On the fourth day of Christmas, the wee yin said to me…… Let's go wild in Argyll.
One of my guests this year had mentioned Portavadie Marina, and its new Campervan hook up facilities. This sounded too good to be true, and we just had to investigate. To be honest, any excuse to drive up to Argyll was good enough! Once you get around Loch Lomond and onto the A83 - when it's open - things very quickly begin to open up with huge mountains and massive lochs and best of all, it’s all only a couple of hours out of Glasgow.
We started off first thing with an eye on stopping off for coffee and a cake on the route. We had the perfect spot in mind just before the drop into Tighnabruaich where we could watch the short ferry from Rhubodach, Isle of Bute to Colintraive go back and forth. We did stop into town briefly for some van supplies and then onto the Marina.
I can’t speak highly enough of Portavadie Marina, every aspect has a wee touch of class and for me, the first impressions - the staff - are just fantastic. Really helpful and accommodating with all requests and the local hits and tips invaluable. The charging sports are on a first-come basis, and as we planned to drive around, we just checked in and then headed off on our first adventure - Ostel Beach. The weather had not really lifted that morning, so it was not with great expectation we went looking around. The beach was not the easiest to find - or we just made it hard - but we got a huge treat when the sun broke through and literally lit up the stunning white sands in the distance! Found it! Ok once we got parked, it was a roughly 2km walk to the beach. I should warn you to wear suitable shoes, it was wet underfoot and quite a marshy walk but oh so worth it. Gorgeous warm sunshine and the beach to ourselves, magical.
After the walk, we needed a quick feed and headed back into Tighnabruaich and visited the much-praised Botanica at the Barn. A great wee find. A great mix of local and seasonal products served next to the beautiful fire—what’s not to like.
The evening meal was to be back at the Marina, so we headed for a woodland/coast walk right next to the facility and watched the ferries take the short trip back and forth to Tarbet. A definite plan for our next visit.
Back to tonight and it was a refreshing change for Lorna to have a hot shower and sparkling clean toilet facilities after our walks - we had definitely won a watch here. On with our non-muddy clothes and off for a cocktail. Now don’t get the wrong impression, we love to cook up some great meals in the campervan. We have a two-ring gas cooker and gas oven, with a little prep you can create such fantastic meals - it certainly doesn’t need to be pot noodles! That said the wee yin loves her seafood and she also 100% deserved a treat after working so hard.
The meal was beautiful. Lorna took full advantage of the fresh seafood and devoured the lovely langoustine and scallops. Again, great enthusiastic staff are always happy to help. After a wee nightcap at the campervan watching the stars, we hit bed early to prepare for tomorrow and a day trip to Inverary.
Sitting on the banks of Loch Fyne Inverary is quite stunning, and you see this straight away from the wee bridge as you drive into town where you first catch a glimpse of the magnificent castle. It has probably more than most in the way of visitor attractions but is also just a great place to wander around aimlessly. Highlights have to be the jail, the Vital Spark, the Bell tower and of course the quite magnificent gothic Castle.
Freedom Fact - The 2012 Christmas episode of Downtown Abbey as partly filmed here; the castle portraying the fictional "Duneagle Castle."
We didn’t do much to be honest, in and out of local shops and just meandered along the front. Perfect.
Tonight’s meal was booked at The Oystercatcher in Otter Ferry on the road back to Portavadie. Someone had to drive, and the toss of the coin was hotly anticipated; unfortunately, I lost….again! The restaurant came recommended and pleased to say 100% bang on. Lovely staff, and with yet more fresh seafood, we happily filled our bellies. A special note to the coffee Argyll Coffee - one of the best Americanos I have had in a long time. After dinner, we had a beautiful wander along Otter Bay to walk off some of those calories. What a perfect day.
Back to the Marina, we popped in for a few drinks and wind down before heading to the campervan. The place was full and had such a great atmosphere; it was hard to leave—a real mix of people all with bright red faces from their day’s excursions and stories to share. We, however, had our eyes on the infinity pool and the Spa hahaha hardly your traditional camping trip! A nice easy start to our Sunday morning and the perfect preparation for a slow drive home.
A final note to say our full Scottish breakfast the next morning in the Marina was spot on and also reasonably priced. We would recommend it.
Argyll is such a gem; we just couldn’t do it justice over a weekend. There are so many places to discover we didn’t scratch the surface. We will 100% be back, and in particular, we can't wait to rock back into Portavadie Marina as #basecamp
