Argyll Hotel

Set amid the splendid isolation of a sparsely populated Hebridean island, this small 19th-century hotel is a few minutes’ walk from the ferry, and has magnificent views across the Sound of Iona to Mull. To limit the hotel’s impact on its surroundings, owners Wendy and Rob MacManaway and Katy and Dafydd Russon run things as sustainably as possible. Food really matters here; the kitchen is, they say, ‘at the heart of what we do’. Meat and fish come from local and ethical sources: fruit, vegetables and salads are grown mainly in the organic garden; bread, pastries and cakes are all made on the premises. Dinner might include pan-seared Isle of Mull scallops or roast loin of Iona hogget followed by rhubarb, stem ginger and honeycomb cranachan. The cosy rooms tend to be compact, with pine furniture, and oatmeal and pale blue furnishings; some have sea views, while others overlook the garden. The largest room has an exposed stone wall and wood-burning stove (you can also ask reception for a hot-water bottle). There is plenty of space to relax downstairs, perhaps by the fire 
in the North Lounge, or in the sunshine in the Sun Lounge.