The Stables Balfron

The Stables is up near Balfron, right in the middle of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. It used to be a farm building. It's part of a little stone courtyard, next to the main farm house. It's a working farm, so you'll see cattle and sheep about. It's quiet here.

It sleeps up to six people. Three bedrooms, and three bathrooms, which is handy. One double bedroom and a wet room are on the ground floor. The stairs are fine. There's another double with its own shower upstairs, plus a twin room and a main bathroom. The living room has patio doors out to the garden. You can sit out there.

The kitchen is big enough for everyone to sit around the table. We've put in a dishwasher and a washing machine. Bedding and towels are included. There's a cot and a highchair if you need them. You can bring one dog. The parking is right there.

Because it's a farm, the owners can sometimes arrange a tour of the dairy if you ask ahead. They also have fishing rights on the Endrick River, so you can get a permit from them for that.

For getting out, the Rob Roy Way and Cycle Route 7 go past nearby. Loch Lomond is about a 20-minute drive. You can get boat trips from there, or over on Loch Katrine. The Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park site has walking info.

Stirling is about half an hour away by car. The castle and the Wallace Monument are there. Doune Castle is closer, maybe 20 minutes. That's the one from a lot of films and TV. A bit further out, within 30 or 40 minutes, you've got a few whisky distilleries like Glengoyne, and the Nick Nairn Cook School is just down the road in Dunblane.

There's a shop and a pub in Balfron, about three miles away. For a bigger supermarket, you'd head to Stirling or towards Glasgow.