The stunning lake with beautiful shores, just a few hours from Glasgow

BOWNESS-on-Windermere is rightly one of the UK’s most popular short break destinations.

This picture postcard town in the heart of the Lake District is bursting with tourists all year round.

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It gives the place a bustling energy that’s in stark contrast to the tranquil waters of Lake Windermere that lies majestically at its base.

And that’s the beauty of a trip to The Lakes — you can marry a love of nature with a fondness for a good meal and a busy pub.

That’s exactly what me and my wife Lesley-Anne enjoyed during a recent visit where we stayed for two nights at the four-star Ro Hotel.

Bowness is relatively small so there’s a premium on accommodation with lake views.

And the Ro — sat halfway up one of the town’s steepest hills — lays claim to one of the very best.

We had the pleasure of a balcony room that offered a brilliant panoramic vista of England’s biggest lake.

The outdoor terrace was a beautiful spot to start the day with a cuppa and end it with a glass of wine. The stately Ro has 87 rooms over four floors. It’s bright and spacious with a charming bar and a modern-decor restaurant called Lacu’s.

The food menu boasts a welcome variety and the drinks offerings are plentiful with a good mix of wines and local beers.

On our first night I went for a pulled pork and sweet potato starter followed by a rib eye steak main that came with confit plum tomato, grilled mushroom, watercress, triple cooked chips and peppercorn sauce; both were delicious and washed down nicely with a couple of pale ales.

Lesley-Anne had a small plate starter of nachos, then pan fried Cumbrian chicken with smoked pancetta, mushrooms, carrots, baby onions, creamy mash, black garlic puree and a red wine jus.

The service was refreshingly relaxed and desserts of sticky toffee pudding and mixed berry crumble rounded off a delightful couple of hours at Lacu’s.

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The next day we fuelled up on a buffet breakfast that was available until 10am and made the five-mile walk to neighbouring Ambleside for a mooch about.

The route snakes along the lake where boats take visitors on sight-seeing tours.

We’ve been lucky to visit the Lakes a few times over the years so skipped a nautical adventure on this occasion, but for first-timers I’d recommend it as a must to fully appreciate the beauty and vastness of the area.

Ambleside — like Bowness — has loads of quirky shops, welcoming pubs and fun leisure activities, making it a very easy place to while away a few hours.

We returned by open-top bus where on-board audio explained the various points of interest we were passing along the way.

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And once back in Bowness we had the luxury of choosing from dozens of restaurants for a bite to eat, settling for a Swiss-Italian joint just a stone’s throw from the hotel.

By the time we’d finished snow had begun to fall (it was March, after all) so we grabbed a bottle of wine and headed for the perfect spot — our balcony at The Ro.

Next day we made the most of the hotel’s brilliant central location and explored Bowness.

Cobbled streets brimming with independent shops create a traditional vibe a world away from retail centres.

Down at the waterfront, children watch with excitement as the ships set sail on their latest short voyage. And all this takes place in the most beautiful of surroundings.

At night the town is lively with plenty of pubs and live music but the overall feeling is one of relaxation, undoubtedly fostered by the calm security of the lake.

If you haven’t visited this quirky pocket of Cumbria then you’re in for a treat.

And if it’s a Ro-mantic break you’re after — then look no further than the fantastic Ro Hotel.

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