A Victorian remodelling of an 18th-century inn, this stone mansion stands tall in a ‘beautiful situation’, with lawns stretching to the loch, and views of Ben Nevis.

Atop a tree-lined drive, arrive to a ‘cheerful welcome’ at Jan and Adam Moore’s ‘excellent’ hotel, in an 18th-century hunting and fishing lodge.

On the banks of the River Nith, near the Southern Upland Way, this restaurant-with-rooms with a ‘welcoming atmosphere’ and a ‘restful ambience’ is ‘well worth a detour for the food alone’.

An ‘informal, warmly welcoming’ place, this low-key small hotel is just the ticket for visitors in search of ‘peace and quiet to experience the magic of this lovely, remote island’.

Chef/patron Geoffrey Smeddle and his wife, Katherine, run their ‘luxurious, very special’ restaurant-with-rooms in an 18th-century coaching inn close to St Andrews and the Fife coast.

‘The views are stunning’ from Shaun and Jenny McKivragan’s ‘small, personable’ hotel, in a dramatic setting above Loch Linnhe, with the Morvern mountains beyond.

On a sheltered cove on the wildly scenic Galloway coast, Sian and David Ibbotson’s stone hunting lodge is liked for its ‘tranquil setting’, its ‘professional, friendly, caring’ staff, and its fine collection of single malts.

There’s plenty of good walking around this converted Speyside villa – and plenty of whisky to warm the cockles at the end of a long day.

On the banks of Loch Faskally, two generations of the McMenemie family run this much-liked Victorian hotel with ‘cheerful efficiency’ and an ‘informal, personable’ air.

Find a spot for quiet contemplation, as did Guide readers this year, in the expertly maintained gardens or graceful public rooms of this ‘lovely place’ on the edge of the Cairngorms national park.

Seafood is an art at this ‘friendly, informal’ hotel in a ‘spectacular position’ overlooking the sea and a canal lock.

At the head of Badcall bay, this 18th-century manse is in a ‘splendid location’ – look through a gap in the trees towards a ‘tranquil scene’ of fishing boats on the water.

The former home of medical pioneer Sir Joseph Lister is anything but clinical today: the modern hotel occupying this 19th-century building, steps from the top of Princes Street, is awash in rich fabrics, bold patterns and ornate mirrors.

‘Guests’ comfort is prioritised’ at the Allen family’s Victorian country house hotel, which stands in parkland, gazing over Highland cattle and gently rolling hills.

‘Keep it small and do it well’ – that’s the philosophy at this surprisingly sophisticated restaurant-with-rooms in a quiet village four miles north of Peebles.