‘The elegance of the beautiful birdsong and gardens’ characterises this turreted 1920s mansion, an ‘extremely welcoming’ country hotel in large grounds outside the town. Family owned for 66 years, it is managed by Stephen Owen; the ‘helpful staff’ are ‘excellent’. ‘Superb bedrooms’ are well supplied with bathrobes, top-end toiletries and home-made shortbread; a hot-water bottle is tucked under the covers on a cool night. At lunch and dinner, find a seat overlooking the award-winning gardens in the restaurant, where a modern Scottish menu of home-grown produce is served on bare wooden tables. (‘The food looked good, but we wished the menu had changed during our three-night stay,’ a guest said this year.) Never changing: the popularity of afternoon tea on the terrace on a balmy day, with finger sandwiches, sweet cakes and a mini sausage roll or two. 1½ miles W of town.