The claim that Clan Leslie ‘can trace its ancestry back to Attila the Hun’ might give you pause, but fear not: the warmest Irish welcome awaits at this baronial-style Victorian pile on a 1,000-acre estate with three lakes and an equestrian centre.

A short stroll from the world’s oldest distillery, there are peat fires, cosy nooks, a ‘secret’ library and well-considered bedrooms at this amiable 17th-century coaching inn on the Causeway Coastal Route.

In an elevated position, this large, modern hotel perches above tiered gardens, taking in an impressive panorama over the city and harbour.