Short stay: Arisaig House, Invernessshire, Scotland, UK

Arisaig House is very much a family operation (led by Peter and Sarah Winnington-Ingham), perfectly situated for exploring the West Highlands. From here, you can also easily reach the islands of Rum, Eigg, Muck and Canna, explore Knoydart, or venture north towards Skye. The house dates back to 1864 but was transformed in the 1930s. It was run as a very high end Relais & Chateaux hotel until 2002, before later becoming a private home and then the luxury bed and brekfast that it is today. The welcome We were warmly welcomed by Sarah, given a brief, informal tour of the public areas before being shown to our room. The room We stayed in a family room called Craigish which was light and airy, with soft shades of green. All rooms at Arisaig House are serviced daily. The bathroom The highlight of our bathroom has to be the view. Lean out of the window and look to the right, and this is what you see. I think you’ll agree it’s fair to say it’s a “loo with a view”! The facilities There are several communal rooms at Arisaig House where you can sit and relax. The morning room, for instance, can be found just next to the bar, and is where you’ll find a number of comfortable chairs where you can unwind, read a book, or have a drink or two. Dinner is served on the other side of the hallway and doesn’t disappoint. Pictured is marinated beetroot with grilled halloumi and rocket. Alternatively, you could have chose hot smoked salmon with pickled cucumber or a chilled gazpacho with crab. For my main, I chose the scallops with leeks and an orange butter sauce, which lured me in narrowly ahead of the Macbeths beef fillet, sweet potato, garden greens and salsa verde. With two courses costing £24.50, and three at just £29.50, I’m sure you’ll agree this is very competitively priced. Breakfast at Arisaig House included the option of a full Scottish breakfast complete with Stornoway black pudding. Alternatively, you could go for something a little lighter such as smoked salmon and scrambled egg or Mallaig kippers. Other nice touches On our first two evenings at Arisaig House, the weather was so beautiful that it was a shame not to make the most of it, so to hear that we were having a barbecue and dining outside was a lovely touch. There was a great spread, including barbecued scallops one evening and freshly-caught lobster the other. I’m not sure I’ve had such a colourful plate from a barbecue! The views from the terrace are beautiful (much like the view from our bathroom), and should you wish to stretch your legs or try your hand at croquet, the immacuately-kept grounds will serve your needs. There are 19 acres of woodland and landscaped gardens. Cost Rates start from £160 per night for an ensuite double room, including breakfast. The final verdict A very comfortable family-run hotel with wonderful views. Disclosure: The above formed part of a luxury Scotland mountain bike trip sponsored by Caledonian MacBrayne, Ridgeback and Madison.