Thanks to our most sauve and sophisticated British spy Scotland was dubbed the world’s top tourist destination for 2013. Our bookings this year have certainly reflected the increased desire for people to explore James Bond’s ancestral home.
The Bond movie Skyfall shows James battling his nemesis amid stunning highland countryside and was one of the reasons a US broadcasting giant chose Scotland ahead of a list of exotic places.
CNN Travel said scenes in the Bond movie Skyfall would have film-goers leaving the cinema wishing “they could race through Scotland’s dramatic countryside”. Along with the animated film “Brave” there has been plenty of Scottish images on the big screen to entice those looking for a special vacation.
A feature published on the broadcaster’s website said: “Scotland has seen fit to dub 2013 the “Year of Natural Scotland”, and what better time to do it?
CNN highlighted the myriad of outdoor events taking place in Scotland in 2013, including the Open Championship golf tournament in July and the Scottish Food and Drink Fortnight in September.
We have experienced an increase in North American guests looking for quality vacation rentals in Scotland this year, and speaking recently to the owner of a 5 star wedding venue on Loch Goil they too have experienced a similar increase in overseas bookings and enquiries.
Why not come and explore the beauty, history and excitement of Scotland and stay with family and friends in a fairy tale Scottish vacation rental?
Loch Goil is the secret gem in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. It is just over an hour from the busy city of Glasgow but feels like you are a million miles away from urban life. Six miles away from any ‘A’ roads all you hear are the sounds of nature and feel the pure clean sea air blowing up the loch.
Loch Goil is one of the sea lochs branching off the Clyde Estuary. The sea lochs are valleys carved out by glaciers in the last Ice Age. This is what gives Loch Goil its Norwegian fjord look, surrounded by steep sided mountains and forests.
It is a place to enjoy Scotland’s nature at its best. The loch has its own seal colony, and is visited by porpoises and even the occasional whale. Oyster catchers, shags, guillemots and gannets are just some of the sea birds to be seen, and lucky folk may spot buzzards or even elusive golden eagles. Red squirrels abound in the Argyll Forest park around the loch, pine martens visit residents’ bird tables and deer are commonly seen. There are stunning waterfalls to be found on the burns that run into the loch and there are paths and walks around the area to suit walkers of all ages and abilities.
The loch has been a popular holiday destination for those ‘in the know’ for many years. Before cars there were steamers that carried holiday makers to the settlements of Lochgoilhead and Carrick Castle and of course brought supplies to the residents. Today the loch is still visited by the famous Waverley Steamer, the last sea going paddle steamer in the world.
This location has long had a significant place in Scottish history with the castle in ‘Carrick Castle’ receiving a royal visit from Mary Queen of Scots in the 1600’s.
Today Loch Goil provides an exclusive holiday destination for anyone looking for stunning scenery, tranquillity, an array of outdoor activities and great tourist facilities. On the loch is one of Scotland’s most impressive wedding venues, The Lodge on Loch Goil. If you have seen any of the recent ‘Visit Scotland’ adverts you will have seen The Lodge’s stunning Tree House. Within the glen is the Drymsynie Holiday Village, home to a large indoor pool and jacuzzi, indoor bowls, an ice rink and a nine hole golf course with lovely loch views.
There are two outdoor activity centres so that visitors can experience anything from rock climbing to burn running. Fishermen find pollock, cod, mackerel and more in the loch and can hire both boats and rods within the glen. Cyclists have a choice of safe forestry tracks to choose from.
In Lochgoilhead village the friendly local pub The Goil Inn provides a good atmosphere, bar meals and weekend entertainment. The Shore House Inn, just beyond has award winning real ale and a highly regarded restaurant serving local produce and home-made pizzas.
To see photographs of Loch Goil and the surrounding area visit our photo gallery. If you’d like a holiday or short break on Loch Goil book with us direct.
Rhumhor has many features which make it both a unique and interesting loch-side house and one of these is definitely the spacious and comfortable family room. This was part of a very large extension added to the house in the 1920’s when Glasgow architect Magnus Duncan made a number of unusual improvements to the original Victorian villa.
The family room has a high vaulted ceiling and an impressive 500ft2 floor area. The architect also included a large circular bay containing French windows that opened out onto a tennis court flanked by hedges and an orchard beyond.
