The auld alliance holds firm at this restaurant-with-rooms in a conservation village, where Fabrice Bouteloup gives a French spin to fine Scottish produce. In the 16 years since he and his wife Alison reinvented a handsome, 16th-century coaching inn, M Bouteloup has won prestigious awards for his modern cooking, inspired by boyhood summers spent on his grandmother's farm in Mayenne. The six smart, street-facing bedrooms vary in size. 'Always love coming back here!' wrote a reader, who generally books large, dual-aspect room 1, with its super-king-size bed and sofa. He particularly appreciated the table on wheels by the side of the roll-top bath, which was perfect for placing the soap or a glass of wine. Lunch and dinner are served in a beamed dining room with a roaring log-burner, and on the terrace. Short, daily-changing menus feature 'beautifully cooked' dishes such as hake fillet and herb gnocchi with broad beans and peas, or slow cooked ox cheek with rosemary polenta, shallot and onion marmalade. 'I love Fabrice's cooking, in particular the French toast at breakfast with crispy bacon,' reports our happy reader. (Bill Wood)