Forest Holidays Ardgartan Argyll

When we booked our holiday we were excited to be returning to the area after 14 years. It was one of our first holidays as a couple back then and this was a birthday holiday. We had the option of a cabin further back for approx £300 less or a golden oak lochside cabin for the additional cost. We decided to invest the extra money on promised panoramic views from the cabin, figuring it was a rare return to Scotland. With such busy work lives we dreamed of watching the Loch from our cabin and hot tub for proper rest. To say we were disappointed is an understatement, in fact we were devastated to find we could barely see the Loch at all and when walking the site the other lochside cabins had beautiful views. In fact even the normal golden oaks had far better views. Please if you are booked to Cabin 1 be warned you are not getting the lochside view promised. You're getting trees and are tucked back behind another cabin. There's nothing wrong with it's location, if that's what you are expecting. But we paid for a lochside panoramic view and didn't remotely get that. Whilst it shouldn't have done, I'm afraid it did spoil our holiday as we were really upset, particularly as it felt like the site had been greedy selling the view that wasn't there when they had so many actual lochside cabins to sell. We raised it on site on arrival and were told nothing could be done. 2 days later after 4 messages to fb&customer services I was finally offered an apology and a refund of what they considered to be appropriate. We have no choice but to accept the offer but to be honest it wasn't remotely compensation for a spoilt holiday. We're told they'll reconsider selling cabin 1 as lochside view, but this will remain to be seen. The cabin is tired, maintenance in terms of decor is patchy and the cabin was unclean in places. We knew it was a pet friendly cabin but accepted it for the view over a silver standard non pet where turns out we may as well have saved the money and gone for that. The sofa smelt badly of dogs, perhaps washable covers would be an investment so they can be switched on changeover. I cleaned the kitchen and table surfaces myself on arrival. Loch Long is beautiful, and a stroll along the river trial is lovely and gives up close views of the Loch. Walks are the obvious main attraction in the area but we did venture to Hill house, Ben more gardens and for a trip on the Tarbet circular boat (all lovely days out). We are unlikely to return to this site following our experience. We have stayed at two other forest holiday sites (sherwood forest had great standards) but this does make me concerned to try others now.

This was our second weekend break at Ardgartan and it's a good location to explore the local area or just relax around the lodge. The onsite shop has most things you would need although the prices, unsurprisingly, are higher than your local shop. Worthwhile taking supplies with you. The shop is part of the reception "complex" which also has a cafe/bar. Not a great selection of food and drink but enough. The only real downfall we found is that the decking area where the hot tub and BBQ is located doesn't have any sort of canopy so if there's any more than light rain (this is Scotland) the tub and BBQ are pretty much out of bounds. If the weather isn't great it's a lot of money for a cabin where you can't use the main facilities.

The site seemed a bit unkempt and there wasn’t much sense of being in the forest. Algae on the exterior timber of the cabins rather detracted from the overall look. Cabin interiors were spacious and well-equipped, although we found the sitting area furniture uncomfortable and some would find the beds a bit hard. The towels and particularly the bathrobes were quite well worn and the supply of toiletries was rather meagre. On the plus side - the hot tub was great and the staff were very welcoming and helpful.

The Lodge was very well serviced and was very roomy. We ordered food to the lodge for the kids on the last night and we were sorry we didn't use the resturaunt more as it was really good. Amazing views and very peaceful. Great for walking along the Loch Lomond and Cowell way, Cycling or taking in a few munros. I'd looked at forest holidays a few times before booking and we are glad we went,so much so we didn't want to go home as a weekend just wasn't enough time to enjoy the relaxation.

Brief background, we have stayed in Forest Holidays locations in Yorkshire a number of times and in the Forest of Dean. We love Forest Holidays. As a family of 4 we are currently in a golden oak lodge on this site about 20 metres from the shore of Loch Long. The outlook here is fabulous, great to wake up to such a stunning view. The site is small and quiet. I wouldn't say the site was overly foresty, but the surrounding areas are. The lodges are of a good standard. The living area and kitchen are open plan and spacious, the bedrooms are decent sized. The property has under floor heating throughout which is effective. There's the hot tub of course, which is great and inspected daily by staff. Privacy is limited especially if you are not loch side. You'll find for many of the lodges your outlook is a car park when you're in your hot tub, but you can of course pay Forest Holidays a further fee to choose your lodge and an additional charge of you want loch side. We succumbed to both. Forest Holidays has always had a premium feel with a modern design and name brands throughout the property. The idea of premium is definitely reflected in the price these days. Considering this aspect, the shine is starting to fade a bit if this lodge is anything to go by. Some things are dated and there are some issues which you would expect a premium accommodation provider to sort out. It feels a bit like they are running these lodges into the ground with bare minimum investment. For example, the lino type floor tiles in the kitchen and bathroom are warped at the edges and the glue underneath has failed, presumably from heating and cooling of the under floor heating over time. If you stand on one side they lift up on the other, revealing a sharp edge. If walking barefoot, you could easily injure your feet in these rooms, or trip. There are similar gaps between some adjacent laminate floor planks in the living space and hallways, where the boards are not interlocked properly due to wear and tear or poor fitting. Some of the planks slide under your feet. Edge trims on the floor around the log burner are damaged revealing some sharp edges. The bathroom is battered and looked like someone has kicked in the unit under the sink and they could not be bothered to repair it. The siliconing looks like a messy bodge of years worth of repairs piled on top of each other rather than a neat finish. The kitchen tap has an annoying jet that sprays water out of the sink. You need to be Geoff Capes to flush either of the toilets; my children aren't strong enough to press the buttons. The door to the terrace doesn't close flush so there's always a draught. No USB ports in the lodge. There are loads more things but they are all minor. General feel throughout is that it needs a bit of TLC. These things don't spoil the holiday, but I expect a bit more from Forest Holidays given previous experiences and that we have paid £350 per night (school holidays). Try to avoid giving them money f

Just came home after another visit here. Yet again it was a fantastic break. The lodges are just beautiful and so big and have everything you need. We would love going out for walks in the forest and along the loch then coming back and getting in the hot tub and chilling by the fire. We ordered the curry banquet to be delivered on our first night and it was delicious and so much food!! As usual Evie loved doing her pottery painting in the retreat with a massive hot chocolate! Every single member of the team are fantastic and go above and beyond to ensure you have a great stay. Special thanks to sophie, she’s such a helpful lassy!! Don’t be put off visiting these places if you don’t drive, supermarket deliveries to your lodge and the train station is only a few minutes away, tartan wolf taxis are great for getting you there and back for a very reasonable price! Thanks again forest holidays, definitely be back soon!