Dani Walker heads North of the border for some family fun in Scotland

SCOTLAND has so much beautiful scenery, it can be difficult to decide where to put down roots for a few days. As regular visitors to the beguiling, but very urban environment of Glasgow, it made a change to spread our wings on our most recent visit.

Dunoon, a small town situated about an hour’s drive and a 20-minute ferry crossing from Scotland’s largest city, was the chosen destination for my husband and I to take our son for his second birthday.

After a trouble-free drive up to Gourock, where we were due to board the ferry that would take us on the final leg of our journey, there was a minor hiccup when we spent a good 40 minutes struggling to find the terminal. Port finally located, an epic hailstorm made for an interesting voyage across the Firth of Clyde. There were further, sat nav-related shenanigans after disembarking from the ferry in Dunoon, but things calmed down a bit once we managed to locate the camp site.

Actually, ‘camp site’ is selling the place well short. Hunters Quay Holiday Village is just a couple of miles from Dunoon. Complete with a mixture of mobile homes and lodges, the site overlooks the Holy Loch.

Our lodge, the Rowan Comfort plus, was just what we needed for our son to have the space to play and big enough for us not have to worry about tripping over his ever expanding supply of toys. As for the view, it was a scene you wished could be there every day when you draw back the curtains.

We still have the luxury of enjoying holidays during school term time, so the site was fairly quiet, but all the facilities were open. The swimming pool and soft play proved a hit, and there was lots for older children too. We had four fabulous nights at the Hunters Quay site and could have happily stayed twice as long.

First stop was a visit to Loch Lomond and, more specifically, to the Sea Life Aquarium. Even at such a young age, our son loved it, as did his parents, avid fans of Pixar pals Nemo and Dory. Then, despite the drizzly day, we took the opportunity to take in our beautiful surroundings before heading to a nearby pub for a lovely lunch.

On a short break there are always going to be places you don't manage to see, but we did our best to add to the ever-growing list of Scottish places we have visited. We picked the Isle of Bute, once the beach resort of choice for fashionable Glaswegians, and we weren't disappointed; it is a quirky little place and a lovely choice for a walk with our little boy.

And don’t let me mislead you in thinking the Victorian public toilets in Bute's main town Rothesay were the most exciting part of the visit, but when you are encouraged to leave a comment in the guest book, you know you’ve stumbled across somewhere a little unusual.

At only 15 miles long and four miles wide, the island still manages to combine a mix of rolling countryside with small towns filled unusual architecture and beautiful gardens, which still look great on a damp day.

It might only be small but with the beaches and quirky towns spread across the island, it certainly is a place worth a second visit.

Dani Walker was a guest of Argyll Holidays when she stayed at Hunters Quay, in Dunoon. The Rowan Comfort Lodge, for four nights Monday to Friday costs £225 for June. For further prices, visit http://argyllholidays.com