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Places To Visit From the bright lights and designer labels of Glasgow to the tranquil countryside of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Abbotsford provides easy access to a range of activities to suit everyone. Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Almost 2000 sq km of the finest scenery in Scotland lies within five minutes of the Abbotsford Hotel. Scotland’s first national park, opened in 2002, contains numerous lochs, rivers, and mountains surrounding Loch Lomond - the largest freshwater loch in the UK. A wide range of outdoor activities including walking, fishing, cycling and sailing are available within the park. Dumbarton Castle A short distance from the hotel lies the 240ft high twin peaked volcanic rock that is home to Dumbarton Castle. A fortress has stood on spot since before Roman times and the castle, which was once played host to Mary Queen of Scots, was still in uses as a military base in 1945. Once the capital stronghold of the ancient kingdom of Strathclyde the rock has been linked by some historians as the possibly the real home of the legendary King Arthur. Helensburgh Eight miles away lies the coastal town of Helensburgh, which was named after the wife of its founder, Sir Robert Colquhoun, at the end of the 18th Century. The birthplace of television pioneer John Logie Baird the town is also home to the world famous Hill House, a mansion designed and built by renowned architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh which now owned by the National Trust for Scotland and open to the public. Other famous local connections include Henry Bell, originator of the steamship, and Hollywood legends Jack Buchanan and Deborah Kerr. Glasgow Scotland’s largest city is home to variety of museums, art collections, entertainment venues and shops. With the city centre less than 30 minutes from the Abbotsford the urban tourism experience is within easy reach for a night out on the town or a day shopping. Stirling The ancient capital of Scotland is less than an hour away and is famous for its Castle, situated in a commanding position on a volcanic hill. It was here that William Wallace defeated the English armies in 1297, and nearby Bannockburn, where Robert the Bruce did the same in 1314. Falkirk Wheel A modern marvel designed to breath new life into a historic canal network the Falkirk Wheel is the world's first and only rotating boatlift. Designed to reconnect the 18th century Forth and Clyde Canal and the Union Canal this 21st century mechanical marvel is the only rotating boatlift in the world.