Located just off the main road to Oban, Loch Awe Holiday Park is a fantastic base camp for families – and their dogs – wanting to explore a spectacular corner of Scotland.
Operated by Argyll Holidays, the park features a range of expansive caravans in a variety of shapes and sizes, and is located just a 25-minute drive from the scenic port town of Oban.
My wife and I visited the park over a sunny weekend earlier this summer, and were welcomed by very friendly staff, who showed us around all the local amenities.
The park itself is a quick drive away from the nearest village of Taynuilt, but at the park itself there is a Spar shop and a garage, (which came in very handy when we needed to top up the air in our car tyres).
And just a short riverside stroll away is the Brander Lodge Hotel — where we enjoyed a delicious and well-priced bistro dinner.
What was the caravan like?
The caravan we stayed in was clean, comfy, cosy and modern, with a big double bedroom as well as room for additional guests in single beds located in two smaller bedrooms.
We enjoyed the peace and quiet of the caravan park, but for families with kids, there’s also plenty of places for the little ones to run around, play and safely explore — and the caravan comes with a television and wifi too, which would be ideal for a family movie night.
The kitchen contained everything you would want to whip up a hearty breakfast for a big day of exploration, or a relaxing dinner for when you’re home for the night.
There was one en suite bathroom, as well as a standard bathroom with a servicable shower, but we had to take our own towels.
The large kitchen and living room combo, complete with a wee patio, was a great place to relax and recline after a long day’s hiking and exploring the great outdoors, and there are certainly plenty of opportunities for adventures all around the area.
An island adventure in a day
During our weekend, we took the opportunity to visit the breathtaking Isle of Kerrera, which you can reach by taking a short ferry crossing starting just a short drive south from Oban itself.
The island has hardly any permanent residents, and my wife and I spent a truly memorable day hiking around the southern portion of the island in the sunshine.
Any visit to Kerrera must include a journey to the impressive and isolated Gylen Castle, as well as a pit-stop at the nearby Kerrera Tea Garden for a cup of tea, cake and a very filling brie bagel.
What to do, eat and drink in Oban
Oban itself is quite the busy little town, and when we visited it was full of tourists from all over the world sampling the local food and drink, and soaking up the scenery and views across the picturesque bay.
Many of the more popular tourist trap venues were far too busy, so we went to places a little bit less mobbed for a meal.
I can highly recommend you take a stop by the Oban Seafood Hut (the one with the green frontage) near the ferry terminal for some fresh crab, lobster, mussels and more.
And the Fish Box and Taco Bay on Corran Esplanade was a real treat.
Make sure you get yourself a delicious serving of fish tacos, they make for a very filling dinner overlooking the sea.
For whisky lovers visiting Oban, there’s the Oban Distillery on Stafford Street, which runs tours, and on Tweedale Street you can pop by the Whisky Vaults Hotel for a dram or two from their impressive selection.
Fancy bagging a Munro?
If you’re a bit more adventurous and fancy conquering some mountains while in the area, then Loch Awe Holiday Park is ideally located.
Towering over the carvan park is Ben Cruachan, a mighty Munro that dominates the skyline for miles around, and the starting point for the hike is just a few minutes’ drive east from the park itself.
For a slightly shorter hike, you can also take on the Corbett of Beinn a’ Bhuiridh, the starting point of which is also within a short drive of the park.
Tourist attractions in the area
There’s also no shortage of other tourist attractions in the area.
St Conan’s Kirk is absolutely worth a visit purely to enjoy the incredible unique architecture alone, and it also features a tea room.
Another must-see is the Cruachan Power Station, where visitors can travel a kilometre into the solid rock of Ben Cruachan and find out the history of the people who created the engineering marvel, and learn about the process of generating electricity using the power of water.
How much?
Caravans at Loch Awe Holiday Park start at £208 per family for two-bedroom models, and there are other options like the Hot Tub Lodge, starting at £513 per family.
The park is dog-friendly and your pet will even receive a special doggy bag on arrival consisting of a bag dispenser, towel and even some biscuits. The park is also surrounded by wonderful opportunities for walkies too.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the park, and will definitely be booking it again on our next visit to the area.
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