Read Sam's review of the spa at Cameron House

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to stay in a luxury version of Hogwarts, Harry Potter’s gothic-inspired boarding school, then booking a room at Cameron House is the closest one will get to such a magical experience.

The hotel, a former baronial manor house, is on the southwest bank of Loch Lomond, with views of the majestic mountains as backdrop to its 18th Century architecture. The location and hotel exterior are grand, but the reception and service is down-to-earth. It is impossible not to feel relaxed in its cosy atmosphere.

Cameron House has recently undergone a £25m refurbishment. Its interior designer Gavin Liddle has pulled off a masterstroke in creating what first appears to be a traditional décor, with tartan and antler-accessorised mirrors and chandlers, but with enough quirky detail and a contemporary paint palette to take away any hint of twee or stuffy.

Possibly, it’s the constant flicker of candlelight that invites comparisons with Hogwarts but, unlike the fictional school, there are no dormitories. The hotel’s sleeping accommodation comprises 96 rooms, including five luxury suites, in the original house and the new extension. The room we stayed in had comfortable beds and plasma screen TV. In the gorgeous bathroom a range of L’Occitane products are at your disposal and a rainforest shower.

The hotel has a lagoon-shape swimming pool, children's pool with flume, steam room, sauna and jacuzzi. There is also a squash court and a well-equipped gymnasium. However, if you want to truly indulge your body and calm your mind then it’s a five-minute trip in one of the hotel’s courtesy cars to the spa on the Cameron estate. Guests pay extra to use the facility, but it is well worth treating yourself to a spot of pampering as the spa boasts an outdoor infinity pool that overlooks breath-taking countryside as one of its many treats.

You can also indulge your body in a feast of good food. The hotel has three restaurants, the Marina that serves Mediterranean style food, the Claret Jug that offers simple but hearty, good quality meals made with local produce where possible and fine dining at Lomonds.

At the Claret Jug, I had a skewer of various meats and chunks of salmon, served with a side of homemade fries. It was delicious, as was my companion’s steak. And the crème brulee desert was heaven in a dish. At Lomonds, the menu was heavy with Scottish produce, including Orkney crab and exceptional Scottish beef.

The hotel also offers an afternoon tea to rival Claridge’s. A selection of mouth watering patisseries and tasty sandwiches, washed down with English breakfast tea for a competitive £19 per person. Fellow guests appeared to be equally impressed; we overheard quite a few superlatives. I would say that Cameron House is best enjoyed from a quiet corner in the Whisky Bar, with a Baileys in one hand and Vogue magazine in the other.

Comments on the TripAdvisor website are overall positive; it gets an average score of 3.5 out of 5, although there are mentions of disruption during the hotel’s refurbishment, which has now ended. Previous guests left comments agreeing with my experience of the service, the word "excellent" is used a lot, and giving it the thumbs up for location and its revamped décor. As one reviewer put it “What a pleasurable experience. The staff are wonderful and cannot do enough for you.”

Bottom line: Room prices start from £169 and include breakfast. Dinner at the Claret Jug for two, with wine and coffee is around £90. Dinner for two at Lomonds with wine is around £150.

Need to know: Cameron House, Loch Lomond, Dunbartonshire, G83 8QZ; Tel: 01389 755565; www.devere.co.uk/deluxe/Cameron-House

Access all areas: Cameron House has full disabled access with lifts to all floors.

Best thing: Sitting in the Scott’s Bar, sipping tea and looking out over the stunning view of Loch Lomond.

Worst thing: Having to check out and go home.

Food: 10 out of 10

Service: 10 out of 10

Room: 9 out of 10

Value: 8 out of 10

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