Rosneath Castle Caravan Park

Dogfriendly Magazine Review

Read our comprehensive review of this listing printed in our bi-monthly magazine.

Name: Rosneath Castle Caravan Park
Reviewer: Emma Brown

In April, my husband Phil, Golden Retriever x Labrador Daisy and I stayed on the Rosneath peninsula in Argyll and Bute. I hadn’t heard of the area before, but given that our previous travels on the west coast of Scotland has always come up trumps with stunning scenery and chilled holidays, we embraced the opportunity. Our accommodation for the weekend was Rosneath Castle Caravan Park, staying in a Loch View caravan. 

Rosneath is only an hour’s drive from Glasgow, although with some of it being over a very hilly section that made our ears pop! We’ve driven past Loch Lomond many times on our travels, but its beauty still catches me by surprise.

As we got closer to our destination, we drove past Faslane, the Royal Navy’s main presence in Scotland. The area of Rosneath has quite the military background, with Rosneath House being US Navy headquarters in 1942, and with a naval hospital nearby. The caravan itself was previously home to Rosneath Castle, which hosted skirmishes involving William Wallace, before it burned down in 1802.

I hadn’t stayed in a static caravan since I was a child, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. After checking in, Daisy did her traditional sniff around to get her bearings (and to check that there was no food lying around). Sadly for Daisy, but appreciated by us, the caravan was spotless. There was a bag of dog biscuits for her on the table, along with a bowl and a towel. Shortly afterwards, we received a visit from the staff to check we were settling in, which was a lovely touch. We had also received a phone call a few days prior to our trip to check if we had any queries.

The caravan had one generous sized double bedroom, complete with dressing table area, and a smaller twin room; the sofa in the lounge also converted to a sofa bed. There was a toilet and shower room, and a spacious kitchen and lounge. The lounge looked out across the loch, which was beautiful. 

As dogs weren’t allowed in the bedroom, we set Daisy’s home up in the lounge where she quickly settled. The caravans carry the VisitScotland Thistle Award, providing a high standard of accommodation. The caravan was much roomier than I’d expected, and as we started cooking, we discovered it was well equipped. This was my first experience of cooking in a gas oven, so we ended up with garlic bread as dessert! After dinner we had a wander around the caravan site to get our bearings, realising there was a mix of holiday and residential caravans. The site has a large play area for kids and was very tidy with lots of well-kept bin areas and poo bins. There’s an indoor soft play for children too. There were plenty of rabbits to keep Daisy alert. Dogs have to be on a lead in the park grounds, which was probably a good thing to avoid a rabbit chase. We settled back in the caravan for the night, Daisy chasing bunnies in her sleep.

I had researched local eating places before we came, so for breakfast on Saturday, I had pre-booked The Perch, in Garelochhead, a 15-minute drive away. We received a warm welcome, and Daisy got a fuss and some treats from the waitress. I had stated on the booking that we were coming with Daisy, and was grateful to be seated at a table with plenty space around the side for Daisy where she could chill, watch the goings on, and not be in the way. The cafe filled up quickly and the other visitors were also more than happy to give Daisy attention. The food was great (full breakfast for Phil, and poached egg and halloumi combo for me), and it was a nicely decorated cafe to enjoy our breakfast in.

We then made our way to Peaton Hill and nature reserve. We tackled the hill first, as we enjoy a good view. The walk up wasn’t too strenuous and it was on a well-maintained path. Daisy had some fun at the top of the hill meeting other dogs and running around, while we admired the view of Loch Long. We had found the walk on a local hotel website (knockderryhouse.co.uk), and the caravan site also recommended this walk too.

We then wandered around the 1km path on the nature reserve, which is made up of a lot of boardwalk. The decking was a bit crumbly in places so we to be careful but, other than that, it was a pleasant walk. With Daisy suitably tired out from her morning’s adventures, we spent the afternoon relaxing in the caravan and reading our books. We considered water sports, which are available at the caravan park, or heading to Helensburgh for the local farmers’ market, but we were enjoying the view too much, and thought we’d have a rest before heading out again.

Late that afternoon, we headed over to the on-site bar, the family friendly Castle Isle Bar and Restaurant. Dogs are allowed in a separate room from the bar, so we had a drink while Daisy made friends with a few resident dogs. There was water and a help yourself box of treats. Although they did serve up meals, and also offered takeaway, we’d booked a local dog friendly restaurant for dinner so headed off after our drink.

The Harvest Moon Deli was a five-minute car ride away. We could have walked, but decided against it as it would’ve been a late walk back. This was a really quirky restaurant on the water, with fun décor and a cosy fire. The restaurant is only open on a Friday and Saturday evening, with a limited menu, but the food was delicious. The staff even brought over a little bowl of cooked chicken for Daisy, which was really kind. I had the cod and Phil the beef.

We headed back to our caravan, opting out of the evening entertainment at the bar which was a bit too loud. Dogs can be left unattended in the caravans, but as we were on a family holiday with her, we opted to hang out together. Static caravans come with their own soundtrack of noises, where the rain or birds on the roof sound much louder, so we thought Daisy would be more settled with us there.

On Sunday, we drove to the local village Kilcreggan for a walk. Kilcreggan is also on the coast, with rocky beaches and beautiful houses for us to admire. There were dog friendly eating places, but we were there bright and early after breakfast so settled for a walk. We stayed on the lead due to us walking next to the road, and checked out the local sites such as the pier, which operates a foot passenger ferry over to Gourock, and Tut Tut rock, a painted tribute to the Egyptian king. 

After lunch back at the caravan, we explored the local woodland walk at the edge of the caravan site, where we could let Daisy off the lead. It followed the coast, but was sheltered by trees which saved us from the elements. We had been informed we could do a loop, but we managed to get a little lost and ended up going out and back the same way. We made dinner in the caravan again, this time mastering the gas oven and serving everything together.

On Monday, having eaten all our supplies, we headed to the Castle Isle Bar in search of breakfast, but I hadn’t clocked that it didn’t open until lunchtime as it focuses on lunch and dinner meals. It was no problem, as the on-site shop is well stocked, including a large pet section with treats and tennis balls. While dogs aren’t allowed in the shop, there is a ‘dog park’ where you can leave the dog while you pop in.

After breakfast, we headed to the bigger town of Helensburgh. We parked up at Duchess Woods, and followed a pleasant woodland walk where Daisy could be off lead, and also enjoy playing with her ball in the sports fields. There were many dog walkers out, and the dogs were all friendly and enjoying a play together. On the way home, as I can never resist, we popped in to Lomond Shores, a dog friendly shopping complex on Loch Lomond, to see if we could pick up any bargains. We headed home, all happy after a relaxing weekend in Rosneath.

We deliberately tried to keep all our activities local, as the peninsula is not somewhere we’re likely to be often, while we pass near the bigger towns more regularly. We were treated to some great cafes and views as a reward for staying local. There are lots of places to visit nearby if you wanted to drive further for walks, or visits to local tourist attractions such as the Hill House in Helensburgh, a Charles Rennie Mackintosh masterpiece – the National Trust for Scotland website states that dogs are allowed in their rooftop café, so that’s one we might visit next time we’re passing. There were also boat trips from Helensburgh and some dog friendly eateries there. Whether you are looking for peace and quiet or a more action-packed break, Rosneath Castle Caravan Park would be a great base for a holiday away with your dog

Rosneath Castle Caravan Park, review by Emma Brown and appears in DogFriendly magazine issue 78. For more information on the DogFriendly magazine visit https://www.dogfriendly.co.uk/magazine