Ardanaiseig, Kilchrenan by Taynuilt

In a remote place of quiet tranquility and almost surreal natural beauty, where the slopes of Ben Cruachan fall into the clear waters of Loch Awe, there is a small, luxurious and wildly romantic old country house hotel. It sits alone overlooking the mysterious islands and crannogs of the loch, in deeply wooded gardens teeming with wildlife. Ardanaiseig sits on a peninsula jutting out into Loch Awe, Scotland's longest fresh water loch and was built in the Scottish Baronial manner for Colonel Archibald Campbell of Clan Campbell in 1834. It was designed by William Burn and is listed for its architectural importance. Burn's other work includes Bowhill for the Duke of Buccleuch and a number of Edinburgh's finest 19th Century buildings. The entrance hall boasts some fine pieces of antique furniture and works of art. It is very much the original entrance hall of a traditional country house. Other public rooms include the library, with its roaring log fire, the long drawing room where chamber music and piano recitals are sometimes performed, and the games room with its full size snooker table. A magical 120 seat amphitheatre nestles into the hillside by the water's edge. The restaurant, which overlooks the lawns running down to the loch, is one of the best in the Highlands. The Dining Room with its fine paintings, generously spaced tables and soft acoustics invites intimate conversation. The linen is crisp, the silver glints, the crystal sparkles in the candlelight and the service is well judged. After dinner, there is usually a log fire and the evocative smell of wood smoke in the bar library.