Every once and a while, city life can get a bit much and if, you're anything like me, you’ll crave some fresh, countryside air.
Living in Glasgow, it’s easy to forget just how fortunate we are in terms of
geography (yes, geography). The capital and one of the best cities in the world
is just 50 miles away. One of the most
romantic places in the UK, the Lake District, can be reached in under two
hours. And one of the world’s most
beautiful Loch’s (and my happy place) can be discovered in just an hour’s
drive. It’s time to make the most of having access to so many fabulous
destinations so to kick it off, last month, Liam and I took up the offer to visit a quaint
hotel perched on the edge of Loch Lomond, in the charming little town of St
Fillan’s.
A BEAUTIFUL AUTUMN DAY
On route to St Fillan’s it was clear we’d struck the weather jackpot. The sun was splitting in the sky and the temperatures had reached above 15 degrees – it was perfect. On arrival to The Four Seasons, we were greeted with a warm welcome, but what I was most impressed with was just how welcome our little pug, Indie. We’ve taken Indie to a few hotels in the past but I can say without doubt that the staff at The Four Seasons took doggy welcomes to the next level. We were informed that our little baby could even join us for dinner AND breakfast. If you’ve got a dog of your own, you’ll appreciate how rare this is!
A PERFECT SUNSET
All checked in, we decided to head straight out and explore
St Fillan’s while the sun was still shining bright. We never actually made it into the little
town but instead stuck to the loch edge, exploring forest walks, stumbling
across tree swings and stopping to take pictures. Lots of pictures!
With the sun beginning to dip, we headed back to our hotel
to get ready for dinner. Putting my makeup on in front of our HUGE window that
looked directly onto the loch, I noticed the sun setting behind the hills
quicker than I expected. I grabbed Liam, Indie and the camera and we headed
down to the little dock and captured some of my favourite pictures of recent.
You honestly can’t beat a sunset picture!
TASTING THE GRUB
Dinner time now and we were suitably starving and ready to stuff our faces! We’d read a little about the Tarken Bar & Bistro on Tripadvisor before we headed up so knew were in for some good food. For starters, we shared the Chicken and Haggis Croquettes. I’m not one to choose haggis but these were actually super tast. For mains, we chowed down the Traditional Burger in a Brioche Bun with double (or was it triple) cooked chips. TAST-Y. With little room left to spare but just enough, we ordered some desert and by desert, I mean cheese and crackers for me (LOL) and cheesecake for Liam. Full to the brim and a little tipsy from prosecco, we called it a night and headed back to our room.
Unfortunately, we had plans the next afternoon so couldn’t stay around to enjoy more of the area but we did have time to enjoy breakfast (yes, more food) before we departed and a brisk walk in the foggy weather. Again, breakfast was super tasty and set us up for the day ahead.
One thing I truly loved about St Fillan’s was how laid back the community was. Walking Indie down the road at 9am felt more like 6am with not a soul in sight and just the occasional car passing by. The Four Seasons echoes just that feeling with cosy fireplaces and the cutest library nook that would be the ideal spot to get lost in a book.
If you’re looking for a cosy, welcoming and homely place to stay with unbeatable views of Loch Lomond, The Four Seasons is just the place. I could only imagine how beautiful this place would be in the winter and would make a great Christmas getaway.
Thanks again to the staff at The Four Seasons for inviting us to stay and experience the beautiful St Fillan’s. We hope to be back one day soon.
xoxo
