Cameron Lodges - Loch Lomond | Mum In The Madhouse

Cameron Lodges – Loch Lomond

Holidaying with mardy tweens can be a challenge especially when you have a husband that would rather pull teeth that sit and watch them in the swimming pool all the time.  It is a really difficult age when they become selfish and do not see why they should be taken to museums and such and want to have “fun” on holiday, well at least mine do.  So we didn’t set off with too high expectations for our 3-night break at Cameron Lodges on Loch Lomond.  I was just hoping for a change of scenery and the possibility that the boys might stop bickering for a little while.

We stayed in a beautifully appointed 2 bedroom lodge on the Carrick Estate overlooking a lake on the Carrick Golf Course, a 2-minute drive from the Cameron House Hotel and other lodges.  The lodges really are five star and spotlessly clean.  They come with all the mod cons including TV’s, coffee maker, dishwasher, microwave, fridge, freezer, washer/dryer and free wifi.  We loved the fact that the 2 bedroom lodge we stayed in was “topsy turvy” with the bedrooms downstairs and an open plan living area upstairs where the balcony made the most of the truly spectacular views over the neighbouring lake.

The boys were happy that the lodge (and estate) had wifi as it meant they could keep up to date with the cricket, however, for the majority of the holiday we unplugged.  It was great to watch them get back to nature and not be sat with their heads in a tablet.

The Estate has so many activities to offer alongside an amazing swimming pool with a slide which the boys loved, in fact, they spent time in it each and every day. I loved the fact that we didn’t have to take towels as you were given them at the leisure facilities reception desk.

There are so many activities on offer and the boys were delighted to find that they were now big enough (and heavy enough) to have a Segway safari (£45 per adult and £30 per child for an hour).

This was a highlight for both them and MadDad – he had the biggest smile on his face when he came back and they all raved about it for the rest of the holiday.  The safari took them around the Cameron Estate and they learned more about it.  I watched them whilst having a pot of tea from the Loch-side terrace on the Great Scot’s Bar.

There was also a great selection of supervised children’s activities on offer from swimming to cooking but as this was the first break of the summer for MadDad we decided to spend it together.  You can also hire mountain bikes from £20 per person per day, which was great.

Maddad and Mini also did a bat walk with Jenny the sites Conservation Manager (It was £10 each) which they both loved.  They went out just before dusk and learned all about the bats on the estate and used a bat detector to locate them.  They loved it so much they went out with Maxi the following evening to show him and find more.

After reading about Susan and her family holiday at Cameron Lodge we were keen to have a cruise on the Celtic Warrier, so I decided to book and pay for it and I am so glad that I did.  It was both informative and exhilarating and the boys had the best time captaining and driving the boat under the watchful eye of the real captain! Plus you really do get a different perspective on the loch when viewed from the water.

I think you can tell by the smiles on their faces just how much they enjoyed it.  It was a real treat for them and us.

Sometimes when you do to a five-star hotel and complex you do worry about eating as a family, however, Cameron Lodges have this covered too.  We ate at The Boat House and the food was amazing and the atmosphere great.  It wasn’t stuffy at all and it was brilliantly served for children.  My two ate from the adult’s menu, but there were lots of happy children in the restaurant.  We opted for fish and seafood and as a family, we had sea bass, mussels, prawns and fish and chips.

The fact that the lodge was so well equipt made self-catering a dream.  I made a lasagne before we went and we cooked that in the oven one night and we cooked an Indian the other.  It really gave us a taste for open plan living where we can all connect and communicate whilst cooking.

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is such a beautiful area.  It was truly magical even in the rain and mist.  We all fell in love with the area and could have spent a lot longer exploring and doing activities. After all that fresh air the beds provided the perfect night sleep.  One of the other real benefits of a lodge, when you have a family, is you can put the kids to bed and make the most of the rest of your evening.

This really was the perfect getaway for all of us before the start of the new school year and Senior School starting for Mini.  Being able to breathe in the fantastic scenery and just enjoy each others company was the tonic we needed after a soggy summer.

A visit to Cameron Lodges - Loch Lomond. The perfect holiday for all the family including those difficult to please tweens.

Disclosure: We were provided with a free three-night break in a two-bedroom lodge, a Segway safari for three and dinner for us all at The BoatHouse.

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