When you have nothing at all bad to say about an accommodation then it must be the perfect place, right? Well, Cairnbaan House has to come very close to perfection because we can't find anything bad to say about it. Well... maybe the water pressure in the shower was a little low, but the bed linen was gorgeously soft yet crisp at the same time, the beds were very comfy, the heating was great, and the cottage was spotlessly clean. There were also many small interesting touches of interior decorating showing that at a previous point in time the cottage was actually a sort of general store for this part of the canal, plus the whole feel of the place from the moment we walked made us feel at home. Shout out to Katrina, who lives next door. She and her husband have a family connection to the cottage and she was very helpful, with lots of tips and knowledge about the local area. And the location? Front and centre to the Crinan Canal which not only provided an amazing view from the cottage but also a lovely place to walk along.
There is heaps to do in the area. Our highlights from our four nights and three full days were: climbing Dunadd Hillfort and doing the Moine Mhor walk followed by lunch at Smiddy's Bistro in the beautiful Lochgilphead, and then a second, very long, walk in the Taynish National Nature Reserve in the afternoon; Inveraray Castle and Gardens and the village of Inveraray especially lunch at the George Hotel; and a trip over to the Isle of Arran for the day especially the gardens of Brodick Castle. We just wish we had been able to stay at least one more night (although longer would have been even better), so we could have also driven down to the Mull of Kintyre, but the rest of Scotland beckons...
I highly recommend Cairnbaan Cottage to anyone wanting to stay in the Lochgilphead area. You won't be disappointed.