Having a getaway somewhere nice to relax from all the madness of the working-from-home world is something that everyone should try. It's not even that expensive! In fact, we don't have a lot of funds for such leisurely activities, but thanks to 'Discount websites' such as Groupon, Itison, and Wowcher, we can go for a little quality break for a fraction of a hotel's price.
In this instance, I got our deal with Groupon for 2 night stay for two including a dinner voucher for the 1st night and breakfast both mornings and a late check out too. It cost less than half the price of the usual two-night stay! Great deal, indeed!
We went to Arrochar, a tiny village located near the head of Loch Long in the Scottish Highlands. We stayed at the Arrochar Hotel in a room with a fantastic view of Loch Long and the hills, including Ben Arthur, also called the Cobbler, one of the famous Walks or Climbs in the area.
The hotel was lovely, and all the staff was accommodating too. Covid 19 protocols were well in place: social distancing observed, always wear a mask in the hotel's public areas, and sanitisers were readily available in most public spaces. It was relatively busy, and although the bar was open, it only sold softdrinks and hot drinks.
When we went for our dinner the first night at the restaurant, I asked for a Maduri with lemonade drink, and before the staff could reply, Tony quickly reminded me that alcohol was not allowed!
We went for a lovely walk around the village when we arrived and came across a few beautiful waterfalls. We also had a rare opportunity to view a half-moon's reflection on the water during our evening walk—such a wonderful gift of nature.
On Saturday, we drove to Inveraray, a beautiful town about 22 miles from Arrochar and about thirty minutes' drive. We visited the grounds of its famous Castle, the Inveraray Castle, and what a treat. We got there late in the afternoon, so we didn't have time to go inside the Castle as it closed at 4 pm. But we were allowed to walk around the grounds.
As we got to the Castle's car park and paid for the fees, the lady at the gate put the card-machine at the end of a stick and reached it over to me to use my card. Social distancing at its finest!
The Castle ground was stunning! And we could see the Watch Tower at the top of the hill. We crossed over an old walk bridge over the River Aray to the Woodlands, apparently a habitat for wild animals. Unfortunately, we didn't encounter any during our stroll.
We had a good wee day out topped up with delicious fresh Fish and Chips lunch for me and Cheese and Chips for the near-vegan Tony!
We got back to the hotel around 5 pm and to my dismay, I couldn't find our hotel room's key in my pockets and anywhere inside the car. I thought that I lost it during our stroll around the Castle's grounds, so we were ready to pay for it. Well, as we entered our room using a spare key from the Reception, the 'missing' key was on the table! It must be my age, haha!
The weather was not very good on Sunday, but I was determined to go and pick some muscles when the tide was out. After checking out of the hotel, we had to wait for a couple of hours until the tide was out, so we parked at the village's public car park and walked around the nearby residential houses for a wee nosey.
To wrap up our wee Getaway trip, we got to the old and dis-used pier for muscle-picking. Some of my pals told me that this was an excellent area to pick those lovely seafood delicacies! It took me a while to find some (maybe not their season this time), and after a few more pickings, we finished off.
I loved doing this type of thing; it reminded me of my childhood days in my village of Balantoy in the Philippines, picking shells in the streams and the ricefields!
That was the weekend gone so quick again. But it was all worth it!!
Till here for now, until next Wednesday. Keep safe, and stay well!
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