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Lodges by Loch Eck near Dunoon Argyll

A choice of 2 bedroom Lodges within the Loch Lomond & Trossachs national park. This spectacular, rural, peaceful five star location overlooks Loch Eck, Argyll less than 90 minutes drive from Glasgow, easily accessible in the winter and within walking distance of the 14th Century TV Famous “Whistlefield Inn” offering fine food and drinks. Treat yourselves to a great value holiday of relaxation, walking, fishing, golfing and bird watching in a limited choice of select privately owned Luxury Log Cabins.

This most beautiful region of Scotland is easily access able throughout the seasons and close by to numerous attractions including cosy Lochside Inns, Quad Bikes, Forest Walks and Mountain Bike Trails- and the Lodges are less than 90 minutes drive from Glasgow.

Your Accommodation Local Area Information Enquire / Book Now Local Events Calendar Local Mountain Biking Loch Eck and Fishing Fantastic Day Trips The Cowal Peninsula

The Cowal peninsula offers you “Scotland in Miniature” the most populated area of Lochs, Forest Trails, Walkways, Spectacular Scenery, Gardens, Castles and Wildlife in the whole of Scotland, all crammed into a area of just 35 x 25 miles! Making touring the attractions simple and economical, so treat yourselves to a great value holiday of Relaxation, Walking, Fishing, Golfing and Bird watching.

Why visit Argyll, Cowal and Bute?

Why not head North to Oban and Fort William? 90% of Scotland’s most appreciated tourist do just that…year after year. Yet Argyll, Cowal and Bute offer you the most populated area of lochs and walkways, spectacular scenery, botanic gardens, castles and wildlife in Scotland and because it is off the beaten tourist track, a very peaceful and relaxing place in which to stay.

The very best of Scotland in miniature and packed into an area of only 35 x 25 miles and all within 60 minutes of your Whistlefield holiday lodge.

“If you want to see all the best highlights and delights of Scotland… stay in Cowal for a week or two”

The Benmore botanic Gardens (less than 10 minutes drive away)

Discover the true beauty and history of Scotland

The Cowal peninsula and Argyll Forest Park, some 54,000 acres, offer you a wide range of sporting activities including golf, fishing, various pleasure cruises, mountain-biking, cycling, organised horse riding and of course sailing and other water-based sports. For the walker choose from Seaside / Loch side trails to Woodland forest trails through what is accepted as the most beautiful scenic area of Scotland, notably Pucks Glen, Glenbranter and the magnificent world renowned “Benmore Botanic Gardens”.

Panoramas of Loch Eck

Loch Eck and Cowal

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Magnificent Loch Eck just over 6 miles long and 67 feet above sea level, scythes through the centre of the Cowal Peninsula, surrounded by high, forested hills. The loch epitomizes Cowal – rugged and spectacular but at the same time peaceful, where you can while away the hours walking, taking in the scenery and fishing in Loch Eck for Salmon trout, the Gwyniad or fresh-water Herring and a remarkably translucent fish 4 or 5 inches long called the Goldie. Captivating Bute, once the island retreat of Scottish kings, lies at the heart of the Firth of Clyde, and is the favorite destination of the famous ‘Waverley’, the last seagoing paddle steamer in the world. The area abounds in wildlife. Seagulls, Cormorants, Gannets, Eider Ducks and Swans and Seals are frequent passers-by.

More Loch Eck Panorama in Winter, Summer and the Morning Mist

The Whistlefield Inn

Within walking distance of the Lodge is the fantastic 14th Century Whistlefield Inn with a real Open fire, inviting atmosphere and huge selection of Malt Whisky and beers. It’s world renowned restaurant has great food and the same panoramic sunset views as your own Whistlefield Lodge.

The world famous Whistlefield Inn. The Inn is full of intrigue and history and you may well hear of ancient tales of smugglers, tunnels, ghosts and even an ancient massacre during your visit to the Inn. The Inn gained its well-deserved recognition on the TV series ‘The House Detectives’. Here you can enjoy a pint, local malt or glass wine while accessing their WIFI facility.

