Rhumhor Holiday Lodge - Self Catering in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park

The broad fingers of Loch Goil stretch fjord-like between the mountains of Argyll Forest Park to form a stunningly beautiful setting for a story book holiday home, just a stone's throw from the shore. Set in neat lawns facing the loch and backing onto dramatic wooded slopes, Rhumhor was designed and built in the late Victorian era as a grand and stylish holiday villa and remains exactly that today. I love the turrets and oriel windows, an unapologetically quirky and somewhat frivolous touch, emphasising the fact that the house was built to give pleasure. Inside too, each room has its own special appeal, from the grand, enormous family room which was once the tennis pavilion, to the fairy tale turret bedrooms tucked away in their corners.

Owners Bill and Martine have recently given Rhumhor a new lease of life while at the same time maintaining its original Victorian charm, so that coming here feels a bit like stepping into a bygone era of genteel luxury and unhurried leisure. I almost expected someone to offer to take my hat on arrival and although all mod cons such as television and WiFi are here, it seems fitting to indulge in old fashioned pursuits like cards and parlour games, perhaps occasionally to give the lovely dining room its full due, to dress for dinner and have a long, leisurely meal – after all, we are on holiday and there's no need to hurry.

It's great to have a choice of places to sit and relax, and even with the house full, there's always a quiet spot to be found. I love to sit and read in an armchair by the tall windows on the half landing, glancing up from time to time to look out over the mountains, whose flanks are occasionally punctuated by cascading waterfalls. From the comfort of the sofa in the delightful art nouveau living room, I can watch the tide reveal and hide again the gently sloping shore with its banks of mussels, while keeping a keen eye out for seals, who sometimes lie sunbathing like mermaids on the rocks.

Room-wise though, the piece de resistance at Rhumhor has to be the old tennis pavilion with its huge, leather sofas, wonderfully warm decor and mountain views, enjoyed from the tall, swagged windows. We've had many pleasant evenings in here, the best of which was a fantastic 80th birthday celebration, the primary reason for the big family holiday.

It's no surprise, given Rhumhor's location within a forest park within a national park, that the beautiful, great outdoors is always beckoning from beyond the windows and it's no effort just to step out of the door and potter about on the shore of the loch or to set off on a hike up into the hills. For the young or young at heart, just five minutes away from Rhumhor, the Lochgoilhead Centre offers something new for everyone to try. I like to face my fears and take up a challenge and I can report that after the first couple of goes at rock climbing and abseiling, it feels less terrifying, more exhilarating. But don't ask me to step onto the scarily wobbly Jacob's Ladder...