I’m a bit ashamed to admit that even though Scottish I have hardly seen any of the country out with of the central belt. Seeing more of Scotland’s natural beauty is always on my ‘list’ but I just never seem to get round to it.
Well last weekend I got the perfect chance to do a bit of exploring as Audi had delivered me a fully loaded Q7 and challenged me to experience a perfect weekend in the Scottish outdoors. With the whole country as my oyster I thought long and hard about where I wanted to venture before deciding on a small town near Callandar in the Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park as my base. At just over an hours drive from Glasgow (or Edinburgh) this seemed like the perfect location.
From the moment I got behind the wheel of the Audi Q7 I loved it – inside the size and space made it felt more like I was in the cockpit of an aircraft than a car. It was really comfortable too and effortless to drive on the road up north. As you would expect the bluetooth in the car was fast and reliable and allowed me to stream my favourite songs on the sound system throughout the journey whilst I kept my phone charged up on the wireless charger.
I think it was probably the largest car I have ever driven so I was a bit apprehensive about manoeuvring it initially but the parking sensors and camera were god sends. They made it easy.
As we wanted to experience some outdoor activities over the weekend, Audi had fitted the car with a roof-rack to strap on some canoes, a tent (in case we fancied sleeping outdoors) and even a mobile espresso machine with illy coffee sachet’s – after all who wants to drive service station coffee?
Home for the weekend was a beautiful wooden cabin at the Forest Holidays resort in Strathyre which is just a few miles from Callandar and sits right on the banks of the picturesque Loch Lubnaig. The cabins were just the ticket as each one had its own hot tub on the terrace and log burning fire which made it feel like a world away from the city. Don’t be put off by the fact that this is part of a resort as each individual cabin feels really private, you quickly forget that there are others nearby.
The area offered endless possibilities in terms of outdoor activities but as our base was right on the water it seemed only right to start off there with a canoeing session on the loch. Once I got out on the water I could really appreciate the beauty of this location. It was a stunning but bitterly cold day (made even better with the gradient of autumnal colours all around me) but I had packed loads of warm layered Helly Hansen gear to keep me warm and dry. The photos ain’t a patch of the reality, you need to get up there to see it for yourself.
Now that I’ve had a taste of the Scottish outdoors, I can’t wait for my next trip!
This post was written in collaboration with Audi but all of the words and opinions are my own. Please support the brands who help to make The Everyday Man possible.
