A stone villa built in 1780 for the Duke of Argyll, Leslie and Margaret Crane’s small, friendly hotel looks out over Oban Bay to Lismore, the Morvern hills and Mull. Home in the mid-19th century to an evangelising admiral named Otter, it offers deep-water mooring for those arriving by boat. It’s ‘very handy’ for the ferry terminal with regular sailings to the Isles, say readers in 2018, yet ‘completely quiet’, with ‘friendly staff’. Individually styled, ‘well-appointed’ bedrooms have ‘wonderful views’, especially those overlooking the harbour (binoculars supplied), some have richly patterned wallpaper, all have Molton Brown toiletries. In the public rooms the decor is ‘cosy Scottish’, the walls hung with paintings in gilt frames. In the dining room, chef Gerard McCluskey places emphasis on provenance, with local meat, freshly landed fish, organic fruit and vegetables. Typical dishes include West Coast seafood grill, crushed herb potato, tender stem broccoli, fennel; roast saddle of lamb, heritage carrot terrine, spinach and pea mould. Breakfast brings Stornoway black pudding, oak-smoked salmon, kippers from Inverawe Smokehouse. An ideal base for hill walking and exploring the Hebrides. (Christine and Philip Bright)