Ardshiel Hotel
Kilkerran Road
Campbeltown
What is it: Ardshiel Hotel was built in 1877 for a local family called the Greenlees. As well as the rooms it has a popular restaurant and a lounge called The Usquebaugh Bar, which I headed straight for. The bar is small but perfectly formed with a wealth of period features. The huge whisky selection is the centrepiece, and there are tastings, whisky and food pairings, and a whisky club.
Interesting fact: Campbeltown has a rich history of producing single malt whisky with as many as 30 distilleries. Despite its claim to be "whisky capital of the world", production has markedly declined. Most of the distilleries have gone out of business and little trace of them remains. Today only three distilleries produce whisky in Campbeltown: Springbank, Glengyle, and Glen Scotia – though it may not be long before another few pop up.
Verdict: It's pretty easy to build a large whisky collection if you have the cash. The key to a good collection is the research and dedication to obtain bottles that are interesting and hard to get. The team here achieve this and that, combined with great product knowledge and friendly service, means that I could easily spend several hours here. A must-visit.
Drink: The Hotel bar won Wee Dram Whisky Bar of the Year 2010 and the prestigious Scottish Field Whisky Bar of the Year in 2013 and 2014. So they take their selection of over 700 whiskies pretty seriously. I very much enjoyed a Glen Scotia 12-year-old from just up the road.
Food: I didn't have time to dine on my visit. The restaurant has a great reputation for locally sourced Scottish favourites including Scottish beef, lamb, game and seafood.
Prices: Some real steals on the whisky with promotions on all the time.
Alfresco: Some space out front on sunny days with amazing views over Campbeltown Loch.
Children: Welcome if dining.
Perfect for: Sitting back and admiring the wonderful whisky collection and, of course, sampling a few.
Avoid if@ You can't be bothered leaving your city comforts for a piece of real Scotland.
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