1SM Sunday, April 12, 2015 .............................. 57

PARK LIFE: Seven nightsB&B at the 4H Astoria ParkHotel in Lloret De Mar on theCosta Brava is from 188pp,leaving Prestwick on April 28.See onthebeach.co.uk or call0871 474 3000.. . . VILLAGE PEOPLE: Aweek self-catering at the 3HPirates Village in SantaPonsa, Majorca, is from248pp, leaving Edinburghon April 20. See jet2holi-days.com or call 0800 4085594.. . . THAI ANOTHER DAY:Four nights at the 3H IbisBangkok Sathorn in Thailandis from 625pp, leaving Edin-burgh betweenMay 1-June 15.See flightcentre.co.uk or call0800 258 5773. Quote refer-ence: 2585737. . . TEN OUT OF TENERIFE:Seven nights all-inclusive atthe 4H Aguamarina GolfHotel in Golf del Sur, Tenerife,is from 367pp, leaving Edin-burgh on April 21. Seecheapflights.co.uk. . . BRIT ON THE SIDE:Seven nights at Yelloh! Villagele Ranolien, Brittany, in athree-bedroom Select mobilehome with decking, whichsleeps up to eight, is from161 (travel extra) on May 5.See canvasholidays.co.uk orcall 0345 268 0827.

. . . FOR THOSEABOUT TOROCK: A weekall-inclusive atthe 5H GoldenRock Beach Hotel

in Marmaris, Turkey,is from 299pp includingflights from Edinburgh onselected dates this month or339 from Glasgow in May.See dealchecker.co.uk or call01959 567 868 and quotedealchecker.. . . CHESHIRE GRIN: Threenights at Alvaston Hall Hotel inCheshire including half-board,entertainment and activities isfrom 301pp on April 17. Seewarnerleisurehotels.co.uk orcall 0844 8714 523.. . . DUBAI BYE BABY: Fivenights B&B in Dubai at the5H Movenpick Hotel Jumei-rah Beach is from 697pp,leaving Glasgow on May 12.See lowcostholidays.com orcall 0800 2800212.. . . UP THE ZANTE: Sevennights self-catering at the 3HManousis Studios in Tsilivi,Zante, is from 245pp, leav-ing Glasgow on May 17. Seeolympicholidays.com or call0208 492 6868.. . . MOUR THE MERRIER: Aweek self-catering at the 3HVilamoura Golf Apartments inVilamoura, Algarve, is from309pp, leaving Edinburghon May 19. See jet2holi-days.com or call 0800 4085594.. . . PERFECT PORTUGAL: AB&B week in the Algarve, Por-tugal, at the 4H Paraiso Albu-feira is from 188pp leavingGlasgow on April 21. Seeeasyjet.com/holidays or call020 3499 5232.

latedeals

7 PAGES OF HOLSWITH SCOTTISH SUN TRAVEL EDITOR HEATHER LOWRIE

I HATE driving.My first job in journalism

was dependent on having alicence. I had six months topass or my contract would benull and void.

I passed at my seventh attempt,on the last week of my half yearprobation.

Had it not been for my job, Ireckon I would never have gottenbehind the wheel.

But the journey to Taynuilt, 12miles outside of Oban, could convertthe most reluctant driver. It wassimply stunning.

Luxurious placeto stay and eat

Leaving Glasgow on a Friday, lateafternoon after a busy week at workwe headed past Clydebank, alongLoch Lomond and into the rollingcountryside, where every turnseemed to hold an ever morebreathtaking view.

The village itself is tiny, with awee shop and butchers and notmuch else except the TaynuiltHotel, which we were calling homefor the weekend.

For decades the building hashoused a staging post and travellersrest and in the last two years hasbeen under new management.

The owner and manager haveworked incredibly hard to make thisa comfortable and luxurious placeto stay and eat without losing itstraditional charm. Unlike many

Scottish village hotels, it feels up todate with a fantastic line-up of foodwithout being fussy or pretentious.

We were in the refurbished LochEtive suite which, with its high ceil-ings, wood panelling and nauticaldecor, felt like the captains quartersof some old ship apart from thecinema-sized TV.

On the first night, we had dinnerat the bar restaurant. The hotel hasits own lager, which is delicious,and a cracking menu.

I had the potted trout, which hadbeen caught that morning from thenearby Loch Awe, with oatcakes,which tasted deliciously fresh anddelicate. My main was the hangersteak with chunky chips. It is Flint-stone-sized but worth the post-din-ner belt-loosening.

My other half started with sodabread and butter and had the beefburger for his main, which he saidwas juicy and packed with flavour.

