Torran Bay with my dog

We had a most enjoyable 3 night stay at TORRAN BAY HOSTEL in Argyle on the West Coast of Scotland in July 2015.  The hostel is just 3 years old with comfortable and spacious en-suite guest rooms, and it was very dog friendly.   We paid extra for a room with a loch view and balcony – we didn’t use the balcony due to the midges but the view alone was worth the extra £10.  The free fishing was a bonus for my partner and he spent several hours trying his luck – unfortunately to no avail but he enjoyed trying anyway! While he fished Bruce (the dog) and I enjoyed strolling around the loch edge, relaxing and enjoying the view.

This area of Scotland has an impressive history with many ancient and medieval historical sites nearby – stone circles, cairns, castles – many free to access.  The local church has a fascinating collection of medieval grave-slabs and a visit to Dunadd Fortress where the early Scottish Kings were crowned was a must.

We visited Carnesserie Castle, a five minute drive from the hostel, a bit of a climb, but worth the views from the top.  It was a bonus to be able to take the dog onto and into all of these sites.  Kilmartin, about 2 miles further on, has a small museum well worth a visit with a lovely coffee shop – I can recommend the shortbread!

A week or so before our trip I badly sprained an ankle so, although I managed all our site-seeing well enough, a day spent driving and enjoying the scenery was a welcome rest.   Travelling up the A816 towards Oban led us to explore every turn off west towards the coast.  We found lovely marinas, craft shops, pubs and cafés we would otherwise have missed.  We spent a couple of hours at the conservation village at Ellanbeich, white stone cottages, a few shops, lovely views and time to daydream……