The Cross at Kingussie

Take afternoon tea on the terrace at this former Victorian tweed mill and you hear nothing but birdsong and the plash of the Gynack Burn that once powered the looms. In leafy seclusion on the edge of town in the Cairngorms national park, with ‘beautiful walks from the door’, this restaurant-with-rooms with ‘outstanding food’ and ‘hosts that make you feel very much at home’ is ‘an excellent place to relax and de-stress’. The larger bedrooms overlook the burn, one with French windows to a small balcony. All are presented in contemporary-cum-cottage style, in colours inspired by the surrounding hills. After drinks in one of the cosy lounges, you can eat in the beamed dining room or alfresco. Chef here since 2014, David Skiggs wins plaudits for his imaginative cooking of local, seasonal ingredients. His fixed-price, three-course menu includes dishes such as wild halibut with fish velouté and Parmesan gnocchi. Let them know if you want veggie options. ‘The food was so beautifully rich that neither of us had room for dessert.’ At breakfast there are local butcher’s sausages and bacon, smoked fish, free-range eggs. (PS, and others)