The Coylet Inn

Also within 2 miles is the beautiful Lochside Coylet Inn. Originally called the “Loch Eck Inn” This 17th Century

Coaching Inn is right on the shores of Loch Eck and said to be the one of the prettiest in Scotland.

The Coylet Inn very popular in the CAMRA Good Beer and food guide, the INN is also famed by the many ghost buster TV series example Ghost Finders The INN welcomes anyone and everyone who wants to come and sample the fresh air and breathtaking views.

A taxi / mini bus service is available to and from the Coylet Inn from Whistlefield Lodges for couples or groups with reasonable notice Tel 01369 840426.

Activities on your doorstep or less than one hour’s travel

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There are numerous scenic forest walks and loch side trails with sign posted footpaths, in particular to Carrick Castle on the shores of Loch Goil and through the sprawling Argyll Forest Park area. There are 3 golf courses within easy reach: Blairmore and Innellan (both 9 holes) and the Cowal golf course (18 holes). Fishing and sea angling is available on your doorstep beside Loch Eck and nearby rivers for Trout, Salmon and Sea Salmon. For those wishing to cruise on Loch Eck, motor or rowing boats are available to hire.

At the south end of Cowal Toward Castle offers a residential training centre operated by Actual Reality Scotland and offers fantastic days out for bored restless children, Castle Towards outdoor education activities include catwalks and a high jump, as well as gorge walks and hill walks. The castles long history has led to a number of ghost stories. As well as outdoor education, the house is used for residential courses for young people in music and art. The Glasgow Schools’ Symphony Orchestra and West of Scotland Schools’ Symphony Orchestra visit regularly. The children’s BBC TV series Raven also use Castle Toward as a film location. You can contact Actual Reality Scotland Tel: 01369 870249 Fax: 01369 870337.

Quadmania, Dunoon

For outdoor adventure for all the family, you must visit Quadmania, just a short drive from whistlefield Lodges you can tear up the turf on quad-bikes, shoot clay pigeons in the morning then kayak secluded lochs, explore ancient gorges, take an exhilarating rib-boat ride or whatever takes your fancy in the afternoon. Quadmania will organise your dream day and all you have to do is get out there and do it. All in the stunning scenery of Argyll in Scotland.

Toward outdoor education centre, the chinese lakes and the local wildlife

In Dunoon there is an excellent new indoor swimming pool. Around the area lie quaint lochside villages. Further north is Inverary, Lochgoilhead and Oban all with extensive facilities. The Arrochar Alps… gloriously rugged peaks for the more serious hill walker, stand high above Loch Long, looking onto the ‘Rest and be Thankful’, a fine viewpoint where cattle drovers once enjoyed a well deserved break after a tough climb. To the East, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs – Scotland’s first National park.

The World Famous Benmore Botanical Gardens

The Benmore botanic gardens

The Benmore Gardens, a specialist garden of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, is a magnificent woodland garden set amidst the mountains of the Cowal Peninsula. Its 140 acres are renowned for the wide collection of trees and shrubs, which includes over 250 species of rhododendrons. One of the most spectacular views is the avenue of Giant Redwood trees (pictured below) which greets every visitor on entering the garden. Throughout there are waymarked walks, which lead to a beautiful pond and formal garden which display a wide variety of Himalayan and Oriental plants. Continue up the richly planted hill slopes, which rise to 450 feet to a dramatic viewpoint overlooking the Eachaig valley and the Holy Loch. Refreshments are available. The Botanics Shop sells a range of books, gifts and plants some of which can be found in the garden. Facilities are also provided for those less able, including wheelchairs.

The World Famous Benmore Botanical Gardens

The Pucks Glen forest and waterfall walks

Within an easy 10 minute drive from Whistlefield Lodges, you can also access Pucks Glen and a choice of 3 mouth watering woodland trails, Pet Friendly, sign posted and marked out offering a sometimes tropical rainforest feel with magnificent views from the summits. The waterfalls walk (below) features a meandering tour up the valley involving a series bridges crossing streams, cascading waterfalls and pools, particularly delightful after a strong downpour of rain!

