‘We spent three nights at Gordon’s. Maria Watson made us feel as if we were staying in her home.’ ‘They treated us like old friends, offering superb hospitality.’ Glowing reports this year from readers, on this restaurant-with-rooms in a Victorian terrace house in a hamlet close to glorious Lunan Bay. It was opened in 1986 by Maria and her husband, Gordon. They were joined by son Garry, who worked with his father, assuming the chef’s toque on Gordon’s death in 2016. It is ‘a family business in name and substance’, with Maria a charming presence front-of-house. Some bedrooms are small, but all are super-stylish, with bold wallpapers and fabrics. Courtyard, a suite with ground-floor access, stand-alone bath and separate shower room, is ‘immaculate and spacious’. But: ‘The highlight was the food. Each five-course dinner had a different menu and was exquisitely prepared.’ Scottish produce figures large in such dishes as Skye scallops, pea purée, duck ham, curry dressing; Angus Scotch beef fillet, artichoke and truffle ravioli, bacon jam, hay-baked celeriac, Rioja jus. And in the morning: ‘Needless to say, breakfast was perfect.’ (Joan and John Nicholson, Sally and Andy Mehalko)