‘Our stay at William and Sonia Marshall’s delightful small country house could not have been bettered,’ write Guide regulars. ‘We so enjoyed their warm, personal service.’ The Victorian villa, built in 1860 for Lord Seafield’s daughter, retains the atmosphere of a family home, with open fire, paintings, photographs. Bedrooms are individually styled with a mix of antique and contemporary furniture. Dual-aspect Craigievar has views of the hills of Cromdale and local woodland, a double-ended bath and separate shower. Dunnottar, writes another reader, ‘is a lovely room with attractive, soft, blue-patterned wallpaper, not large, but it felt roomy enough’. At 7 pm guests gather for drinks. ‘Mr Marshall was there to chat. We had a local gin and tonic with delicious little treats on savoury biscuits.’ Sonia Marshall’s short menus showcase local produce. ‘We had Cullen skink, venison and lamb, cooked to perfection, and for dessert a pavlova with raspberries and passion fruit.’ Whisky aficionados are in Scotch heaven. In the morning, ‘the breakfast menu offered a wide choice including Scottish favourites such as haggis. . . We picked a winner!’ (G and CF, J T-P, and others)