Grey seals loll the day away along an old ferry slipway on the shores of ‘wild, beautiful’ Loch Glendhu – the ‘superb setting’ for ‘hands-on, energetic’ Tanja Lister and Sonia Virechauveix’s ‘most enjoyable’ small hotel. Run with ‘informal warmth’, the converted former 17th-century coaching inn, recently described as ‘wonderful’ by Jeremy Clarkson, no less, has a fresh contemporary feel, with wood burners, bleached woods and muted tones that reflect the ever-changing landscape. ‘Most of the time there is complete silence.’ Smart, individually decorated bedrooms, some compact, are in the main building and a loch-facing extension. The best are in the latter, where spectacular views come with crisp linens, a large bed and smart bathroom with ‘a full cohort of good toiletries’. Landed-at-the-door seafood is a speciality, but vegetarians are equally well served in the ‘casual, gastropubby restaurant’. Typical dishes: haggis bonbons, red onion marmalade; seared hand-dived scallops, cassoulet, cauliflower purée; a vegetarian burger. A seat by the window (‘a rare score’) reveals ‘a special atmosphere whatever time of day’. (J and DA, and others)