http://www.thelodge-scotland.com/

The Lodge on Loch Goil, Loch Goil, Lochgoilhead (2026)

12/10/2026

A HIGHLAND HOUSE BY THE LOCH

There are places you visit — and places where, almost immediately, you begin to slow down.

Red Squirrel Cottage at Woodside Lodge sits among the woodland on the shores of Loch Goil, surrounded by mountains, water and wildlife.

Originally part of the old York Cottage buildings at Woodside, today it is a warm, characterful three-bedroom Highland cottage created for families and friends who want something increasingly difficult to find: time together.

Three double bedrooms. Two bathrooms. A proper kitchen. Long dinners overlooking the loch. Fireside evenings. Woodland walks from the door. Red squirrels in the trees. And mornings when there is really nowhere you need to be.

Phones down. Fires lit. Time together.

We have a limited number of three-night-and-longer stays available between now and Christmas, with arrivals from 4pm and every direct-booking guest personally welcomed to Woodside Lodge.

Red Squirrel Cottage is also dog friendly.

For current availability and direct booking:
[email protected]
01301 703 173

Iain James Hopkins
Owner & Proprietor
“Your Highland Concierge”

Woodside Lodge
Loch Goil • Argyll • Scotland

09/10/2026

MEET “YOUR HIGHLAND CONCIERGE”

Behind every stay at Woodside Lodge is a person.

I’m Iain James Hopkins, owner of Woodside Lodge and, perhaps more importantly for the guests who come to stay with me, “Your Highland Concierge.”

I personally welcome my guests when they arrive at our private estate on the shores of Loch Goil in Argyll.

For me, hospitality has never simply meant handing someone a key and showing them where they are staying.

It is about sharing something.

It is about showing you the Scotland I know.

The quiet roads.
The mountains worth walking.
The lochans and wild swimming places.
The best places to eat.
The cafés worth stopping for.
Local food and drink.
The history and stories behind the landscape.
The places to fish.
The woodland trails.
And the places where you may be lucky enough to encounter Scotland’s wildlife.

Here in Argyll and on the Cowal Peninsula, nature is never very far away — red deer, red squirrels, seals, seabirds, birds of prey and some of the quieter inhabitants of our woodland.

Woodside Lodge is not simply somewhere to sleep.

It is somewhere to base yourself while you discover the west coast of Scotland.

And if you want my help, I will help you make the most of your time here.

I know this part of Scotland from living it — its weather, roads, walks, food, history and the places I return to myself.

Some of those places appear in guidebooks.

Many do not.

This is my Hidden Scotland — and one of the great pleasures of running Woodside Lodge is being able to share it with my guests.

For anyone considering an autumn or winter escape, we still have selected availability at Seal Cabin and Red Squirrel Cabin between now and 31 December 2026.

If you would like to stay with us, send me a DM or email:

[email protected]

Tell me when you would like to come, what you enjoy doing and the kind of Scotland you would like to discover.

I will reply personally.

Iain James Hopkins
“Your Highland Concierge”
Woodside Lodge Estate
Loch Goil · Argyll · Scotland

08/10/2026

ROMANTIC HIGHLAND ESCAPES | OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2026

There are places you visit — and there are places that stay with you.

Hidden within our private estate on the shores of Loch Goil in Argyll, Woodside Lodge offers something increasingly difficult to find: privacy, peace, extraordinary scenery and time together.

The story of this estate stretches back to 1860. Today, I have the privilege of looking after it and personally welcoming the guests who come through our gates.

I’m Iain James Hopkins — “Your Highland Concierge.”

For me, hospitality has always been about much more than handing somebody a key.

I personally meet our guests on arrival and, if you want my help, I’ll share the Scotland I know — its food, drink, history, culture, landscapes and some of the places that never make it onto the usual tourist itinerary.

After three decades here, I know Argyll, the Cowal Peninsula and Loch Goil exceptionally well. I can help with walks, places to eat, cafés, local experiences and those quieter corners of the Highlands that can transform a few days away into something genuinely memorable.

We also have excellent relationships with local restaurants and cafés, and where arrangements are available I can help our guests make the most of them.

