Date spot in Loch Lomond and the Vale
The Hill House
See the house Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed for the publisher Walter Blackie, down to the furniture and light fittings, then walk the high walkways of the see-through box built to let it dry out.
Upper Colquhoun Street, Helensburgh
Address: Upper Colquhoun Street, Helensburgh G84 9AJ- Culture
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Best in Spring, Summer, Autumn
Why it's a good date: You get Mackintosh's rooms and a look over the roof to the Clyde, which nobody will be able to do once the box comes down. It's a steep walk up from the station, so take a taxi if it's wet, and check the season before you go.
Photo: Tom Parnell from Scottish Borders, Scotland, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized)
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More from our Loch Lomond and the Vale guide
Sugar Boat
Colquhoun Square, Helensburgh
Address: 30 Colquhoun Square, Helensburgh G84 8AQ- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Mid-price
- Foodie
- Cosy
Book a table at the relaxed bistro on Colquhoun Square for seasonal plates of local produce, or drop in during the day for coffee and a scone.
Why it's a good date: Easy-going but properly good, so it suits a lazy lunch or a dinner that feels like an occasion. It's named after the sugar ship that ran aground in the Clyde in the 1970s, which gives you something to look out for on the way.
Helensburgh seafront
West Clyde Street and the Esplanade, Helensburgh
Address: West Clyde Street, Helensburgh G84 8SQ- Outdoors
- Free
- Dog friendly
- Romantic
Walk the long promenade along the Clyde from the pier, looking over the water to Greenock and the hills of the Rosneath peninsula.
Why it's a good date: Flat, free and right by the station, and the sunsets over the firth are something else. Pick up a coffee in town and make it the walk after lunch at the Sugar Boat.
Cameron House
On the A82, just north of Balloch
Address: Cameron House, Loch Lomond, Alexandria G83 8QZ- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- A treat
- Romantic
- Big night
Dress up for dinner at the Cameron Grill or afternoon tea at the big baronial hotel on the shore, with the loch through the windows.
Why it's a good date: The special-occasion choice, for an anniversary or a big question. Book well ahead, and in summer arrive while it's still light so you can walk down to the water first.