Within 5 miles of Whistlefield the un-surpassed Pucks Glen a series of streams and waterfalls cascading down a fantastic woodland valley trail

The Glen Massan trail

In the same area as Pucks Glen and the Benmore gardens, you will also find at the end of a delightful single track trail that Glen Massan a great place to visit, particularly for fishing, leisure walkers, pet owners and those just seeking the peace and quiet. Here you can walk for miles along the easy the going river trail, there are also more challenging forest trails for the serious walkers and plenty of good places for a picnics.

The lovely Glen Massan where you can walk, picnic and fish

Fantastic day trips from Whistlefield Lodges

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The Spectacular Kyles of Bute

The spectacular Kyles of Bute as seen on television, can be easily reached in less than 1 hour from whistlefield Lodges and well worth the journey as you pass through some delightful little villages, Lochs, forest and Glens on the way there.

The spectacular Kyles of Bute (looking south towards Bute and the Firth of Clyde)

The magical Isle of Bute

Combine these most spectacular views…with a trip to the captivating Isle of Bute a beautiful little island about 15 miles long and nearly 5 miles wide and within a hours drive of Whistlefield Lodges, always a favorite day trip with much to offer with hills in the North and plenty of sandy beaches, ruined chapels and castles, yachting, fishing, golf, etc. Bute’s many gardens benefit from the Gulf Stream which gives the island a mild climate enabling palm trees and other exotic plants to grow here. One of the main visitor attractions is the spectacular Mount Stuart house and gardens. Canada hill offers the best views from this island.

Bute Castle (left) and “Mount Stuart” and it’s gardens (centre) and the short ferry crossing to the Isle of Bute (right)

Inveraray it’s castle, the old Jail, the Puffer and museum

Well worth a visit during your stay at Whistlefield and less than 50 minutes drive is the lovely town of Inveraray (Inbhir Aora in Gaelic) a former royal burgh in Argyll and Bute, located on the western shore of Loch Fyne near its head. One time traditional county town of Argyll and ancestral home to the Duke of Argyll, who founded the town in 1745, alongside his new home, Inveraray Castle. Its distinctive white buildings on the loch shore make it very photogenic and it is a very popular tourist destination, with a number of attractions in addition to the castle. The Georgian Inveraray Jail in the burgh is now a museum. Other attractions include the Argyll Folk Museum at Auchindrain. The Celtic Inveraray Cross can also been seen in the town. The Arctic Penguin ship Maritime Museum is moored at the pier, along with the Clyde puffer VIC 72, renamed Eilean Eisdeal.

Panorama of Inverary (left) the high street, the harbour, the castle and estate (right)

Oban “The Gateway to the Isles”

Just over 60 minutes drive away from Whistlefield lies the busy fishing town of Oban “The Gateway to the Isles” with supermarkets, high street stores, Shops, restaurants and Pubs.

Oban is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and occupies a beautiful setting in the Firth of Lorn. Oban Bay is a near perfect horseshoe bay, protected by the island of Kerrera, and beyond Kerrera is Mull. To the north is the long low island of Lismore, and the mountains of Morvern and Ardgour. Oban has a large Gaelic speaking population. All road and street signs are translated into the Scottish language. Attractions in Oban include the Waterfront Centre, the Cathedral of St Columba, the Oban Distillery, Dunollie Castle, Dunstaffnage Castle and McCaig’s Tower, which dominates the town’s skyline.

From here you can easily extend your day trip by taking the Calmac ferry to visit the Isle of Mull, Tobermory

(The fictional Balamory) and the sacred Isle of Iona.

Tobermory “the fictional Balamory”

Seil, Luing and Easdale Island

Approx 90 minutes drive from Whistlefield Lodges lie the delightful inner hebridean chain of 3 small Islands. Accessed via the unique and only bridge over the “Atlantic” Seil Island leads to the historic Easdale slating Island via foot ferry to the West from Ellanbeich. To the south lies the delightful island of Luing accessed via car ferry.

Easdale made famous by it’s many picture postcard appearances has a population of around 150 people and the centre of population including a village shop and Pub is based around the beautiful harbour inlet.