A romantic escape for two

Between now and 31 December 2026, we still have a small number of dates available for romantic stays at:

Seal Cabin
An extraordinarily private little cabin sitting right at the edge of Loch Goil — made for two.

Red Squirrel Cabin
A much larger secluded couples’ retreat surrounded by woodland, wildlife and the mountains of Argyll.

Think fires lit as darkness falls.
A long breakfast with nowhere to rush to.
Ch*****ne beside the loch.
Autumn walks.
Winter mountains.
And uninterrupted time together.

And perhaps, for somebody planning to ask the most important question of their life, a rather special place to propose.

This week I was also delighted to receive another consecutive Airbnb Superhost award.

The latest assessment recorded 70 stays, a 0% cancellation rate, a 4.8 average guest rating and a 99% response rate.

For me, those figures represent something much more important: guests trusting me with their time away.

Interested in escaping to Loch Goil?

For remaining dates during October, November or December 2026:

Send me a DM
or
Email: [email protected]

Tell me the dates you have in mind and which retreat interests you. I will reply personally.

Iain James Hopkins
“Your Highland Concierge”
Woodside Lodge Estate
Loch Goil · Argyll · Scotland

07/10/2026

A WINTER LOVE STORY | GRÁINNE & OLIVER

On 8 December 2020, Gráinne Cullen and Oliver Harris travelled north from London by train and arrived at Woodside Lodge on Loch Goil.

The next day, 9 December, they were married here in the Scottish Highlands, with registrar Samantha Gillies conducting their ceremony.

They departed on 10 December after three unforgettable days and two nights at Woodside Lodge.

Looking back at these photographs, what strikes me most is how beautifully winter suited their wedding. The soft Highland light, the quiet loch, candles, Ch*****ne, comforting food and the warmth of the fire created something wonderfully intimate.

There is no need for a winter elopement to feel like a smaller version of a traditional wedding. At Woodside Lodge it becomes something entirely different — private, personal and centred completely around the two people getting married.

Gráinne and Oliver summed it up afterwards:

“We had such an amazing time and feel so lucky to have gotten married at the Lodge, it’s a really special place. The food was amazing and Iain could not have done enough for us. He is truly ‘Your Highland Concierge’. What an amazing venue — highly recommended.”

That is the experience we want every couple to remember: calm, unhurried and deeply personal.

There is only one Woodside Lodge.

We have a small number of winter elopement dates remaining before the end of 2026.

For a private conversation about getting married at Woodside Lodge:
[email protected]
01301 703 173

Photography: Fotogenic of Scotland
Hair & Make-Up: Laura
Registrar: Samantha Gillies

Woodside Lodge
Loch Goil · Argyll · Scotland

30/09/2026

LAST-MINUTE AVAILABILITY | SEAL CABIN

Due to a very last-minute cancellation, we have a rare three-night stay available at Seal Cabin:

Friday 2 October – Monday 5 October 2026

For this booking only, we are offering 15% off our normal direct-booking rate.

Seal Cabin is made for two — a tiny, private retreat sitting right on the shores of Loch Goil. Wake to the water outside your window, slow down, switch off and watch the wildlife that shares this remarkable place with us. On the right morning, our seals really do swim past while you are having breakfast.

It is also a very special place for something unforgettable — a proposal, anniversary, birthday or simply three nights away together.

Your stay includes:
• Three nights in Seal Cabin for two adults
• 15% last-minute direct-booking saving
• Complimentary Woodside Lodge welcome pack
• Personal arrival and check-in
• A private lochside retreat surrounded by nature and wildlife
• Personally welcomed by Your Highland Concierge

This availability is for a DIRECT BOOKING with Woodside Lodge and is not being offered through Airbnb.

For the special three-night price and booking details, send us a private message with the words:

SEAL CABIN

I will reply personally.

Woodside Lodge Estate | Loch Goil, Argyll

16/09/2026

CHAPTER TEN — THIS IS WOODSIDE LODGE

Ten chapters. One elopement. One very special place.

Over the past ten chapters we have followed Rosie & Alexander through their Woodside Lodge story — from arriving on the shores of Loch Goil to the quiet moments, the anticipation, the flowers, the photographs and everything that makes an intimate Highland wedding feel so personal.

For us, an elopement has never simply been about the ceremony.

It is about having time.

