Family Cottage by the Crinan Canal, handy for whisky, golf and standing stones.

Hi, welcome to Linnet Cottage, which has been my family retreat for almost 30 years now.

The cottage sits on the West Bank of the Crinan Canal, which has been described as "Britain's most scenic shortcut". The canal runs for nine miles across Kintyre, allowing boats (primarily yachts these days, and not the inland vessels that used to deliver coal, fresh food and the odd piano) and sitting in the porch watching yachts come through Lock 4 is one of my favourite pass times.

Kilmartin Glen, one of the UK's richest neolithic sites,, is a 5 minute drive away, The local museum has just reopened after a fantastic update, though I'm pleased to say that the tearoom has survived intact.

With the opening of a 4th distillery in Campbeltown, Kintyre has recently won back its status as a Whisky Region. I love the freshness of the Campbeltown malts, with their hints of salt and pepper, and no peat at all.

The drive down to Campbeltown takes you along the West coast of Kintyre, with great views of Islay and Jura, and the fantastic miles-long beach at Macrahanish.

For golfers, there are 9 hole courses at Inverary, Lochgilphead, Carradale and Tarbert. There are three 18 hole courses around Macrahanish, with its famous first hole, where you need to clear the Atlantic (and the beach is in play). I like Dunaverty, with views out to Northern Ireland, and turf so springing it's like walking on air.

From Tarbert (20 minutes away) you can take the small ferry to the marina at Portavadie and on into Cowal, This is one of the Five Ferries making up a great circular drive or ride from Scotland's West coast, taking in Arran, Bute, Cowal and Kintyre. Ferries to Islay and Arran are 15 minutes beyond that.

For food in Ardishaig, the Grey Gull hotel is five minutes walk away, and the Rumbling Tum does great breakfasts and lunch. Naturally, there's great seafood at Crinan, Tarbert and Skipness.

I could go on for pages, and I haven't mentioned the walking and cycling around the cottage - the most obvious is the perfectly flat canal path, whether you want to stroll a few hundred yards to the Ardrishaig Basin, and the locks to Loch Gill, or do the nine miles to the other end of the canal (I recommend the sea food stew at the Crinan Hotel's bar).