SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2017 The Northern Echo 19 20 The Northern Echo SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2017

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5 pages of
fantastic
destinations
Dunstaffnage
Castle,
near Oban,
where Flora
Dramatic scenery, history and wildlife were abundant as Gerry and Jacinta Crowe explored the MacDonald
was held
West of Scotland from a base acclaimed as the most romantic hotel in Scotland prisoner in
1746

Right,
Inverary
Castle and
its armoury
room

Oban road, going six miles along the

single track route to Kilchrenan, then
another four miles on an even narrower
road to your destination but its worth
it. We encountered a grey heron on the
road, and saw deer grazing on the hotel
lawns, as well as a crazy hare that darted
in and out of sight as we ate dinner. And,
despite some portents of doom referring
to Scotland in August beside water, we
had no bother with midgies.
Built in 1834, Ardanaiseigs rooms are
furnished with antiques provided by its
owner, a London art dealer. Many of the
paintings are talking points, particularly
a reworked once stuffy Victorian
boardroom scene. The faces have been
changed into celebrities including Mick
Jagger, Frank Sinatra and Rod Stewart.
There are acres of grounds for couples to
explore, narrow woodland walks and
trails to Loch Awe. There are also boats to
make expeditions to a nearby island.
Although its perfectly possible to drive
there in a day its about 270 miles from
Darlington we broke our journey once
we got beyond Glasgow, where our
adventure in Argyll and Bute got under
way. The main road takes you past Loch
Lomond, but we took a detour on a
quieter route to Helensburgh. One of its
main claims to fame apart from the
Faslane Navy nuclear submarine base
further up the Gareloch, is The Hill
House, which used to be owned by Walter
Blackie, of the famous publishing family.
This is an amazing place, designed by
Charles Rennie Mackintosh at the
beginning of the 20th Century, with
fabulous use of light, space and the
coloured glass art he was famous for.
Fans of Downton Abbey may recognise
the magnificent Gothic-style Inveraray
Castle on the shores of Loch Fyne. The
ancestral home of the Duke of Argyll and
seat of the Clan Campbell, it was built in
the 18th Century, but its present
splendour came as a result of a fire in
1877, after which a third floor and conical
roofs on the corner towers were added.
The castle was featured in the ITV period
dramas 2012 Christmas special.
Dunstaffnage Castle dates back much
further into Scottish history, and well
before it played its part in the story of
Bonnie Prince Charlie. One of the oldest
Scottish castles, the mighty stronghold of
the MacDougalls was built before 1240 on TRAVEL
a huge rock above the Firth of Lorn. FACTS
Captured by Robert the Bruce in 1308, the
castle remained in royal hands until 1469, n Ardanaiseig
when it passed to the Campbell earls of Hotel,
Argyll. Tucked away in the trees nearby Kilchrenan
is the 13th Century Dunstaffnage Chapel. by Taynuilt,
If you have time, embark on a boat trip Argyll, PA35
from Oban. We sampled the wildlife-rich 1HE, Scotland
island of Mull, and on Iona stands the There are 16
abbey where St Columba established a bedrooms,
Christian community in the Sixth with prices
Century. We enjoyed a glorious walk from starting at
the ferry landing to the white sands of 185 per night,
Columbas Bay, where the saint is said to plus separate
have landed after a perilous journey from accommodation
Ireland 1,450 years ago. in The
Another must-see destination is the Boatshed, the
uninhabited island of Staffa, where hotels bridal
volcanic activity created the astounding suite situated on
cathedral-like structure of Fingals Cave the loch shore,
inspiration for composer Mendelssohn. and a self-
The day we went it was calm and sunny catering cottage
and we were able to walk right into the n Call 01866-
cave. Afterwards, we walked along the 833333 or
grassy cliffs for an unforgettable close-up email hello@
view of the islands puffin colony. ardanaiseig.com

Luxury: Ardanaiseig is in a beautiful setting

A bonnie getaway
I
WASNT in love with Bonnie Prince
Charlie. That was the startling
revelation made to me just a day or
two into our Scottish break from
none other than Flora MacDonald herself.
We were at Dunstaffnage Castle, near Oban,
where Flora was held prisoner after playing
her heroic part in the escape of the Young
Pretender following his defeat in the disas-
trous battle of Culloden in 1746. Its one of
the most romantic tales in Scottish history.
The charismatic Jacobite leader who would
be king on the run in the Outer Hebrides
with a 30,000 price on his head helped
during his flight by a dutiful young lassie. He
took a boat ride to Skye disguised as a maid,
accompanied by Flora, where they then went
their separate ways and he eventually es-
Dramatic:
Fingals
Cave on
Staffa, where
visitors can
go puffin
spotting
Picture:
Gerry Crowe
caped to France. They never met again. The
story was immortalised by the writer of the
famous Skye Boat Song more than 130 years
ago with its familiar lines:
Speed bonny boat like a bird on the wing,
Onward the sailors cry.
Carry the lad thats born to be King,
Over the sea to Skye.
The Flora who tells me this tale inside the
remains of Dunstaffnage is a re-enactment
actress bringing the story to life for tourists
this summer. Flora only agreed to help, Im
told, because she was a MacDonald. The
strong sense of duty comes with being a
member of the clan, so she went along with
the plan. There was no romance, said
Flora. It was expected of me so I did it.
Afterwards, I was held prisoner here for a
week and made to tell everything about the
incident to my captors. Then I was taken to
London I was quite a celebrity.
Speaking of romance, the base for the short
Many of the paintings are talking points,
particularly a reworked once stuffy Victorian
boardroom scene. The faces have been changed
into celebrities including Mick Jagger, Frank
Sinatra and Rod Stewart
break I enjoyed with my wife is highly
acclaimed in that respect. Ardanaiseig is a
luxury hotel in a beautiful, remote setting on
the shores of Loch Awe. It was voted
Scotlands Most Romantic Hotel for five years
by both the Good Hotel Guide and the
Scottish Hotel Awards. And a little later, as
we sipped champagne and nibbled oysters in
the comfortable bar before a wonderful
dinner, neither of us felt like disagreeing.
It is a popular venue for weddings. Its
honeymoon suite is a boathouse set away
from the main house, right on the lochside.
For whisky aficionados, Ardanaiseig has a
very useful little book containing all the
many whiskies available to sample. I confess
I could not deny myself a wee dram to follow
the divine food we enjoyed. We stayed in
Tervine, a lovely room with a brilliant view
of the loch and the hills behind.
You get to Ardanaiseig by leaving the main
Continues over