The Duncan family sold Rhumhor in the early thirties to the Palmer family. Their children grew up at Rhumhor and they have never forgotten the house and the times they spent as a family in this room.
At that time the room had a chimney and fireplace on the back wall and the family installed a free standing fire box. There was no electricity to Carrick Castle so the room was lit with paraffin lamps however when electricity was installed beautiful copper Arts and Crafts pendant lights were hung which are still in use today. During the war there was no petrol either so the tennis court outside the family room was cut using a manual push roller mower – no easy task!
After the Palmer family sold Rhumhor in the late1940’s the house had a number of different owners. At some point land belonging to the house was sold and the orchard became the garden for a new neighbouring house. The tennis court was not preserved and it became the side lawn. At one time the family room was partitioned off into a two bedroom apartment, complete with shower room, lounge and kitchen. The owners prior to us took down the partition walls and returned it to one big room, using it as a multipurpose living area. They added a large outside decking area.
When we purchased Rhumhor we felt we had the perfect opportunity to provide self catering guests visiting Loch Goil with a comfortable and unique room for family gatherings, fun and entertainment. We installed the 8ft slate bed pool table, comfortable sofas, a flat screen TV, Sky TV and entertainment equipment such as a Wii and Ipod dock. The new double glazed windows added in 2012 really enhance the views over Loch Goil and the gardens, as well as providing modern insulation with traditional style.
Initially the room had one radiator so we fitted two further central heating radiators and this year we added a living flame cast iron stove. It provides the room with independent on/off heating and a cosy glow that is the perfect finishing touch for a relaxing evening in.
We are delighted at the feedback from our guests who tell us how much they love the family room. They enjoy the chance to come together in one room, play games, celebrate birthdays, chat, watch films and play pool tournaments. At Christmas we love decorating the room with a large tree, knowing that everyone will be gathering round to unwrap presents.
The history of the room is clearly rooted in family entertainment and we look forward to it being the place on Loch Goil that families and friends gather together for many years to come.
There are 5000 self catering properties in Scotland so we are immensely proud to announce that Rhumhor Holiday Lodge has been selected to feature in the guide to the 100 best Self Catering properties in Scotland.
Properties are chosen for being interesting, comfortable, welcoming and luxurious. It’s a completely independent guide to the very best Scottish Self-Catering holiday cottages compiled by Veronon Ballantine, who has had many years experience in Scottish tourism. He has been a business adviser for the Scottish Tourist Board, Visit Scotland, and has advised hundreds of self caterers throughout the past 10 years.
You can search the guide by area or by different characters such as coastal cottages, loch-side houses, large holiday homes or pet friendly properties. It is the ideal website for anyone looking for a special holiday property and we are looking forward to welcoming guests that have found Rhumhor via the guide.
It’s a common misconception that you have to travel for hours north of Glasgow to reach the stunning scenery of the Scottish Highlands. In fact the boundary between the Scottish Lowlands and Highlands is just 30 minutes from Glasgow, dissecting the famous Loch Lomond. This ‘border’is the Highland Boundary fault line which runs from the Ise of Arran on the west coast across to Stonehaven in the east.
The fault was active millions of years ago and was an intrinsic part of the land movement that shaped the familiar highland views we so cherish today.
In Loch Lomond the boundary line is marked by loch islands and when you drive out of Glasgow and begin your journey to the highlands it is not hard to see the divide in the land and the loch. Around the southern point of Loch Lomond the countryside is marked by pleasant rolling hills however as you travel up the side of the loch the views are quickly dominated by more craggy mountains and far wilder looking scenery. The chain of islands stretching across the loch is visible and forms a very clear pattern when viewed from above.
This beautiful scenery is the cornerstone of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park which is easily the most accessible area of the Scottish Highlands. The park was the first national park in Scotland and thousands of people visit each year to enjoy the highland mountains, lochs, forests and hospitality. Within the park are twenty one Munros (mountains over 3000ft), twenty two fresh water lochs, three sea lochs and two forest parks.
Rhumhor Holiday Lodge overlooks the sea loch ‘Loch Goil’ within the Argyll Forest Park which sits in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Just over an hour from Glasgow, it provides the opportunity to stay in a high quality self catering house and explore the magnificent Highlands of Scotland
It’s fantastic to see Loch Goil featured on the new Visit Scotland advert introducing Year of Natural Scotland 2013. The last image on the advert is the tree house at the wonderful wedding venue, The Lodge, a short distance from Rhumhor.
