Why Visitors From Around the World Are Choosing Lowwood Lodges for Their Scottish Holiday

There is something incredibly special about welcoming guests to Lowwood Lodges who have travelled thousands of miles to experience Scotland.

For many of our Scottish guests, a stay at Lowwood is a chance to escape for a few days, slow down and enjoy a peaceful getaway close to home. But for our international guests, Scotland can be so much more than that. It can be a dream holiday, a long-awaited family trip and a chance to experience somewhere they have always wanted to visit.

And this summer, we have been lucky enough to welcome guests from all over the world.

Qatar has been particularly popular, alongside guests from Saudi Arabia, Dubai, India, America, the Netherlands, Turkey and Poland. We have also welcomed guests travelling from around the UK, including Wales and Newcastle.

It really is something we never take for granted.

A peaceful Scottish base

One of the things our international guests love most about Lowwood is our location.

We are surrounded by peaceful countryside, but we’re also close enough to so many of Scotland’s attractions that guests can spend their days exploring and then return to the quiet of the farm in the evening.

From castles and landmarks to lochs, lakes, countryside and cities, there is so much to discover nearby.

Guests can spend the day exploring Glasgow or travelling towards Loch Lomond and Glencoe, before coming back to their lodge, enjoying the private garden and relaxing in the hot tub.

We think that balance is one of the things that makes Lowwood so special.

You can experience Scotland during the day, without having to stay in the middle of a busy town or city.

Experiencing the Scotland they imagined

It’s often the little things that international guests seem to love the most.

Seeing the horses in the fields around the lodges is something we hear about regularly. For us, seeing horses grazing is part of everyday life, but for someone visiting Scotland from the other side of the world, it can be a very special part of their holiday.

Highland cows are another favourite!

We often recommend local experiences such as Kilmacolm Farm Tours, as well as some of the beautiful country parks nearby. These are the kinds of experiences that allow guests to see a different side of Scotland beyond the usual tourist attractions.

And, of course, shopping is always popular too. Places such as Silverburn are within easy reach for those who want to mix countryside adventures with a little retail therapy.

Helping guests make the most of their stay

Something we’ve particularly noticed with international guests is that they often need a little more help getting around.

Transport in Scotland isn’t always as straightforward as it can be in other parts of Europe and around the world. For larger groups, it can be especially difficult. Hiring several cars isn’t always practical when you have ten people travelling together, and many guests simply don’t want to drive while they’re on holiday.

That’s completely understandable.

Where we can, we help our guests arrange private transport and taxis and recommend car hire where appropriate. We also spend time recommending places to visit and helping guests work out how they can get around during their stay.

This summer, we even discovered a fantastic WhatsApp feature that translates messages.

That meant I was able to have full conversations with some of our guests in Arabic, which made communicating so much easier. I could help arrange transport, answer questions and recommend things for them to do without the language barrier getting in the way.

For us, it’s all part of making guests feel welcome.

Space for everyone to enjoy

Our lodges work particularly well for international families and groups because everyone can stay together without feeling like they’re on top of each other.

Each lodge sleeps up to 10 guests, with five bedrooms and five bathrooms, giving everyone plenty of their own space.

One comment we hear regularly is just how spacious the lodges feel — even when all ten guests are staying together.

After a busy day exploring Scotland, guests can come back, cook together, sit around the table, relax in the lounge or head outside to enjoy their private hot tub.

And then there are those views across the farm, with the horses in the fields around them.

It’s a very different experience from staying in a hotel room in a city.

The little gestures we never forget

One of the most wonderful parts of welcoming international guests is the kindness they show us in return.

This summer, we had a lovely group of women and children visiting from Qatar who brought me dates as a gift. They were absolutely delicious, and it was such a thoughtful gesture.

We also had a group staying with us for a wedding, where the bride was leaving from Lowwood on her special day. When they left, they gave us chocolates and a lovely note telling us how amazing the place had been.

And just last week, guests surprised us with a bottle of champagne and a card to celebrate our two-year opening anniversary.

These little moments mean so much to us.

Scotland is special to our international guests

Perhaps one of the biggest things we’ve noticed is just how special Scotland can feel to someone visiting from overseas.

For a Scottish guest, Lowwood might be a getaway — somewhere to escape to for a few days and enjoy a change of scenery.

For an international guest, it can be their Scottish holiday. It can be a trip they’ve planned for months, a family adventure, or somewhere they’ve dreamed about visiting.

We get to see Scotland through their eyes, and sometimes that reminds us just how lucky we are to live here.

Our advice for visiting Scotland

If you’re travelling to Scotland from overseas, our biggest piece of advice would be to allow more time than you think you’ll need and plan your transport in advance.

There is so much to see and do, and trying to fit everything into a few days can mean spending more time travelling than actually enjoying your holiday.

Transport can also take more planning than international visitors might expect, particularly when travelling as a larger group.

If you’re staying with us, we’re always happy to help where we can — whether that’s recommending places to visit, helping with transport or simply pointing you towards some of the experiences we think you’ll love.

Leaving with memories to last

Ultimately, that’s what we want every guest to take home with them.

Not just photographs, but memories.

We want our guests to leave feeling relaxed, having experienced the Scotland they came to see, and hopefully already thinking about when they can come back.

Because when someone has travelled thousands of miles to stay at Lowwood Lodges, knowing that they leave wanting to return is one of the greatest compliments we could receive.

From Qatar to America, from India to the Netherlands, and from across the UK, we feel incredibly lucky to welcome people from so many different places to our little corner of Renfrewshire.

And we hope that wherever in the world you’re travelling from, you’ll feel just as welcome here.