BeSeeingYou at: Cameron House on Loch Lomond
Location: Loch Lomond, Scotland
Number of rooms and suites: 298
Date of Stay: June 2024
Website: www.cameronhouse.co.uk
Authentic Scottish luxury infuses every corner of Cameron House
Why Book?
If I were standing a little higher, I could pretend to be Rapunzel at the top of the tower, but I wouldn’t complain. I wasn’t locked in a sparsely furnished room. Instead, I wallowed in the sumptuous surroundings of Cameron House Hotel, absorbing the spellbinding views of the Highlands from the alcove of the turreted feature in my suite, watching the gentle ripples of Loch Lomond waltz gracefully outside my window. If it sounds like a fairy tale, it’s not far off. Cameron House, on the bonny banks of Loch Lomond, is a visual tonic as smooth as the miniature bottle of Glenmorangie Single Malt Whisky gifted on the side table.
Corridors are lined with photographs of previous famous guests including Barack Obama, Clint Eastwood, and Gary Barlow, while the hotel’s furnishings and décor nod to a rich Scottish Highlands heritage.
Though it feels a world away, Cameron House is just 30 minutes from Glasgow, a cultural hub worth a visit for its Victorian architecture, world-class museums and music scene.
Who’s Staying?
Couples, families, honeymooners, golfers, hikers, and anyone looking for a true taste of the Scottish highlands in one of the country’s most remarkable settings—on the shores of Loch Lomond—just a short hop from Glasgow Airport
The Great Scot’s Bar is the place for wee drams
Rooms and Suites?
There is a total of 298 rooms which range from one-bedroom suites, family rooms, loch view and garden terrace bedrooms. The bedrooms are bathed in rich colour schemes and dressed in Scottish textiles that honour the estate’s location, heritage and traditions.
A collection of 14 luxurious Auld House Suites echoes an era of Scottish elegance tailored to modern tastes. These spectacular guestrooms come with enhanced amenities including complimentary minibars and Nespresso machines (important for caffeine addicts).
The Cameron Suite spreads over two levels and includes two rooftop terraces with unparalleled loch views.
For families and large groups, Cameron House also offers self-catering lodges, cottages, and apartment suites.
Spill the Tea! How’s The …
Neighbourhood?
It doesn’t get more beautiful than Loch Lomond, the largest inland stretch of water in Britain and one of the most popular destinations in Scotland. The loch, which famously features in the song ‘The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond’, extends north for around 24 miles from Balloch, an access point to the Highlands. The loch is home to around 30 small islands, including Inchmurrin, Britain’s largest fresh-water island, and Inchcailloch, the most accessible.
This freshwater loch crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, often considered the boundary between the lowlands of Central Scotland. In total, there are 33,000 lochs in Scotland and one lake.
Cameron House is a good base to visit the Trossachs area, known as Scotland in miniature where its mountains and lochs were Rob Roy McGregor’s (Scotland’s most notorious outlaw) hunting ground. The estate sits amidst a national park and is surrounded by 108 acres of land.
Cameron House Hotel guests are spoiled for choice when it comes to dining
Food & Drink?
You won’t be disappointed or hungry. One of the most traditional dishes in Scotland is haggis, neeps and tatties, (turnips and potatoes). Haggis is a combination of meat, oatmeal, onions, salt and spices, and served as part of the Scottish breakfast at Cameron House with black pudding as well as Scottish porridge. A menu of healthy options and creative smoothies are also available.
The Cameron Grill, with courteous staff in Cameron Clan tartan dress, is the venue for a generous breakfast and dinner, whose menu describes dishes as a modern fusion with a focus on grilled food. I indulged in pan-seared Orkney scallops with rhubarb chutney and scurvy grass oil, followed by guinea fowl with a brandy green peppercorn sauce. To finish, a Cameron pink lady apple tarte tatin. In a word….delicious!
The expansive Scot’s Bar overflows onto a terrace with loch views. Bottles of whisky line the walls. There’s also the Tavern for a more informal experience with sports on screen, quizzes and live music on certain evenings. Weather permitting, drinks and meals can be served on the lawn.
A gentle stroll away is the Marina and the Vista Italian Restaurant for comforting dishes such as mushroom and truffle Arancini, over-sized pizzas, fresh pasta, and sweet endings of tiramisu and affogato (gelato with hot double expresso).
