our drive and stop at Inveraray Castle. The scenic drive took about an hour, and we arrived in Inveraray at 14:30. We found paid parking in the city near the castle (but could have parked directly in the castle's large parking lot).

Before touring the castle, we decided to have lunch at Brambles of Inveraray. After being seated, we eventually managed to order the following (service was a bit slow):

Drinks: Cappuccino x 2
Main: Fish and Chips x 2
Dessert: Apple Strudel with Ice Cream

The food and drinks were brought out at the same time. The fish & chips were decent, and the apple strudel was excellent. After about an hour, we finished lunch and headed to Inveraray Castle. It was a 15-minute walk (we could have saved time by driving there directly).

At 16:30, we reached Inveraray Castle and purchased tickets for the castle & gardens. We asked how long a tour would take and were told that an hour should be sufficient for the castle and gardens. The closing time was listed at 17:00 (for the last admitted entry). The castle closes to visitors at 18:00.

We walked inside and marveled at the beautiful paintings. While not a large castle, it was still occupied by its owners and was tastefully furnished. It featured a stunning display of historic weapons arranged in an artistic, creative way.

Inveraray Castle remains the family home of the Duke of Argyll. The public rooms include the Armoury Hall, with its striking arrangements of historic weapons, and the richly decorated State Dining Room. The official Inveraray Castle guide describes these collections.

We enjoyed the castle and its beautifully manicured gardens. However, it was time to move on. We continued our drive to Loch Lomond, stopping at Ardkinglas Woodland Garden.

Ardkinglas Woodland Garden lies near Cairndow, overlooking Loch Fyne. Its collection includes large conifers, rhododendrons and azaleas, with woodland paths beside the River Kinglas. The estate's garden calendar describes the changing seasonal flowers, foliage and wildlife.

It was a small but beautiful garden, nestled near a Loch (highly recommended by ChatGPT). We liked strolling through it, but the light drizzle outside turned into a heavy rain, and we were not prepared for a torrential downpour. We decided to return to our car and continue to our final destination.

Our final drive to Luss started at 18:30. Upon arrival at Loch Lomond, we found a beach with a variety of water sports (kayaks, SUPs, swimmers) and a few nearby restaurants. We decided to dine at Colquhoun's Restaurant on the beach. Walking in, we were quickly seated, despite having made no reservations. We ordered the following items from the dinner menu:

Appetizer: Buffalo Mozzarella
Drinks: Sparkling water
Inna: Lamb Rump
Boris: Korean Crispy Chicken
Dessert: Choux Stracciatella

The Crispy Chicken was not half bad, and Inna's Lamb was better than average. Service was fast and efficient. We enjoyed the gorgeous view of Loch Lomond from our seats in the restaurant. I saw a few people swimming, but the water must have been quite cold.

After dinner, we drove for 10 minutes south to Cameron House, a posh 5-star hotel, where we would be staying. On arrival, we unloaded our car (with help from the Cameron House staff) and checked in. The valet parked our car.

Inna had booked a Loch View room, but the first room we were assigned to was underground (with no view). We returned to the receptionist to complain, but she insisted that some part of the lake was visible. Eventually, another gentleman stepped in to help out, and we were assigned a different room (#351) with a view of a parking lot (just lovely!)

The unhelpful attitude at the very beginning and unwillingness to make it right were disappointing. We eventually received some room credit for staying in our downgraded room (but we didn't come all the way to Scotland for a view of the parking lot).

From the outside, Cameron House looks impressive and imposing. Inside, however, there are multiple levels and confusing room numbers (room numbers don't indicate which floor they are on). We got lost once while walking through the vast complex, which includes a movie theater, multiple bars, and an indoor pool. It did not appear well thought out - almost like someone haphazardly merged several buildings together.

Our room was well furnished, but with weirdnesses (like no A/C sockets in the bathroom) and a sink so low that I could not fill my electric kettle. Whoever designed the bathroom did not think about practicality at all. On the plus side, the bed was very comfortable, and we slept very well. The shower worked and the toilet flushed. There was even one bottle of water in the mini-fridge.

Cameron House is no Four Seasons (an absolute 5-star resort). After spending two days at Cameron House, I rate it as 3.5 stars (out of 5). Aquadome, a 4-star hotel in Langenfeld, Austria, is significantly superior.

My wife wrote the following review about Cameron House on TripAdvisor:

I had very high expectations for Cameron House on Loch Lomond, given its reputation as a beautiful 5-star property, but unfortunately, the experience did not fully live up to them. We had specifically booked a lake view room, so we were surprised to be escorted to a basement-level room upon arrival. While the room itself was tastefully decorated in a classic Scottish style, it was extremely dark, and the only “lake view” was through a tiny window set nearly 7 feet high — impossible to actually see the lake. We assumed there must have been a mistake, but when we raised the concern at reception, the staff member who had checked us in, Jennah, insisted that this was in fact a lake view room because of its location on the lakeside of the building. She was dismissive, unhelpful, and frankly quite unprofessional, which was a very unpleasant start to our stay. Thankfully, her colleague — a very kind and professional gentleman — stepped in to help. Since no true lake view rooms were available, he moved us to a room in the modern wing. This room faced the parking lot, so we lost the lake view we had booked, but at least it was bright, clean, and comfortably decorated. He mentioned a rate adjustment, when we settled the bill the charge for lunch at the hotel and 2 spa passes were waived. Overall, our stay was a mixed bag. Most of the personnel we encountered were warm, cheerful, and eager to help — with the exception of our first interaction with Jennah, which left a lasting negative impression. For a property that carries such high prestige (and prices), the handling of our check-in and room assignment fell well below expectations. Cameron House is undoubtedly a beautiful hotel in a stunning location, but based on our experience, it struggles to deliver the consistent 5-star service and attention to detail that guests rightfully expect.

Day Report (August 8)

Highlights