Is Scotland‘s greatest escape in Argyll? Tune in to BBC to find out
Scotland’s greatest could be in Argyll.
The countdown is on for the winner of BBC show Scotland’s Greatest Escape to be revealed and Argyll is in with a winning chance as three out of the seven finalists run their holiday businesses here.
Included in the running are waterfront category winner Inverlonan Bothies on the shore of Loch Nell near Oban which is run by Lupi Moll. Back to basics and embracing the slow life is what this luxury escape is all about and it was raved about by its two city-girl guests from Edinburgh who gave it full marks for its wow factor.
Sixteenth century Kilmartin Castle, surrounded by an ancient landscape, grabbed the show's best historic title. Owners Stef Burgon and Simon Hunt travelled around Scotland in 2014 but could not find a castle to stay in that still felt like a castle once they got inside.
When they found Kilmartin Castle the following year, they left their jobs in the Middle East and got to work renovating it without taking away any of its cool charm. By July 2019, they were ready to opens its doors to welcome guests. Quirk is key to opening this castle’s door.
Argyll Cruising, owned and operated by skipper Ted Creek, topped the luxury section with its converted mini-cruise vessel Splendour offering unique trips visiting the inlets and islands of Argyll, Arran and the Outer Hebrides. The venture will be running out of Oban from June until August.
Keen to find out if any of Argyll’s top escapes are the escape ultimate winner? The eightpart series on BBC Scotland will screen the grand final on Wednesday April 5.
Thousands of holiday locations and ventures were nominated by the public and only the best of them made it to the show.
From wellness retreats to adrenalin-fuelled activity breaks, romantic getaways to family fun, each episode has showcased the top three destinations in their category and been road-tested by a family or group of friends with a passion for that particular holiday style. One night was spent at each of the shortlisted destinations and was judged on five elements of their stay, with the highest scoring holiday going forward to the final.
Now it is up to an industry panel, featuring some of Scotland’s most experienced and renowned hospitality and tourism experts, to use strict standards to select which of the finalists is most deserving of the award. Catch up on Scotland’s Greatest Escape so far on BBC iPlayer.