Time to arrive.
Time to breathe.
Time to enjoy each other.
Time to disappear from the outside world for a few days.

No crowds. No production line. No pressure to create somebody else's idea of a wedding.

Just the two of you, surrounded by mountains, woodland and the waters of Loch Goil.

Since 1996, Woodside Lodge has welcomed couples to this remarkable corner of Argyll. Today, our weddings are deliberately smaller and more personal — private elopements created for just 2–6 adults.

Every couple is welcomed personally to Woodside Lodge and looked after throughout their stay.

Private. Personal. Unhurried. Unforgettable.

Thank you to Rosie & Alexander for allowing us to share their story, and to Michael Jelski at Fotogenic of Scotland for capturing it so beautifully.

And although this is the end of our ten-chapter story… perhaps somebody else's Woodside story is only just beginning.

2027 Elopements at Woodside Lodge
Loch Goil · Argyll · Scotland

Woodside Lodge — The Jewel in the Scottish Highlands.

[email protected]
01301 703 173

Photography:

15/09/2026

CHAPTER NINE | EVERYTHING TAKEN CARE OF 🤍

The photographs may show the beautiful moments. What they do not always show are the dozens of little details quietly coming together behind them.

The rings. The flowers. The clothes. The timing. The ceremony. The photographer. The food. The ch*****ne. The cabin. The legal arrangements. And all those small things that can make a wedding day feel either effortless — or overwhelming.

At Woodside Lodge, our elopements are designed so that you do not have to spend your wedding worrying about any of them.

For Rosie & Alex, the morning unfolded exactly as it should: slowly, privately and without fuss. A quiet moment in the mirror. Final touches. Flowers waiting. Rings ready. And time to simply enjoy the anticipation of what was about to happen.

That is where Your Highland Concierge comes in.

With decades of experience welcoming couples to Woodside Lodge, I know that true luxury is not about making a wedding bigger. It is about making it feel effortless, personal and completely looked after.

From the moment you first enquire, I can help bring together the details of your Scottish elopement — accommodation, food and w**e, flowers, cake, photography, hair and make-up, the ceremony, witnesses and the practical arrangements that allow you to arrive and simply enjoy being here.

And because Woodside Lodge is not a hotel or a conventional wedding venue, your experience is private. The cabins, gardens, shoreline, woodland, Loch Goil and the mountains beyond become part of your wedding story.

Whether you are travelling from elsewhere in Scotland, from across the UK or from the other side of the world, the aim is the same:

You arrive.
You are looked after.
And everything runs exactly as it should.

Woodside Lodge Estate · Loch Goil · Argyll · Scotland
Private Scottish wedding elopements for 2–6 adults.

If you can imagine your wedding feeling like this, send us a private message with the word ELOPEMENT.

Iain James Hopkins
Your Highland Concierge
Owner & Proprietor, Woodside Lodge Estate

Photography: Michael Jelski | Fotogenic of Scotland

Your wedding. Your story. Your Scotland.

FINAL CHAPTER — YOUR STORY STARTS HERE

14/09/2026

CHAPTER EIGHT | THE CELEBRATION 🤍

After the vows, the photographs and that wonderful moment when you realise, ‘we’re married’, something else happens at a Woodside Lodge elopement.

Everything slows down.

For Rosie & Alex, celebration was not about a ballroom full of people or a timetable packed from morning until midnight. It was found in the little things.

Wedding flowers gathered with care. Personal details that meant something to them. A quiet touch. A shared bite. A few minutes together in their cabin. A walk into the garden. And time to simply enjoy being husband and wife.

That is what I love about an intimate wedding.

Nothing has to be performed for a room full of guests. Nothing has to be rushed because the next part of the day is waiting. The couple are allowed to be completely themselves.

At Woodside Lodge, the estate becomes part of that celebration — the cabins, the gardens, the shoreline, Loch Goil and the mountains beyond.

After 30 years of weddings here, I still believe luxury is not always about having more. Sometimes luxury is privacy, time and being looked after properly.

That is the experience I want every Woodside Lodge elopement couple to remember.

Woodside Lodge Estate · Loch Goil · Argyll · Scotland
Private Scottish wedding elopements for 2–6 adults.

