For first-time visitors, this restaurant-with-rooms 'exceeded expectations in all respects'. Returning guests in 2009 were equally enthusiastic: 'A brilliant place to stay.' The converted tweed mill stands in wooded grounds with abundant wildlife by the River Gynack in the Cairngorm national park. The owners, David and Katie Young, and their staff are friendly; 'seldom have we eaten better'. David Young, a former AA hotel inspector, shares the cooking with Becca Henderson, using Scottish produce 'carefully but simply' on a short menu. Typical dishes: shallot tarte Tatin, goat's cheese emulsion; wild Shetland pollack, olive and chickpea confit. Vegetarians and those with other dietary requirements should give advance warning. There is a pretty terrace where champagne is served in summer, in winter, whisky in the lounge. Interiors are 'light and bright'; modern Scottish art hangs on the walls. Most bedrooms are spacious, with a king-size bed; they have books, music, ample lighting, 'top-quality toiletries', and hospitality trays. 'Riverside rooms have nice views and are very comfortable.' Breakfast, 'the one against which I judge all others', has freshly squeezed juices, fruit, fresh-baked croissants, and a hot dish of the day, perhaps buttermilk pancakes with blueberries. The Cross was named restaurant-with-rooms of the year in the 2009 Scottish Hotel Awards. (Brian Bellamy, Tony and Marlene Hall)