Viewfield House

Soak in the house-party atmosphere at the Macdonald family’s country pile, a ‘fabulous’ house standing peacefully in acres of mature wooded gardens, with views of Portree Bay. Continuing a welcoming tradition, Iona Macdonald, now in charge with partner, Jasper, is the third generation of her family to receive guests with a friendly, informal, ‘attentive’ air, offering drinks and cream teas. There’s much to admire in the Victorian interior: antiques, oil paintings, colonial memorabilia, hunting trophies; a grand piano sits by huge windows in the log fire-warmed drawing room. Traditionally styled bedrooms, all bar one with an en suite bathroom in a converted dressing room, vary in size. There’s no TV in the bedrooms (a communal TV room’s just the ticket if the tennis is on), but there’s plenty of diversion all around: nurse a malt whisky while browsing the collection of books, play croquet on the lawn, walk up the hill for views of the Sound; the town is a ten-minute stroll away. Evenings, ‘fantastic’ dinners of rustic dishes are served, by arrangement, under the gaze of gilt-framed portraits. More reports, please.