This was a delightful and scenic 1 hour cruise on Loch Lomond which is a quite large loch near the…read morecity of Glasgow. In fact it is Great Britain's largest loch in terms of surface area. The waters were very smooth. Along the way, the cruise captain also played and sang the famous song that honors Scotland and this loch - "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond" They have a small bar on board and we were treated to a nice hot chocolate. It was a bit misty and foggy, but still perfectly scenic and well, it is October in Scotland.

An interesting castle to visit. Lots to see inside, and some insights into family life there…read more Interesting architecture - and stunning views of the Sound of Mull and across to Morvern. It's well worth taking the time to view the gardens - not forgetting the many sculptures. But the best part of the Torosay experience for me was getting there - as Mull Little Railway goes from Craignure Pier direct to Torosay. So that makes it easy to visit Torosay Castle on a day trip from Oban. I would say it's worth visiting Torosay but it's not one of these historic buildings that you can visit over and over again - once you've seen it, you've seen it.

Just to let everyone know Torosay Castle was sold in 2012 and is now closed to the public and the…read morebuilding is or will now function as a private residence for a Swiss family. If any change will keep this site informe

This small ruin was not on the map and quite difficult to find. After a lightning strike where the…read moreroof was destroyed the Scottish Commission for restoration invested some money to present the ruin in a safe fashion perched on top of a small island. It is definitely a picturesque vision!

Great local history museum. It's housed in an old 16th century building. There's collections from…read morevarious stages of the area's history. It has several small buildings with pieces in them. Watch for the low, very low doors into some buildings.

Did a bit of a sightseeing drive that day and decided to stop by this Church. We've been in the…read morearea a few times before, but never visited this place. It's beautifully located at the Loch, right beside the A85. It was a busy day, but we managed to get a parking spot right by the church. There's street parking as well, but with the traffic going on it's good to have a chance to park on the offical (small) lot. It was built in 1881-6; and substantially extended from 1906 to 1914. Designed by the architect Walter Douglas Campbell. There are three chapels inside. One for me was especially interesting: The Bruce Chapel contains a carved wood and alabaster effigy of Robert the Bruce. We did spend more time than we've actually planned. It was just a very stunning place to take in. The architecture with all its detail, the couryard, the park, the views. It's a really amazing and impressive church. Even though well visited, I was still baffled that it isn't even more famous. Not that I did mind...overflowing with visitors it might be less impressive. But I just mean it does deserve a bit more spotlight. Donations are welcome, since there's no entrance fee. Dogs on leash are welcome outside on the grounds. There's also a little Café right next to - with toilets. Surely a beautiful place to visit when in the area.

This beautiful church is open to the public for no charge. Toss them a donation on the way out if…read moreyou like.

Hill House is one of the most approachable of Mackintosh's buildings, as it is one you can relate…read moreto on a very human scale. It was a commission for a family home, and consequently it's not as large as some of his other works. What is so astonishing is how contemporary the rooms still look today, a testament to the enduring quality of Mackintosh's designs. The highlight for me is the downstairs lounge with its large window alcove - it's just a fantastic room to be in and really demonstrates that first and foremost, this was a family home that was meant to be lived in. The boy's bedroom with its under-stair toy cupboard-cum-den is also great. How I would have loved a room like that as a child! The upstairs rooms are largely given over to Trust displays and exhibitions about the house, Mackintosh and his work. The displays about the choices of shapes and colours used are particularly interesting and give an insight into the design ethos that underlies all of Mackintosh's work - an approach that today we could call nothing less than holistic. There are two NT shops as well, one selling (as you would expect) Mackintosh-themed designs; the other more select artisanal and designer wares.

Students of art history will enjoy this place. Certainly is it shows off the style to good effect…read more Pretty but impractical and eventually there is just too much of a good thing and it can leave you a little jaded. Standard NTS prices and these are quite exciting at £9 a head.

Can't say enough about my wonderful stay at this 400 year old castle. It exceeded my expectations…read more The castle is absolutely magnificent. The rooms are spacious and well appointed. They have spared no expense in joining modern comforts wth historic charm. Love the several hidden stairways the hosts will show you. They start the fireplace every evening. Wonderful atmosphere to sip in a whisky and relax. The city of Oban just 15 minutes away is the most charming and all around best village I visited while in Scotland. Add Oban and the Barcaldine Castle to your. "Must do" list for Scotland.

Abbie and Daniel are amazing hosts who lovingly take care of this castle. What a gem - this was our…read morefavorite place we stayed while traveling in the UK in January 2019. Abide and Daniel picked us up and dropped us off from the bus stop that's just a bit too far to walk from in a reasonable amount of time. They were so warm and welcoming, they are really great people. They accommodated us so nicely on their last night of being open for the year before the castle's yearly break in service. We felt like we had the whole castle to ourselves - we practically did! Just sitting by the fire in the main dining hall and sipping a dram was dreamy. Look up the history of this castle if you intend on going - it's fascinating! Breakfast wa superb and the best 'full scottish' we got on our trip. Thank you Abbie and Daniel!

I went to the first connect in 2007 and it's understandable that there may have been a few teething…read moreproblems that year. As a whole though I would say that this was a fairly enjoyable experience although it's not quite on the mark. I drove there and while it is a lovely drive it took the best part of two hours to get from Glasgow to Inveraray on the Saturday morning, a lot of the road is single carriageway and if there are any problems on the road, land slips a possibility, it can mean a long de-tour. We arrived in good time to face the car park, large uneven grassy fields with some boarding down to stop it getting too muddy, where fortunately I was directed to park in a space fairly near the festival site end, but if it had been at the far end I would have had a bit of a trek. I had brought walking boots and wellies with me, thankfully I decided on the wellies for mud was the order of the day, I was warm and water resistant and ready for the 20-minute walk uphill along a very muddy path. I was walking fairly quickly up something that could pass as mudslide, along the way I passed a lot of people who hadn't realised they were going to the west of Scotland in early autumn, people with daft shoes and dragging trolley cases though the mud. Once at the festival site, passing the campsite on the way, the ground didn't seem too bad, but this is the Duke of Argyll's garden so I think he's got the drainage sorted. The main stages are quite far apart but and there is plenty of space to wander about, with the remaining ground punctuated with other smaller attractions, tents and the all important food stands. The food here was fantastic such a good range and pretty good quality too; there were that many choices and virtually no queues.

This first ever Connect Music Festival was held in the grounds of Inverary Castle at the end of…read moreAugust 2007. The lineup boasted big names like Bjork, Primal Scream and the Beastie Boys along with a lot of smaller and more 'leftfield' acts. This resulted in an enthusiastic crowd that were there for the music rather than the ned fest that T in the Park has become over the years Food was also a big hit at this festival with stalls being staffed by local producers selling oysters, mussels and organic burgers. Much better than your usual festival filth for much the same amount of cash. Camping was hit or miss depending on where you got your pitch. It was a pretty wet summer The week running up to the festival was no exception and the ground showed it. Whilst we stayed relatively dry others complained of camping in a bog. It's also worth pointing out that the hike from car park to campsite is a good 15 minutes up hill. Start your training early if you are planning on taking a big carry out. All in all a great success for this wee festival in its first year. I've deducted a star due to their move to a slightly more commercial line-up for 2008.