The Club House, which was a ride away courtesy of the hotel’s transport, was a more informal place to grab a bowl of seafood chowder, a beef brisket taco, or a spiced fried chicken burger, and other easy edibles to enjoy while TV screens beam in golf tournaments and football matches.
Amenities & Activities?
Touch down on the water in a seaplane, sail among isles and inlets on a Champagne Cruise, and explore lush Scottish landscapes by bike, hike, or fun 4×4 it’s all possible at Cameron House.
The Leisure Centre includes an 18-metre swimming pool, family pool with slides, steam room, sauna, and bubble pool, while the fitness facility features the latest Technogym and group classes.
The Cameron Club (formerly the Carrick Estate) boasts two golf courses, including the Carrick, a course known for its nine holes in the highlands and nine in the lowlands.
Not to miss? An hour-long cruise on Loch Lomond cruise aboard Celtic Warrior, which offers views of the lake, the highlands, and of Ben Lomond, a 974 metres (3,196 foot) mountain on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond. The informative and lively commentary from skipper Collette and assistant Joanne add to the joy of this scenic ride.
Relax at Cameron House Spa
Spa?
Just a 10-minute drive away, the Cameron House Spa is a slice of heaven in an already dream setting.
The award-winning sanctuary has a menu of refreshing and invigorating experiences, thermal and hydro rooms, a small rooftop, steam rooms, an ice bath, and an aromatherapy room.
I treated myself to a “Hide With Me” treatment, which included up to two hours in the Thermal & Hydro baths, a light lunch, a 60-minute back, neck and shoulder massage, and a personalised express facial (thankfully, not so express) with special attention to eyes and lips, areas often neglected. It finished with a short scalp treatment and head massage. Bliss.
The Cameron House Spa uses ESPA and Made of Life Organics products.
Loch Lomond’s Balloch Castle was the stronghold of one of Scotland’s most powerful medieval families, the Earls of Lennox (photo By JoachimKohler)
Does Cameron House Have a Past?
Though the estate was built by architect William Spence in 1830, the property incorporates a 14th-century castle into its design, adding to its allure as one of Scotland’s premier luxury estate hotels.
Ownership changed hands several times before being acquired by Scotland’s parliament commissioner, Sir James Smollett, in the mid-17th century. The Smolletts family lived here for three generations, including Tobias Smollett, a noted Scottish novelist. The family sold the property in 1986. It reopened as Cameron House on Loch Lomond in 1990.
Over two centuries, the resort has been visited by literary and political stalwarts including Empress Eugenie, Sir Winston Churchill, and Barack Obama.
It was once a popular tourist attraction and bear park in the 70s, when wild animals such as bison and black, brown and Himalayan bears formed part of the scenery.
Hiking around Loch Lomond is a popular pastime (Photo by Rude Health)
Green Scene?
Cameron House has Greengage ECOsmart accreditation and is committed to adopting and promoting sustainable practices, including reducing the resort’s electricity usage. The resort has invested in a fleet of electric concierge vehicles and has installed 10 electric charging stations for guest use. Ingredients and produce are sourced close to the hotel to reduce food miles, carbon emissions, and to support the local economy. Cameron House introduced LED lighting and proximity lighting in certain areas to reduce our energy usage.
The hotel also has an interdepartmental Green Team dedicated to monitoring the resort’s green credentials and helping drive green initiatives resort-wide. This year, the Cameron Clan rolled up their sleeves to plant more than 200 trees around the hotel, with further tree-planting plans.
The resort’s conservation team is also keen to help promote the natural beauty of the loch and the surrounding countryside. This includes encouraging local wildlife and increasing local biodiversity, from protected onsite beehives from The Helensburgh and District Beekeepers Association, and actively participating in red squirrel conservation to installing bird, bat, and owl boxes resort-wide, including heated bat roosts, and establishing wildflower meadows and nature sanctuaries through projects such as ‘The Untidy Garden’ and ‘The Enchanted Wood
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Author bio: Jane Wilson, The Wellness Traveller
All photos courtesy of Cameron House, unless noticed
Our writer Jane Wilson stayed as a guest of Cameron House.
