‘Highly, highly recommended. We shall return.’ Much praise from a reader for this ‘wonderful little boutique hotel’ with ‘delightful’ views across Loch Linnhe and the Morvern mountains. Shaun and Jenny McKivragan are ‘engaging’ owners, who run an ‘efficient, friendly’ place, with ‘great service’, including a complementary prosecco on arrival. The converted ferry inn has ‘sophisticated’ but down-to-earth decor: original artwork, deep sofas, ‘a welcoming coal fire’, alongside fresh flowers, shelves of books, wellies by the door. Chef Chris Stanley’s ‘top-notch’ seasonal menu harvests the West Coast’s bounty for ‘among the tastiest food we have ever consumed’: roast rabbit loin, hazelnut gnocchi, quince; Loch Melfort sea trout, oyster, sea vegetables, razor clam, hand-rolled linguine. Readers who noted some of the otherwise ‘clean, comfortable’ bedrooms looked a tad ‘tired’ will appreciate the hotel’s continuous refurbishment. As well as a good book and a little something from the whisky bar, there are ‘great walks from right outside the hotel’ and bike hire for two-wheeled exploration. Be warned – the Isle of Lismore, a short ferry ride away, is ‘not as flat as it might appear’. (Fiona McKirdy, SS, and others)