Between Lough Eske and the foothills of the Blue Stack mountains, Deirdre McGlone and Marc Gysling’s traditional hotel is run with heart. Its fans love the old-fashioned care and attention to detail – plus the rare Irish whiskeys ready for sipping by a peat fire. Spacious bedrooms are stocked daily with fresh milk, fruit and biscuits; each lakeshore suite has its own entrance and a lough-facing terrace. In the restaurant overlooking the water, modern Irish dishes might include smoked lamb loin, confit shoulder, wild garlic, white asparagus, anchovy. Breakfast has buttermilk pancakes, Donegal bacon, a daily fish special. There’s much to do: active pursuits (archery, canoeing, golf), leisurely walking routes, loughside picnics. 4 miles from town.