I don’t need an excuse to visit the bonnie banks - if it’s a clear sunny day then you had me long before you suggested taking the high road. Glaswegians love a trip to Loch Lomond because it never gets old that such a dramatically beautiful landscape is right on our doorstep. I’m only half an hour from home and this place is stunning, unrivalled, postcard-perfect, I think every time I visit - usually for a spot of wild swimming or maybe a jaunt around the shops at Lomond Shores.
But this time, things got fancy. Cameron House boasts a brilliant spa, luxurious rooms and, most recently, a new family-friendly Italian restaurant. La Vista has taken up residence in the boat house, with views over the hotel’s private marina and those bonnie, bonnie banks onwards - and, as you might expect from the location, it’s a wee bit special.
Head to the main Cameron House campus and drive to the end of the road and you’ll hit La Vista, a one-storey building in welcoming blue, hinting at the waterfront views on the other side of the building. There’s a deli as you walk in, selling Italian and Scottish delicacies that tourists will no doubt snap up - but it’s safe to say that La Vista, a five minute taxi ride from Balloch and trains connecting you to , will be popular with locals too. The vibe is upmarket but informal - the kind of place you’d take your parents to celebrate a spot of good news for the family.
A traditional pizza oven takes pride of place at the edge of an open .