Luings major areas of population lie around Tobernochry and Cullipool and is accessed by a short car ferry crossing from the south of Seil Island.

The bridge over the Atlantic (left) leads to Seil, Luing (centre) and Easdale (right)

The endangered Red Squirrel

Around Whistlefield Lodges, Pucks Glen and the Cowal peninsula, you will see many of the endangered Red squirrels they have a typical head to body length of 19 to 23 a tail length of 15 to 20 cm and a mass of 250 to 340. The red squirrel is slightly smaller than the common eastern grey squirrel, unfortunately the grey squirrel is the main reason for the red squirrels decline and you will see particularly in this area of Cowal, the many measures taken to try to preserve this endangered species such as their own rope bridges and tunnels across the busier roads !

Dunoon and the Cowalfest

The highly popular October walking festival know as the Cowalfest is now firmly established as a highlight of the year in the Cowal calender, with all the walks graded and numbered. There are also cultural and social events to accompany this event, which usually last about 10 days around the middle of the month – A ‘must’ for walkers! and based around the popular capital town Dunoon, which offers all services, including 2 x supermarkets, high street shops include giftware, electrical, grocery, health. One local hospital (Dunoon general), doctor, vet. Numerous leisure facilities include crown green bowling, tennis courts, swimming baths, quad biking, golf and crazy golf. There are 2 ferry regular ferry crossings to Gourock and the Waverley Puffer calls in the summer.

Panoramas of Dunoon, the high street and square

Mountain bikes and Walking Holidays

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Along with numerous local walks, more serious walkers can sample a part / all of the Cowal way. The Cowal Way is a long distance footpath split into 6 sections, running the length of the Cowal Peninsula. It starts at Portavadie, beside Loch Fyne, and finishes in at Ardgartan, by Loch Long. It is 47 miles (75 km) long, climbing 5050 ft (1540 m) on the way. The route follows existing rights of way and public roads, most of which are extremely quiet, or cross Forestry Commission land, which includes a good deal of open hill. Access is not an issue. Fot the mountain bikers there is also the more local to where you are staying Glen Kin way an easy 6 mile / 10 Km circuit of a small glen in Cowal, Argyll that suits beginners and provides more experienced riders with optional challenges

For more information on guided walks, please contact Nikki Dayton Tel 01369 860324. You can hire bikes daily / Weekly from either Quadmania Ltd 01369 810246 Or ProAdventure Scotland 01369 707456

The highly acclaimed Loch Fyne Oster Restaurant and it’s fantastic seafood shop

Bus services to Dunoon, Inveraray and Toward from Whistlefield Lodges

If you are coming on holiday to actually take a break from driving, there is a fairly regular bus service run by West Coast Motors www.westcoastmotors.co.uk who run the 476 and 486 services between Toward, Innellan, Dunoon, Kilmun, Pucks Glen / Benmore Gardens, Whistlefield, Strachur, Loch Fyne Oyster Restaurant and Inverary.

There are 5 return trips in each direction Mondays to Saturdays and 3 return trips on Sundays from Easter to the end of October. They also operate services from Dunoon to the Isle of Bute plus a number of other destinations in Cowal.

Toward lighthouse (left and middle) and the array of wildlife living around this point 10 miles south of Dunoon

Evenings eating out

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Also within 2 miles is the beautiful Lochside Coylet Inn. Originally called the “Loch Eck Inn” This 17th Century Coaching Inn is right on the shores of Loch Eck and said to be the one of the prettiest in Scotland. The Coylet Inn very popular in the CAMRA Good Beer and food guide, the INN is also famed by the many ghost buster TV series example Ghost Finders The INN welcomes anyone and everyone who wants to come and sample the fresh air and breathtaking views.

A taxi / mini bus service is available to and from the Coylet Inn from Whistlefield Lodges for couples or groups with reasonable notice Tel 01369 840426

Alternatively the local town of Dunoon is only a short drive from your accommodation and has a selection of excellent restaurants, fast food takeaways and a new cinema. Further afield but within easy reach are a number of excellent seafood restaurants and country pubs, in particular the Coylet Inn and the renowned Loch Fyne Oyster Bar where you can sample some of the world famous oysters from the shores of Loch Fyne.

