Whether you drive all the way, take ferries or arrive by helicopter, expect an unforgettable stay at this remote restaurant with rooms, occupying a 13th-century castle and Georgian house within a massive curtain wall, above the Sound of Mull. 'This is clearly no ordinary medieval pile,' writes an inspector. 'It's quite possibly Britain's smallest restaurant with rooms in a castle.' ‘Inside, it’s the perfect blend of medieval and modernity', with an inviting panelled sitting room with velvet sofas and an open fire. The ‘beautifully restored bedrooms’ have a four-poster, ‘antiques and intricate crewel embroidery fabrics… delicious biscuits from Tobermory’. MacDougall has a bathroom in what was once a hidden chapel, with a roll-top copper bath and rainforest shower. Two-bedroom McCain has French doors to a private stretch of the ramparts. 'At dinner, chef-patron Colin Nicholson had me at the first bite of sourdough, but the entire eight-course tasting menu was special. The spiced monkfish tail, pak choi, confit leek and fennel velouté were particularly memorable.’ Everything is locally sourced, with langoustine and lobster plucked from the waters just in front of the castle, fresh produce from a nearby community garden. Ask for one of Colin's ‘tasty picnic lunches’ and explore the Scottish wild West. (RG, and others)