SATURDAY AUGUST 29 201534

IT’S common for hotels to be namedafter a place, but on our trip to Argyllon the west coast of Scotland we wereimpressed to learn that our hotel gavethe village of Taynuilt its name.

Taynuilt translates as ‘house by the burn/stream’ and while the quaint but lovelybuilding has been a staging post forcenturies, the Taynuilt Hotel has beenre-launched as a charming 10-roomboutique hotel and has rightly beenattracting praise for its top-notchaccommodation and inventive food anddrink offerings.Taynuilt is a perfect base for exploringOban, Argyll and isles including Lismore,Colonsay, Islay, Coll, Tiree, Mull and Barra.We headed to Scotland on the super-convenient P&O Larne to Troon Express.We decided to stop off on our drive northat Inveraray Castle on the shores of LochFyne – with a journey time of just undertwo hours from Troon.Not only is it a stunning place, but it’s alsothe home of the Clan Campbell – so myself,Mrs Campbell and baby Campbell felt rightat home.The clan history – dating back to 1260– is displayed in great detail alongsidea dazzling array of portraits, tapestries,costumes, drums and arms in the manyrooms, among them the state dining room,tapestry room and Armoury Hall.The latter room – with its muskets,pole-arms, swords and axes – features thehighest ceiling in Scotland, emblazonedwith a selection of Campbell crests. One ofthe most popular items on display is thebelt, sporran and dirk (knife) handle of RobRoy MacGregor.When you take a tour it does appear to bea museum but it is in fact the family homeof the Duke and Duchess of Argyll – akaTorquhil and Eleanor Campbell.A castle has been on the grounds since the1400s but the current Baroque, Palladian

and Gothic style structure was built in thelate 1700s. The gardens and grounds arean attraction all of their own, while there’salso an excellent cafe and gift shop (inwhich we bought several ‘Clan Campbell’bits and bobs).The castle, which has featured in DowntonAbbey, is open to the public from April untilOctober 31. The Best of the West festivaltakes place at the castle on September 12and 13, with Peatbog Faeries among thebands performing.It’s a place you won’t forget, which is fittingconsidering that the Campbell motto is NeObliviscaris (do not forget).Taynuilt is another 40 minutes north andwest of Inveraray and the white facade ofthe Taynuilt Hotel is easy to spot as youenter the village. The rooms are all namedafter Scottish lochs and we stayed in thelovely Loch Etive suite, which even has itsown outdoor terrace.The blue-themed room has a definitemaritime vibe to it and the antique bed is athing of beauty and, more importantly, verycomfortable.The hotel is owned by chef John McNulty,while general manager David Lapsley – aman armed with expert knowledge on wineand whisky – was extremely helpful duringour stay.

As well as hearty Scottish breakfasts inthe bright and airy breakfast room, we hadsome fantastic food in the restaurant –with the garlic mushrooms, steak, pottedtrout and seafood pie just four memorabledishes. The bar stocks more than 80whiskies, while one of the nicest craft beersthey have – from the Loch Ness Brewery –is HoppyNess.The hotel is becoming a word of mouthsuccess story and it has just been awardedthree AA stars for its accommodation andan AA Rosette award for the restaurant.Taynuilt is close to the historic BonaweIron Furnace, Loch Etive, Loch Awe andthe imposing Ben Cruachan – the highestmountain in Argyll.One place definitely worth checking outis Cruachan – aka ‘the hollow mountain’ –hydro power station.At the visitor centre, you get tickets to takea bus tour deep inside the mountain to aviewing gallery overlooking the turbinesat the heart of the operation. The tour hasbeen fittingly described as “like steppinginto a James Bond film set”.The power station was opened 50 yearsago and this astonishing feat of hydroengineering was the brainchild of ScotEdward McColl. Electricity is generatedusing water from a dam further up the

mountain. When there is a surplus ofelectricity, water is pumped up to thereservoir and then when demand is atits peak Cruachan roars into life aswater plummets down the mountain to

A lovely refurbishedhistoric coachinginn near Oban isa perfect base toexplore the stunningwest coast ofScotland, writesBrian Campbell

Perhaps the most strikingsight in Oban is McCaig’sTower, perched on the cliffthat overlooks the town anda place that offers somestunning views

WEEKEND

Getting outin the Oban