Coul House

‘A stunning Georgian building with wonderful grounds’, this 1820s mansion has been run as a hotel by ‘lovely, friendly’ hosts Susannah and Stuart Macpherson since 2003. It is a guest-centred place, ‘very traditional, tidy, clean, rather old-fashioned’. Public rooms have antiques, log fires, wall-to-wall patterned carpeting, ornate plaster ceilings. Bedroom decor, from small doubles to a four-poster suite, is contemporary. Superior rooms have a roll-top bath and walk-in rainforest shower. ‘Bathroom good, with under-floor heating, waterproof TV in bath’ – for watching the soaps, maybe. Mountain views are the most sought-after. A warm-water hose awaits your dog’s return from a walk to see the giant sequoia. 
In the impressive octagonal dining room, the chef 
gives a contemporary spin to classics, in dishes such as corn-fed chicken breast coq au vin in 
bramble wine jus. Some readers, staying a few 
nights, weren’t blown away by the food at breakfast 
or dinner, but noted that the restaurant is popular with local diners, and ‘Stuart clearly has enormous respect from his team’.