50 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 WEEKEND dst.co.

uk DARLINGTON & STOCKTON TIMES

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 disastrous battle
of Culloden in 1746. Its one
of the most romantic tales in
Scottish history. The char-
ismatic 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 eventu-
ally escaped to France. They
never met again. The story
was immortalised by the writ-
er 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
Travel
Dramatic scenery, history and
wildlife were abundant as Gerry
and Jacinta Crowe explored the
West of Scotland from a base
acclaimed as the most roman-
tic hotel in Scotland
London I was quite a
celebrity.
Speaking of romance, the base
for the short 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.
The Armoury Room at Inveraray Castle
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
the beginning of the 20th
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
Ardanaiseig
boat trip from Oban. We
Century, with fabulous use of
light, space and the coloured
glass art he was famous for.
Fans of Downton Abbey may
Christian community in the
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
sampled the wildlife-rich
island of Mull, and on Iona
stands the abbey where St
Columba established a
Sixth Century. We enjoyed a
glorious walk from the ferry
landing to the white sands of
Columbas Bay, where the
saint is said to have landed
after a perilous journey from
Ireland 1,450 years ago.
Another must-see destination
is the uninhabited island of
Staffa, where volcanic activity
created the astounding
cathedral-like structure of
Fingals Cave inspiration for
composer Mendelssohn. The
day we went it was calm and
sunny and we were able to
walk right into the cave.
Afterwards, we walked along
the grassy cliffs for an

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
You get to Ardanaiseig by
leaving the main 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
Travel facts
castles, the mighty stronghold
of the MacDougalls was built
before 1240 on a huge rock
Ardanaiseig Hotel, Kilchrenan by Taynuilt, Argyll, PA35 1HE, above the Firth of Lorn.
Scotland Captured by Robert the Bruce
in 1308, the castle remained in
There are 16 bedrooms, with prices starting at 185 per night, royal hands until 1469, when it
plus separate accommodation in The Boatshed, the hotels passed to the Campbell earls of
bridal suite situated on the loch shore, and a self-catering Argyll. Tucked away in the
cottage trees nearby is the 13th
Century Dunstaffnage Chapel.
Call 01866-833333 or email hello@ardanaiseig.com If you have time, embark on a
unforgettable close-up view of
the islands puffin colony.
n Ardanaiseig has received
an award for outstanding
service from price comparison
Website gohotels.com. The
award is presented to
establishments that
consistently achieve high
customer ratings for
cleanliness, facilities, location,
rooms and service.