The Lodge on Loch Lomond

We were looking for a family-friendly hotel near Loch Lomond so my husband could re-live childhood holidays, introduce our children to the delights of Scotland - oh and find somewhere that would take a dog - and the Lodge on Loch Lomond fitted the bill perfectly. There are no special facilities for children (apart from an indoor pool - a must at any time of year in this part of the world:) but the staff were more than welcoming, crayons and colouring sheets came out at every meal and there was a kids' menu - though they were just as happy to make children's portions from the adults' menu - and not charge us the earth for them either. The owner, a grandpa himself, wandered round chatting and doling out advice on where to go/what to do and the whole atmosphere was welcoming and relaxed. As well as the pool there's a steam room, sauna and jacuzzi - and no restrictions on timings for children - all good for a rainy afternoon.

The location is truly stunning, right on its own private "beach" and just a few minutes walk from the village of Luss (check out the Coach House Coffee shop for great soups and cakes at lunchtime) with some pretty and accessible walks you can do right from the hotel door. There's also an activities booklet and the hotel helped organise horse riding for our 4 year old dd and even clay pigeon shooting for our 9 year old ds which he loved. We had an evening in Glasgow, about an hour away and had plans to head to the museums there, but couldn't tear ourselves away from the glorious scenery and walks around the Loch.

It only stopped raining long enough to have a few rainbows during our entire 5 day stay, but it honestly didn't spoil our holiday. We had a two bedroom suite with our own sitting room and fire, plasma TV with pay per view movies and squishy sofas - perfect for warming up and chilling out when the weather got too bad. My m in law and youngest dd plus dog had a room directly overlooking the loch and complete with its own sauna - not that you needed it, the hotel was wonderfully warm.

Food was good and served with views over the Loch and in the evening there's a cosy bar with a gazillion different whiskies to try if that's your thing. Overall a great place to stay for a relaxed family break.