HIDDEN GEMS
Off the beaten track - and worth exploring
IT’S worth making the effort. Our main streets are filled with plenty of places to spend your hard-earned cash. But look just around the corner, slightly off the beaten track, and you will find some fantastic independent shops, galeries and many other attractions. Jewels, just waiting to be discovered. So why not indulge your sense of adventure? You never know what you’ll find - just around the corner. Ardshiel Hotel
Recently awarded the Taste Our Best 2017 award for serving quality Scottish produce, the Ardshiel Hotel is located on Kilkerran Road, Campbeltown within walking distance of the three local distilleries. The Ardshiel’s own little hidden gem is hidden at the back of the hotel - the hotel’s glorious beer garden which is beautifully presented and a real sun trap. The perfect spot to relax this summer with friends or family over a spot of lunch or a drink from their bar. If it is whisky you are after, then look no further as the hotel has an award winning whisky bar with over 700 malts to choose from. Also on offer are real ales, craft beers, wine and its specially selected gin menu. If you fancy heading out for dinner, then enjoy a delicious meal in the bright yet classic restaurant. The Ardshiel function room is perfect for parties, christenings, meetings or weddings. For more information, see the website www.ardshiel.co.uk or visit the Ardshiel Facebook page.
Top Designer
With plenty of experience in the business and a wide range of quality fabrics to choose from, Top Designer can meet the requirements and budget of any project. Top Designer, run by Alison McColl, has a passion for fabrics. The first port of call is to visit www.top-designer.co.uk to get an idea of the brands and products available. The company showroom at 5 Stag Chambers, Lochgilphead, is right in the town centre and offers that extra layer of service to customers. From tartans to curtains and from blinds to pelmets - Top Designer has everything you need. A custom-made service is available for curtains and blinds, and there is also a selection of beautiful home accessories to choose from. Top Designer can also supply curtain and blind fittings, wallpaper and paint. Service and quality is what Top Designer is all about, so why not see what is available?
Icon Hairdressing
Maria, the owner of Icon Hairdressing has worked in the trade since she was 16 years old, and opened Icon six years ago. She said: ‘It has always been a dream of mine to one day run my own salon and when the opportunity came along to open up Icon back in May 2011 I grabbed it with both hands.’ Icon is a unisex salon and a family-run business in the heart of Lochgilphead town centre. At Icon, fully-trained staff excel in hair colouring, stylish haircuts and barbering. The salon even offers hot towel shaves and beard trims for the gentlemen. Icon is the place to go for bridal hairdressing and wedding hairstyling, with fully experienced and qualified staff offering to make your big day that little bit extra-special. Lifts are also available for the elderly or less able, so everyone can be made to feel welcome at Icon Hairdressing.
The Fiddlers Inn
Enjoy a warm welcome in the small, family owned business whether you are visiting Campbeltown or you are a local. Here, you can soak up a true flavour of Campbeltown, while taking a look at the collection of framed vintage pictures of the town, dotted all around the bar and lounge. Weekends are very popular with locals with live music every Saturday and the Jukebox is always there to provide your choice of music the rest of the week. Hidden through the back however, is the Fiddlers Inn’s own wee gem, their beer garden. Be sure to take your sun cream as the sun beams down and captures the entire spot. Local malt whiskies, and a selection of beers, ciders and spirits await you as well as Sky Sports, a dart board and free Wifi. A selection of soft drinks and snacks are also available. See their website for more details. www.thefiddlersinn.co.uk
Danny’s Ironmongers
There is very little for inside and outside the home that cannot be found at Danny’s. Often described as an Aladdin’s cave, the shop, with its friendly and knowledgeable staff, can be found slap bang in the middle of Lochgilphead’s main thoroughfare, Argyll Street with nearby parking available. There you will find everything for the kitchen, plus a vast array of pet products. But there is a real hidden gem within Danny’s - and that is the fantastic and spacious garden centre. Situated to the rear of the shop, the garden centre has a huge selection of implements, plants and garden products to satisfy every budding Percy Thrower or Alan Titchmarsh out there. You can pick up everything from garden ornaments to shrubs and seed tatties, and the centre also has a wide range of power tools for outdoor work. Come and have a browse - you will not be disappointed.
Argyll Book Centre
NOTHING beats a good old browse in a traditional bookshop. The Argyll Book Centre is truly one of the jewels in Lochgilphead’s shopping crown. In this independent bookshop you will find a fantastic selection of local books, guides and maps as well as the usual best sellers. Situated in Lochgilphead town centre, just off Argyll Street on Lorne Street, Argyll Book Centre is easily accessed from both the street and the large car park virtually opposite. This is also the place for unique and high quality stationery, as well as that quirky gift not to be found anywhere else in the area. With friendly and knowledgeable staff on hand to help, shopping at the Argyll Book Centre is a genuine pleasure, and a trip to the shop is not to be missed while in town.