The 14th century Whistlefield Inn (Left) and the Oyster Catcher” Inn / Restaurant (Right)

Local area Information

The nearest inn and restaurant is the Whistlefield Inn www.whistlefield.co.uk Tel 01369 860440 (currently closed) approx 200 metres or so from Whistlefield lodges, the nearest Petrol station and shops are approx (5/6 miles) in either direction of the lodges. The nearest town is Dunoon (11 miles) which has shops, supermarkets, restaurants, swimming pool, Leisure Centre, cinema, doctor / vet. The nearest golf course is Strone (9 miles) Benmore Botanic gardens are just (5 miles). Boat hire and fishing permits available at the Coylet Inn approx (2 miles)

Self-Catering Lodge Accommodation

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The Loch Eck and Benmore Lodges

These Lodges enjoy the most elevated Mountain, Loch and Forest view positions. Both these 2 Bedroom Log Cabins are fully double glazed with electric heating throughout. Fully fitted kitchens include Oven / Hob and Washer / Dryer.

The Master double bedrooms enjoy lovely views and come with TV / DVD’s, ample hanging and Drawer space, Dressing tables and Infrared Sauna’s. The second Twin bedrooms have 2 twin beds and wardrobes. The Jacuzzi bathrooms provide added extra Luxury with overhead showers, Wash Basins, WC.

Living areas have sofa bed settees (for additional sleeping) 32′ Sat TV / DVD’s, and ipod Dock. Double patio doors to fully enclosed enlarged patio decking area, with Grassed Garden area. Both these Lodges have panoramic views of Loch Eck and the surrounding Forest and Mountains and include FREE WIFI.

The Heather and Thistle Lodges

Both these 2 Bedroom Log Cabins enjoy elevated positions and are fully double glazed, with electric heating throughout. Full fitted kitchens with Oven / Hob, Washer / Dryer (Heather Lodge with additional breakfast bar) Double bedroom, Twin bedroom, The bathrooms enjoy Double walk in showers with Wash Basin and WC. The enlarged living areas have Sat TV /DVD’s patio doors to decked area, with small grassed garden area. Both these Cabins have fantastic mountain and forest views. These 2 Cabins are next to each other, ideal for a larger group of up to 8 people wanting to be close together.

The Smith Lodge

Enjoys the most private aspect sitting at the foot of the Whistlefield Lodge site looking onto woodland with flat front Garden area. Fully Double glazed with electric heating throughout with full fitted kitchen with Oven / Hob, Washer / Dryer. Double bedroom, Twin Bedroom. Shower room with Wash Basin and WC. Living / Dining area with Sat TV /DVD, 2 Sofas and patio doors to decked area with the facing Mountains forming an imposing back drop.

Information covering all the Whistlefield Lodges

All have fully fitted kitchens which include Oven / Hob, Washing / Drying machine, kettle, microwave, toaster, sandwich maker, fridge, iron and ironing board, radio / cd player. Other essentials such as glasses, crockery, cutlery and a corkscrew are also provided for your convenience. Living Spaces include comfortable medium size sofas / chairs, coffee table, dining table and 4 chairs, free view Sat TV / DVD and lovely views.

Individual lodges are only available on first come first serve basis. The Lodges with the Loch views tend to book out first (often 12 months or more in advance) you will be advised when enquiring which lodge is / lodges are available for your exact requirements.

This is a special holiday suiting only those who wish to escape, relax and see Scotland in its true beauty. These cosy cedar wood Log Cabins are accessed via single track road just a short walk away from the Whistlefield Inn offering you comfortable accommodation with all modern Luxury surrounded by wooded hillside teaming with wildlife from Red squirrel, Roe Deer, Stag and hundreds of wild birds. The Lodges offer stunning views over Loch Eck to the imposing mountains and surrounding valley.

Regret for safety reasons and Scottish law no smoking inside the lodges please

The Red Squirell – Eagles – Buzzards and Red Deer / Stag are also local residents around Whistlefield Lodges