An historic fort that looks like Hogwarts, with views out across a lake famous for a monster in its depths. I mean, it couldn't be more magical a location for a family holiday could it now?
That was the scene as I took my kids on their first adventure to Loch Ness in Scotland. The base for our stay was the simply majestic Highland Club in Fort Augustus, on the far southern point of the vast, hypnotic, expanse of water.
The prospect of spotting the legendary monster said to stalk the moody Loch was naturally a big source of excitement for my two young boys, aged 9 and aged 5. They talked of little else but Nessie on the rather long drive north, and came up with their own theories of what the eel-like creature could be - a long surviving dinosaur being the most popular conclusion.
And arriving at The Highland Club for our stay became another source of excitement, as we were guided through the old Abbey cloisters, spotting a giant chess board that you can play on that looked like something out of The Traitors, and on into the former Abbey Church to find our apartment.
The stunning Fort Augustus Abbey was built in 1876 (although the original fort was constructed in 1729) and it's a substantial landmark in this part of the world. When you head on a boat ride across the Loch, it forms the majestic backdrop to journeys that all add to the fairytale feel of this special Scottish destination.
The building was taken on by The Santon Group in 2012, who lavished £30million on what was once a decaying ruin into 109 apartments and cottages. The group retained a selection of those apartments to become award-winning self-catering lets.
It is set in its own 23 acres of land, and staying in one of the apartments and cottages across The Highland Club site means you are able to venture through the gardens, and sit admiring the views across the Loch. They are all self-catering, so the good thing for families is you're able to get all the feel of a luxury holiday spot, but without the bills of a luxury hotel stay.
We were lucky enough to stay in one of the two apartments on the site that also offer a rooftop terrace - meaning we could enjoy the views out across Loch Ness on a truly epic scale. Other rooms across the site offer views of the Loch, the Great Glen or the adjacent Caledonian Canal.
Our apartment was set within a quirky tower of the former church, spread across six floors in total - so we most definitely got our steps in on this holiday. Period features have been retained and restored, so for example in our apartment we had original stained glass windows spilling colourful light on the main living and dining room space.
Our bedrooms were up on the top floor, and the kids were so excited when they dashed into their twin room to find gift bags on their beds - all children under 12 staying at the apartments get these.
As guests at The Highland Club, you also have access to an indoor pool, steam room and sauna, the Club Lounge and snooker room. Within the grounds there is a tennis court, a football pitch and a woodland play area too that my kids absolutely loved.
On one of the rainy days during our holiday we also took advantage of another of the quirky activities on the site - a multi-sports simulator room with giant video screens. Costing £40 for an hour and 15 minutes, the kids (ok and me too) got to pretend we were playing tennis at Wimbledon, and doing penalty shooutouts at the Bernabeu.
Other activities can also be arranged by the club staff for those wanting even more adventures including archery, kayaking, rafting and fishing.
As we had driven so far away from home in the north west to get up to Scotland (a 6 and a half hour drive no less!) we were keen to really explore the Loch Ness area while we here. Naturally that meant a boat ride, which head out daily from a mooring right next to The Highland Club in Fort Augustus.
We purchased a family ticket for £65 to head out on the Cruise Loch Ness trip, which took about an hour heading half way across the Loch, and included plenty of information from the knowledgeable sailors about the legends of Loch Ness.
It even showed the sonar radars beneath the boat, showing the activity beneath that has sparked all the theories about exactly what creatures may be in the waters.
With Nessie fever strong among my two boys, we ventured out to further up the Loch to the village of Drumnadrochit where we had heard there were some Nessie centres.
We ended up at Nessieland, which I think it's fair to say is a little rough and ready, but my children absolutely loved it and it was a fairly cheap price at £25.99 for a family ticket.
There were interactive exhibitions, lots of giant snake and dinosaur toys and a mini play area, as well as a cinema room showing a Loch Ness monster documentary on how the different sightings of a dark creature over the centuries have fuelled the theories that my nine-year-old was entranced by.
Just along the road from here is the iconic Urquhart Castle which has featured in many a movie, and the backdrop to many a tourist photo as well.
We visited in February, and did fairly well with the weather, but the only disappointment for us was that this is the "low season" in Fort Augustus. It meant a lot of shops and cafes weren't open, and The Highland Club's restaurant The Boathouse was also closed until April.
But that meant I suppose we saved money by buying in food for most of the week and cooking it all up in the very epic kitchen in our apartment. There is a small supermarket and petrol station in the village, and it's around a 45 minute drive to the city of Inverness where you'll find major supermarkets and many more options of shops and restaurants.
Overall though it was a most magical first trip to Scotland for my two young boys, especially given the fairytale setting of The Highland Club, creating lasting memories of a place steeped in myth and legend.
Travel factfile
Dianne was a guest at The Highland Club at Fort Augustus, Scotland. Apartments range from £300 per night to £1300 per night, depending on apartment size and season. There is an on-site reception exclusively for the use of guests of apartments with complimentary fruit, drinks and snacks available throughout the day, plus an optional daily cleaning service – at no extra fee.
It is recommended to book direct to receive a 10% discount at www.thehighlandclub.co.uk.
How to get there
It's a hefty drive to Loch Ness from the north west, it took us 6hrs 40 minutes to travel the 360 miles by car.
You can also fly direct to Inverness Airport from Manchester, which is then a 43 mile drive Loch Ness. There is also a mainline train station at Inverness which offers direct trains to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and London Kings Cross and Euston.
