This was my first visit to Melfort Village in over 20 years, my family having enjoyed a timeshare there from the very early days to the mid-nineties.
We lost my Mother last year, and she adored Melfort, so this visit was resonant with nostalgia, happy family memories, cheerful ghosts around every corner.
Everything that I remember being great about Melfort was still great. The secluded location (worth the long drive and the slight sacrifice to the high street etc.. new visitors, stock up at the Co-Op in Lochgilphead or one of the supermarkets in Oban, depending on how you approach) is still as magical. A sheltered sea level basin, that opens out onto views of Loch Melfort, with spledid sunsets.
No streetlamps to disturb the inky indigo sky, from which the stars glitter and sparkle on a clear night. Just the calming rushing of the Oude and the smell of the woodburning stoves (don't worry the kitchen has an electric hob, oven and microwave) to add warmth to the tranquility.
Lower Cooprage was presented in good order, clean, comfortable, modern but not trendy or trashy.
Plenty of utensils and things like a hairdryer are supplied, nice comfortable beds, warm substantial bedding with wall heaters if required. Be warned though, the logs, kindling and firelighters are not complimentary, but priced on a par with what you would pay at a supermarket.
There is a DVD player, analogue radio and a freesat TV, our cottage had free wi-fi that was easy to access. There is a payphone in the pool building, but we found that our O2 handsets worked fine for calls, though the GPRS was weak (you are in the middle of nowhere, in the best possible way)
Not an awful lot had changed since my last visit thankfully, fresh decor aside.
The Shower of Herring has recently changed hands, and with it has lost some of the exclusivity I recall from when it first opened, on the plus side this means keener pricing and the availability of takeaway fish and chips etc, all cooked fresh, and served by friendly staff, with the Restaurant now serving almost as a community hub, with regular folk nights and tasting nights. The food was good quality and the portions bang on for the money, and best of all, our wee doggie was welcome too.
I would recommend Melfort for couples, families, outdoor types, lazy types. We won't leave it another 20 years before we return, that's for sure.