Breakfast was just as impressive.My partner is a fried brekkie aficio-nado and is very particular abouthis black pudding he was not dis-appointed.

A sharp 15-minute walk from thehotel is Loch Etive, the perfect hike

to work off our fry-up. Theview over the water and thesurrounding hills is aweinspiring. Taynuilt has itsown train station and Obanis a 20-minute journey away.

Oban is more bustling thanthe village, with a lovely,chippie-lined harbour, seal-watching boat trips aplentyand a steep walk up toMcCaigs colosseum-like mon-ument on offer. We had a goodjaunt up the hill before settling on abench with some calamari and chipsdown at the water . . . the perfectvantage for people-watching.

Sticky toffee pudwas a sinful treat

Dinner at the hotel was anothertriumph. I wanted another shot atthe trout and had it this time as mymain, with creamy mash and seaveg. My sticky toffee pud was a sin-ful treat.

My boyfriend had the gin-and-tonic battered whiting with crushedpeas and triple-cooked chips and itwas as amazing as it sounds. Hiswaffle pud was also good, but hismain was the star of the show.

Contented bellies and a goodnights sleep followed, as did anothercracking brekkie. We drove home,fully rested, via Inverary, with moresplendorous views aplenty.

And this is a journey Id certainlybe happy to take again as long asdinner at the Taynuilt is at the endof it. LYNN KERNAN

Planet Heather

Pause for reflection

ROOMS at the Taynuilt Hotel in Argyllstart from 60 for a single and 85 for adouble B&B. For more info, emailenquiries@taynuilthotel.co.uk or call01866 822437.

GO: TAYNUILT HOTELto work off our fry-up. Theview over the water and thesurrounding hills is aweinspiring. Taynuilt has itsown train station and Obanis a 20-minute journey away.

Oban is more bustling thanthe village, with a lovely,chippie-lined harbour, seal-watching boat trips aplentyand a steep walk up toMcCaigs colosseum-like mon-ument on offer. We had a good

Pause for reflectionPause for reflection

dealchecker.. . . CHESHIRE GRIN:nights at Alvaston Hall Hotel inCheshire including half-board,entertainment and activities isfrom 301pp on April 17. Seewarnerleisurehotels.co.uk orcall 0844 8714 523.. . . DUBAI BYE BABY:

Dinner at the hotel was anothertriumph. I wanted another shot atthe trout and had it this time as mymain, with creamy mash and seaveg. My sticky toffee pud was a sin-

YOUR LUX IN . . . Taynuilt Hotel is

so stylish from the exterior look

to the food and the comfyrooms

TUCKINTOGREATVIEWSANDTOPFOOD

Ola Ivarsson, Chief OperatingOfficer, Mvenpick Hotels Resortsin Europe, said: Im proud to say theMvenpick Hotel Istanbul GoldenHorn is our second hotel in Istanbuland our fourth hotel in Turkey fol-lowing the success of our award-winning five-star Mvenpick HotelIstanbul and our properties in thecapital of Ankara and Izmir.See moevenpick-hotels.com.

lIF you are driving rather than fly-ing on a eurozone break, petrolcosts could be cut by up to a quar-ter, according to a Post Office TravelMoney survey.The drop in the cost of crude oil

has come at the same time as ster-ling has hit its highest rate againstthe euro in years.Andrew Brown, of Post Office

Travel Money, said: People plan-

ning motoring trips to Europe thisspring can bank on the cost of a litreof unleaded petrol being up to 25per cent lower than last summer.The biggest falls are in Ireland

prices are down 25 per cent forunleaded petrol (99p) and 24 percent for diesel fuel (95p).Europes cheapest fuel is in Lux-

embourg, where prices are 87p alitre for unleaded and 81p for diesel.

undayundayundaySthelHEADING to Istanbul? Thengive the new Mvenpick HotelIstanbul Golden Horn a chance.All rooms, including the seven

suites, enjoy panoramic views of thecity or the historic waterfront andthe private balconies of the hotelsPremium rooms are perfect forunforgettable peninsula sunsets.The Golden Horn suite even has a

Jacuzzi on one of its two balconies.

ITS 22C INGRAN CANA-RIA sevennights at the

4H Sentido GranCanaria Princess inPlaya del Ingles is from429pp with ThomasCook. Price is based onhalf-board with flightsfromGlasgow onMay 21.See thomascook.com orcall 0844 412 5970.

ITS 39C INDUBAI threenights half-board at the 5H

boutique Dar AlMasyaf is from 759pp.Includes complimentaryaccess to the Wild WadiWater Park and flightsfrom Glasgow betweenJune 17 and July 12. Seedialaflight.com or call0844 556 6060.

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