‘The moment you walk in it is obvious that care, interest and real flair have been shown in the decoration. We loved the unusual clocks and knick-knacks.’ A rise to a full entry this year after inspectors visited Robert Bryson and Glen Russell’s restaurant-with-rooms in a former village smithy. ‘Robert greeted us warmly and took us to our beautiful front bedroom.’ It was snug, ‘restful and welcoming’, with ‘wonderful bluebird wallpaper, a soft blue carpet’. Among blue cushions on the bed sat ‘a teddy bear from Australia’. The property stands at a crossroads, but ‘double glazing makes it warm and quiet’. Invited down to the lounge for tea and ‘delicious iced ginger cake’, they were struck by the hosts’ consideration for their guests. Drinks in the sun lounge were followed by ‘a wonderful dinner in the quirky dining room’, aka Russell’s. Top marks for ‘delicious celery, apple and almond soup; one of the best venison dishes I’ve ever had, in a lovely sauce’. Glen Russell’s menus exploit local produce: Mull scallops, Arisaig prawns, Wester Ross salmon, Highland meats. In the morning ‘a lovely breakfast, with a good choice’. Altogether ‘a great place to stay’.