Gorgeous corner of Scotland with family activities, great views & Instagram cafe

YES, it can be done. You can do it. Or maybe rephrase that – you CANOE it.

Struggling to prise a 12-year-old pre-teen away from the PlayStation? My wife and I managed it on the release weekend of the biggest game of the year!

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With a bit of help from Argyll holidays, Drimsynie estate, a canoe and a very Instagrammable cafe in this gorgeous corner of Scotland – it was surprisingly easy.

Jack even debated bringing his console with him and, to be honest, there would have been plenty of room to accommodate it in the spacious lodge we’d booked at this fantastic resort.

But it ended up, happily, that  there  wouldn’t have been much time for EAFC anyway — that’s FIFA to old-timers like me — as our days away were packed with fabulous things to do, and not a console in sight!

And after a brilliant weekend on the shores of Loch Goil, Jack admitted he’d barely missed it — result.

Whether it was swimming,  crafts, the arcade or adventure playground there was plenty for Jack and his five-year-old sister Beth to do  — and the food and drink on offer hit the spot for my wife Jennifer and I too.

GO: Drimsynie

Drimsynie Hotel and Holiday Village offers a range of accommodation and festive stays can be booked now for just £70 deposit.

Three nights self-catering  at Drimsynie Holiday Village is from £198, for four sharing a two-bed pet-friendly Gold Carvan or £248 in a lodge sleeping six, arriving December 20.

See cove.co.uk or call 0333 996 7888

Drimsynie proved the perfect spot to enjoy the great outdoors — as we did on the ‘Canoe With a View’ trip.

Ably escorted on Loch Goil by on-site activity instructor Scott McNab, we learned how to control and steer as we soaked in  his inside knowledge of the surroundings in among the ‘Arrochar Alps’.

And talk about a view? We really lucked out with the morning   sunshine  streaming through the clouds, glistening on the loch.

Paddling along was perfect mental respite and not too strenuous either. Scott’s tips of where to eat went down a treat too both during and after the trip.

We stopped for breakfast at The BoatShed Cafe and met up with the less adventurous Jennifer and our five-year-old, who’d taken the land-route to the Instagram-famous lochside spot.

They’d ordered us all  brilliant scrambled eggs and tasty American style breakfast waffles — perfect fuel for Jack to row us home.

And that’s how our three-bedroomed lodge felt — albeit with an added hot-tub.

In truth, we barely spent time there since there was so much on offer. We  had a go at archery and could have tried our hand at  axe-throwing, gorge-walking or a quick round on the nine-hole golf course.

But from being on the water in the morning, we were soon in it, at the swimming pool and while Jack got into the aqua-run inflatables, Beth leapt around outside in the ball pool and soft play.

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Then it was back to the  view — this time with no canoe. ‘The View’ is the appropriately named hotel restaurant with a brilliant vista over the loch and mountains.

We had enjoyed curry and pizza from the takeaway next door the night before and ate it on our cabin’s lovely balcony while drinking in the tranquil surroundings.

But at The View we sat down to a meal befitting the location. Pulled pork with Irn-Bru sounds a bit unusual but it worked a treat with special tattie scone nachos as the sun set over the loch.

Along the road at Inveraray — on the equally beautiful Loch Fyne — we took a visit to the famous jail and enjoyed a step back in time, with yet more stunning scenery.

Now, you may have noticed there hasn’t been mention of computer games for a while — and that reflected our trip too.

There was so much on, it was almost forgotten.

But as we headed for home Jack started working on his Ultimate Team but I’d already enjoyed the perfect weekend getaway at Drimsynie with mine.

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