Originally a shooting lodge (later a farm), this pretty, low, white building stands in flower-filled gardens and woodland in a secluded valley just outside an old fishing village. It is a Wolsey Lodge, run by its owners Robin and Susan Crosthwaite (she is the chef). 'We knew it was a great place from the moment we were greeted by Susan and her Labradors,' says a visitor this year, restoring it to the Guide after a period without reports. Two of the 'clean and comfortable' bedrooms are in converted byres and stables across a courtyard; each has a large bed and a single, a bath and a walk-in shower; and a sitting room with antique furniture, books, maps, etc; also tea-making facilities, home-made biscuits, fresh fruit, and flowers from the garden. A smaller room is in the main house. The hostess, who has written a book of local recipes, uses home-grown produce for her 'fantastic' four-course meals (no choice, taken communally). Typical dishes: Crailoch pheasant and chicken liver pâté; Ballantrae lobster with saffron sauce, pea risotto. A Scottish breakfast is taken in the dining room or kitchen, or on the patio in good weather. There are 'breathtaking' walks from the grounds, which have views across the sea to the Kintyre peninsula. (Tanya Simmonds)