Looking for things to do in Kames? How about five?
I recently visited the teeny tiny village of Kames for the first time. It’s a lovely, quiet corner on the west coast of Scotland and a trip here was exactly what I needed at the end of a long and busy year.
My trip to Kames was restorative, calm, and peaceful. Not only did I read a whole book during the few days I was there (always the sign of a good trip, I think) I also visited a spa for the bargain price of £15. And not just any spa, probably the best one I’ve ever been to.
Of course, it wasn’t just all about the indoor activities. I soaked up the beautiful – and wonderfully dramatic – Scottish scenery, spotted some local wildlife (a deer scampering across the road) and even visited a quirky landmark in the form of a giant armchair up a hill. Yes, really.
Here’s a rundown of my long weekend in Kames…
Where is Kames?
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Kames is a teeny tiny village located on the Cowal Peninsula, which is a stunning region on the west coast of Scotland.
It’s smack in the middle of the area where Scotland starts to break off into lots of smaller pieces, peninsulas and islands. In fact, it’s only a ferry ride away from a few islands, including the Isle of Bute and the Isle of Harris.
The area itself is part of Argyll and Bute, which is known for its picturesque views of lochs, hills, and woodlands. Kames is tucked away on the peninsula and it’s not a place to come if you’re looking for buzz. It’s sleepy, quiet, and peaceful – which I loved!
Things to do in Kames
See the giant’s armchair
The giant’s armchair is an oversized wooden chair that you’d find on top of a hill just outside of town. The trickiest part (well, the first one) was figuring out exactly where to park the car.
I read a few blogs and TripAdvisor reviews and there were a few people who had shared good directions. The path comes off the main road out of Kames, the A8003, and you go past the ‘Welcome to Kames’ road sign and park on the layby after that. Walk a few steps further and the steps (on the other side) you’ll see the steps – they’re not that obvious!
Next comes the tricky part. It’s steep! I’m semi-retired from doing Munros and I’ve generally avoided any kind of uphill climbing in recent months. Well, not today. This must have been a 45-degree incline most of the way up. Luckily for us, it only takes 15 minutes or so to get to the top, but I was definitely glad it was done when we got there.
The armchair itself is pretty cool. There are a couple of foot and handholds on the left-hand side that you can use to pull yourself up onto it. Despite thinking there was no way I’d manage it was actually easier than I thought. Once you’re up, the views over the Kyles of Bute are beautiful. When we were there the light was just gorgeous!
Go to the spa at Portavadie
Portavadie is about a 10-minute drive from Kames, and 100% worth it.
Going to a spa isn’t something I would usually do on a short break in Scotland. However, this spa is a little special for two main reasons. The first one is the price. What would you say is the average cost of going to a spa? £50? More? It’s never exactly cheap. Not here.
You can go to Portavadie Spa for two hours for the princely sum of £15. £15! Our host at the Airbnb let us know about it, although I’d come across it in my own research too. Isn’t that just amazing? Two hours is pretty much all you need to do everything you want to do, really, so it really sounded ideal. And the other great thing was the spa itself.
It’s not your average spa. There’s a gym, a decent-sized pool, a heated outdoor pool, a jacuzzi, a steam room, a sauna, hydrotherapy pool, but the best part is the incredible location.
Pretty much everywhere you are in the spa you have these amazing views out across Loch Fyne and the Isle of Arran beyond. You can chill in the heated jacuzzi outside while gazing out onto this magnificent body of water – much better than being in the basement of a hotel with nothing to look at but walls. The sense of grandeur is incredible. I felt like I was at the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, just without the mega-crazy price tag, ha.
I honestly can’t recommend this enough. The only minor negative for me is that you’re not permitted phones in the pool area so I couldn’t take photos of the views, and selfies!
See the Tighnabruiach viewing point
Want to soak up some incredible views? This is where you should come.
The Tighnabruaich viewing point, located on the Cowal Peninsula, offers captivating views of the Kyles of Bute. From this vantage point by the roadside, you can marvel at the stunning waterway that separates the Cowal Peninsula from the Isle of Bute.
One of the great things about it is that there is no ascent needed. Nope, you don’t have to climb a big hill to earn your vista views – this viewing point is right next to the road so you can just park up and get your photos without being hot, sweaty, and out of breath.
Located on the main road into Kames, it’s an ideal spot for a leisurely stop. If you’re lucky enough to be there in such gorgeous light as we were you’ll be seriously spoiled. But either way, it’s hard not to appreciate the tranquility of this picturesque corner.
Catch a ferry to the Isle of Bute
Another good thing about Kames is that it’s super close to the Isle of Bute! If you want to do some island hopping, then it’s the perfect spot as the ferry terminal is only a short drive away. Plus, the ferry journey was so short I didn’t even realise we’d arrived!
I went to the loo, came back, saw the car wasn’t there and then got confused because no one was around and I could see the car on the road outside. It turns out we’d arrived already! It took about five minutes in total so probably the shortest ferry trip ever.
So what is there to do on the Isle of Bute? I’m not gonna lie, we didn’t do a huge amount. I’d heard about the traditional Victorian toilets in Rothesay, the main town on the Isle of Bute, so that was my first pit stop. And they were just as cool as I’d heard, and also – thankfully – empty, as I was pretty shameless at poking my nose through for a little snoop.
However, there is plenty of other things to see on the island. Mount Stuart, a neo-Gothic mansion, the stunning Scalpsie Bay, known for its seal colony and breathtaking views, and Rothesay Castle, a medieval fortress with rich tales to tell.
Where to eat in Kames
The Kames Hotel
We came here for dinner one night and it was lovely, apart from the fact that it was deserted apart from two other diners. As we kept saying throughout the whole holiday, it was out of season, so it was probably to be expected for an already sleepy area.
I loved this place though. We were led into a large dining room with an enormous wood burner right in the middle of it. The fire was on and luckily we were seated at a table next to it so we could bask in the heat. Just what I needed on a cold night!
The menu is just what you’d expect from a place like this with homely and hearty pub grub. My partner ended up ordering the steak pie after being reassured that it was a proper steak pie, not a stew with a pastry top – the worst thing ever. I decided to go for a goat’s cheese salad, which maybe seemed like an odd choice for December, but hey ho. It came with pickled beetroot and I ordered a side of chips to make sure I didn’t waste away.
The owner was super lovely and ended up telling us all about her Labrador dogs who lie so close to the fire they sometimes singe their tales. Our dog Kasper isn’t quite so bad as that but it did make me watch him a bit more closely back at the cottage, ha.
Where to stay in Kames
We stayed at an Airbnb place – a cosy coastal cottage with a wood burner and views. My criteria for the trip was a cosy cottage with a wood burner that wasn’t too expensive, so this was perfect.
The fact that it was in the middle of nowhere was an added bonus. Surrounded by fields, you could hear the sheep bleating from the inside.
As soon as we got there I just knew it was exactly what I wanted. It’s fairly bijou with two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen/living space, but it’s all you need really. It was only the two of us and the dog so we didn’t need lots of space, to be honest.
The living room was perfect. I loved the décor and the wood burner as the centrepiece. I clocked the bookcase as soon as we arrived and plucked out a book on a whim, Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k-Up. I sat down with it next to the fire less than half an hour after we arrived and I stayed like that for most of the time we were there.
If you’re looking for something peaceful, but cosy, this is it.
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