As we tidy away the turkey and tinsel and enjoy the lull before the New Year celebrations start it is a great time to think about the kind of holiday you want in 2013.
With life at such a fast pace it is hard to find somewhere where you can really relax, away from the hum drum of work and the busy pace of town or city. Here at Rhumhor you’ll find exactly that. This is a place of peace and calm, somewhere to enjoy stunning views and the sounds of nature while just a stone’s throw from activities galore.
The house is in the hamlet of Carrick Castle, near the pretty village of Lochgoilhead. It has the enviable position of being close to many activities but feeling like it is away from the world. Lochgoilhead has a leisure centre with pool, golf course, ice skating rink, pitch and putt, outdoor activities centre, bike hire, boat hire, fishing tackle hire and wildlife canoe trips. It has great places to eat and drink and a real welcoming feel.
In Carrick Castle itself you can explore numerous trails along the loch or into the mountains. Investigate the history of the castle and enjoy spotting seals, an array of sea birds and maybe even a golden eagle.
At the end of the day you can enjoy a meal out or cook a feast in the fully equipped self catering kitchen, letting the dishwasher do the work afterwards. Our unique family room was once the tennis pavilion and is big enough to house a large pool table and comfy chesterfield sofas and chairs for all to sit on. For those that would like a little time to themselves, the large sofas in the drawing room will embrace you as you enjoy the flames in the log burner, or you can enjoy the reading area on the half landing.
Rhumhor is the perfect large holiday home to enjoy with family and friends in 2103. We look forward to welcoming you.
Tomorrow our guests will arrive to enjoy the comfort, festive feel and stunning scenery of Rhumhor for the Christmas week. Rhumhor is a house which really lends itself to the festive period, with its log burners, period style and the amazing family room where everyone can get together for their family celebrations.
We take great pride in decorating the public rooms at Rhumhor. This year sees our new festive arch in the family room, a beautiful 8ft arch shaped tree, fully decorated and twinkling with fairy lights. The drawing room has an art deco theme, in homage to the era which played such an important part in the way Rhumhor looks today. The drawing room tree echos the style and colours of the room and is the perfect backdrop to a peaceful gathering in front of the wood burner.
The dining room plays a key role on Christmas day and is where you hold your Christmas feast overlooking the lochs and mountains. Its oriole window houses its own Christmas tree and silver candle sticks adorn the tartan clad table.
Food is such an important part of Christmas and you’ll find some wonderful treats available locally. Pop into the Loch Fyne Oyster Farm shop to buy local fish and shell fish, local meat and an array of treats and goodies. At Inveraray visit the Loch Fyne Whisky shop and pick the perfect dram for festive cheer and don’t forget a visit to the Christmas shop and the deli. If you love a good ale then we have an award winning brewery at Loch Fyne Ales, at their brewery tap you try the ales before you pick one to bring back.
If you’d like to eat out, try the Shore House Inn for excellent food with stunning views or the village local The Goil Inn, both in Lochgoilhead. There are many other lovely pubs and restaurants within the area, just look at our section on dining on the website.
We are delighted that families enjoy a special Christmas at Rhumhor Holiday Lodge and we look forward to welcoming many more over the years.
Christmas at Rhumhor does book out quickly, so if you’d like to book for Christmas 2013 do get in touch.
Last week we completed an exciting new renovation project at Rhumhor, the installation of double glazing throughout, ensuring our guests are even cosier this winter.
Many of the original windows that were in the property when we purchased it were painted shut, damaged by lack of maintenance and, once we had freed them from the paint, still rather awkward to open. Many were still single glazed.
As part of our mission to continously improve our guest experience we have now have all windows in the lodge converted to double glazing, with beautiful new double glazed sash windows and georgian windows.
The bay in the family room now sports a fabulous new set of French doors and our iconic turrets have been reclad and are looking as fine as they day they were added to Rhumhor in the 1920′s. For all those princesses out there, it’s the ideal chance to sit in your turret and look down upon your prince!
It all adds up to making Rhumhor THE large holiday homein Argyllto enjoy with family and friends.
