Whisky-sampling opportunities at Islay’s distilleries are within easy reach of this homely small hotel in a tranquil village. Lorna McKechnie manages for the Islay Estates Company. Tea and home-baked treats, plus local ales and Islay malts, may be taken in the tartan-carpeted lounge. Well-equipped, warmly decorated bedrooms are stocked with Islay tablet fudge and locally made toiletries. Come dinnertime, choose between traditional dishes in the cosy, garden-facing restaurant, and classic pub grub in Katie’s Bar. At breakfast: potato scones, Loch Fyne kippers, eggs ‘cooked how you like’. The hotel has complimentary access to bank fishing, and preferential rates for boats on the estate’s trout-fishing lochs. Walkers and cyclists are welcomed.