Cowal Peninsula

Friday, midday

Check into Portavadie (www. portavadie.com, double rooms from £85), an impressive marina, restaurant and spa escape which also offers accommodation overlooking Loch Fyne.

1pm

Enjoy lunch at Portavadie’s spa complex. Choose from pizzas, sandwiches laden with local produce or healthy bento boxes.

2pm

Time to hit the spa. Enjoy the swimming pool and sauna inside, but the highlight awaits outside with hot tubs and a spectacular heated infinity pool on the shores of Loch Fyne.

4pm

Break north of Portavadie, where a walking trail eases along the banks of Loch Fyne. Look out for deer, otters on the shoreline and porpoises and dolphins in the waters.

7pm

Dine at Portavadie’s Marina Restaurant. With executive chef Liam Murphy at the helm it earned 2 AA Rosettes at the end of 2017. Enjoy local shellfish or the glorious lamb from Ormidale in Cowal.

Saturday, 10am

Embark on a section of the Cowal Way, a trail that starts at Portavadie. The six-mile hike across the hills to Tighnabruaich offers a delicious slice of Cowal scenery with a remote loch and ruined castle en route.

1pm

Reward your efforts with lunch at the An Lochan at the Royal Hotel in Tighnabruaich (www. theroyalanlochan.co.uk), where boat fresh seafood is on the menu, including Bute langoustines and hand dived scallops.

3pm

Hack round the Kyles of Bute Golf Course, walk back on the Cowal Way or just catch the bus/taxi back to chill out at Portavadie.

7pm

Enjoy a relaxed dinner at Portavadie’s Lodge Kitchen and Bar. On the menu are the likes of gammon steak from Bute and smoked fish from Dunoon on Cowal.

Sunday, 9am

Indulge at Portavadie’s spa. The best treatments use cult Scottish brand Ishga’s products. Allow time to enjoy the whirlpool, sauna and recliner beds on the adults-only second spa floor. ■