Gleneagles
Scotland’s best address? (b,l,d; £££)
This superb country-house resort has oodles of time-worn style and staff who excel at warm unpretentious personal service.
Everything is five-star and possible leisure activities include shooting, riding, fishing, 4x4 driving and a fantastic spa.
But the really big draws here are the adjoining group of world-class golf courses (no handicap required) and Scotland’s finest restaurant (according to Michelin) under chef Andrew Fairlie. Here you’ll find stupendous French-influenced food, with much creative flair, served in a vaguely 1920s-style high-ceilinged room where cream silk drapes frame dark-blue walls. With a meal for two, including wine, typically running to £180, prices are right up there too!
Auchterarder
Cheapest room for two in high season: £700
gleneagles.com