Coul House

A private road leads to this singular Georgian mansion in lovely gardens and grounds, with ancient trees, a pitch-and-putt area, and a fairy trail through the rhododendrons for children. Susannah and Stuart Macpherson bought it as a hotel in 2003 sight unseen, and have been refining it ever since. Bedrooms, with muted decor, range from small doubles to a junior suite with a large bed and chesterfield sofa bed, mood lighting, a roll-top tub with TV, and a separate walk-in rainforest shower. The most sought-after have mountain views; the hotel is on the doorstep of the North Coast 500 driving route. Every bathroom is now connected to the pressurised water system for a good spritz. Public rooms have ornate plaster ceilings, arches, columns, antiques, blazing fires, and a sea of patterned carpet. In the octagonal dining room, Garry Kenley’s seasonally changing menus cater to all tastes, with such dishes as Mongolian fire pot vegetable stir fry, fish of the day or loin of venison with rabbit sausage. You can eat more simply in the dog-friendly lounge (soup, sandwiches). Breakfast is ‘excellent and promptly served’.