No road trip is complete without some snacks. For better or worse, the UK has some amazing treats. On our way to our night stop at Sheildaig Farm in Loch Lomond, we went to a Welcome Break and picked-up road sustenance.
Welcome Breaks are the UK's version of a Truck Stop. They are amazing. Let it be known that there is a difference between a Welcome Break brand stop and all others. Most of the Welcome Breaks that we encountered had several fast food options, a M&S Food, a WH Smith's, et... Some even had a mini casino! The options are great and I always found the restrooms to be clean. The non-branded stops had far less options.
It was at a Welcome Break in Scotland that we purchased three delightful treats.
Cadbury Bitsa Wispa and Caramel Nibbles.
Trebor Peppermints
Prior to our trip, we had been on a fairly strict diet. We hit the road and ditched the healthy eating!
Sheildaig Farm is a B&B located up in the hillside adjacent to Loch Lomond. The drive up to the farm is a bit harrowing for a first time visitor. The roads are narrow and there is a fork in the road where the signage was missing. We didn't have too much trouble finding it, but the first time up the hill was a considerable adventure.
We arrived during a rainstorm and the owner of the B&B, Lesley was out running errands. We had communicated with her regarding our arrival time and she had the keys set out for us near our accomodations. No problems.
Sheildaig Farms
The rooms at Sheildaig Farm are set up as little cottages and are not attached to the main house. I really appreciated the privacy that this afforded, as I wasn't worried about disturbing Lesley and her family. We stayed in the Cameron Cottage.
Our cottage was immediately inviting, done in a palatte of earth-tones that was both cozy and modern. It was immediately apparent that the proprietors take a lot of care towards making guests feel at home and anticipating their needs.
The room included ammenities such as a toaster, microwave, tea kettle, great smeling lotions and soaps. My favorite thing was the stack of guilty-pleasure fashion and celebrity gossip magazines!
The bed was very comfortable and above us, there was a giant skylight. The skylight gave the room a beautiful boost of natural light. We had to close it due to the rain, but when it was open, it let in fresh air that is a treat to for Los Angeles native.
The next morning, we took some pictures of the exteriors of the property.
My favorite residents of the farm were a flock of chatty clucking chickens!
The Chickens in their cool house!
We walked up the the reception entrance of the main house to meet Lesley for our breakfast.
Sheildaig Farms Reception
We signed the guest book and I was happy to see a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence. I love TripAdvisor and will definitely be writing a five-star review for Sheildaig Farm.
Lesley was a warm hostess and I wish that we had met her prior to breakfast in the morning. Her breakfast room was beautiful. We were seated next to a full length window that overlooked their back garden. One other couple ate breakfast at a nearby table and Lesley had new-age type music playing in the background. It felt like being at a proper restaurant, rather than a B&B.
Lesley offered us a made to order breakfast and we picked porriage. On this trip, I really learned to appreciate the way that porriage is made in the UK. It's hearty, creamy and delicious. I've never eaten anything quite like it in America.
Loch Lomond is a beautiful place to visit and if you're in the area, you should definitely stay at Sheildaig Farm. We had a wonderful night stop and would not hesitate to stay here on future trips.
To book your vacation, please visit their official website via the link below.