Boath House
Country-House Hotel with gardens & top restaurant (b,l,d; £££)
This forbidding-looking Georgian mansion lies in 20 acres of formal gardens and attractive woodlands where deer graze and the crash of waves along beautiful sandy beaches is not far away.
The setting makes the hotel a great retreat and inside things are very comfortable too. The relaxing public rooms are hung with local art and a great gym and spa await, where therapies include Ayurvedic treatments.
Its restaurant is among Scotland’s best and there's also a first-class afternoon tea (2.30–4pm); a real pleasure, not least because as a customer you’re free to wander the gardens afterwards too.