If you can imagine your wedding feeling like this, send us a private message with the word ELOPEMENT.

Iain James Hopkins
Your Highland Concierge
Owner & Proprietor, Woodside Lodge Estate

Photography: Michael Jelski | Fotogenic of Scotland

Your wedding. Your story. Your Scotland.

Next Chapter — The Morning After

12/09/2026

CHAPTER SEVEN | JUST MARRIED 🤍

The vows have been spoken. The rings are on. And then Rosie & Alex look at one another and realise… we’re married.

This is the part of a Woodside Lodge elopement I love most.

No ballroom full of guests. No wedding coach waiting. No enormous timetable telling you where to go next.

Instead, the doors open onto Loch Goil, the mountains and the enchanting woodlands of the Woodside Lodge Estate — and you simply disappear together.

Down to the water. Along woodland paths. Across little bridges and burns. Beneath ancient trees. Perhaps even beside one of our old Land Rovers.

Rosie & Alex’s photographs capture exactly what I want a Woodside elopement to feel like: personal, relaxed and completely their own.

There is time to laugh. Time to wander. Time for photographs. Time to get the wedding dress a little muddy. Time to meet Sky, our Highland Concierge dog. And most importantly, time for each other.

Because at Woodside Lodge, your wedding is not confined to one ceremony space.

The estate becomes part of your wedding.

Loch Goil. The mountains. The shoreline. The gardens. The cabins. And our enchanting private woodlands.

Quietly in the background is Iain — Your Highland Concierge — taking care of the details so you can enjoy what really matters.

After 30 years at Woodside Lodge, I still believe the most memorable weddings are not necessarily the biggest. Sometimes they are the smallest, the quietest and the most personal.

If you have been dreaming about escaping to Scotland and getting married somewhere private, beautiful and a little different, perhaps you have just found it.

Woodside Lodge Estate · Loch Goil · Argyll · Scotland
Private Scottish wedding elopements for 2–6 adults.

To begin your own Woodside story, send us a private message with the word ELOPEMENT.

Iain James Hopkins
Your Highland Concierge
Owner & Proprietor, Woodside Lodge Estate

Photography: Michael Jelski | Fotogenic of Scotland

Your wedding. Your story. Your Scotland.

Next Chapter — The Celebration

10/09/2026

CHAPTER SIX | THE CEREMONY

And then the moment arrives.

After the journey to Loch Goil, the first evening together, waking on the morning of your wedding and those quiet hours getting ready, there is nothing more to organise.

It is simply time to get married.

For Ashni Chotai & Marcus Flint, from Leicester, England, this was exactly how they wanted their Scottish wedding to feel.

Private. Personal. Beautifully simple.

A short walk through the grounds of Woodside Lodge brought them to our Wedding Pavilion, sitting amongst the trees on the shores of Loch Goil.

No crowds. No complicated timetable. No pressure to make the ceremony anything other than their own.

Just two people, standing together in one magical corner of Scotland, making their promises to one another.

The smiles. The laughter. The emotion. The vows. The rings.

And finally, those two little words the previous chapters have been leading towards…

“I do.”

Ashni & Marcus chose to have their intimate elopement at Woodside Lodge and, a few weeks later, celebrated again with a larger traditional Indian wedding surrounded by family and friends.

They did not have to choose between the two.

They could have both.

For more than 25 years, weddings and events have been part of the story of Woodside Lodge. Today, our private elopements bring that experience together in a relaxed, personal and beautifully intimate way.

Wherever you live in the world, we can help guide you through planning your Scottish elopement from the very first conversation.

Could this be your wedding story?

To speak personally with Iain James Hopkins — Your Highland Concierge — send us a private message with the word ELOPEMENT or email:

[email protected]

All photography: Fotogenic of Scotland

Your Highland Concierge: Iain James Hopkins
Owner & Proprietor of Woodside Lodge for 30 years

Your wedding. Your story. Your Scotland.

Next Chapter — Just Married

ScottishWedding DestinationWeddingScotland IntimateWedding LochGoil Argyll ScottishHighlands

The Lodge on Loch Goil

12/10/2026

09/10/2026

08/10/2026

07/10/2026

30/09/2026

16/09/2026

15/09/2026

14/09/2026

12/09/2026

10/09/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request