It was a delight to arrive at Boath House after a crowded flight into Inverness Airport nearby, and be well and truly spoiled.

Our room was palatial, its bathroom having two 'sit up and beg ' baths looking out over the grounds.

Dinner is quite a formal affair with six courses served at 7.30, but delicious and well presented - the whole experience like staying in a luxurious country house.

Boath sits in 20 acres of manicured gardens, with a lake and woodland. It is in the heart of the Castle and Whisky Trails with 30 golf courses within an hour's drive, including two championship ones.

The hotel was voted AA Hotel of the Year 2010/2011 and has been awarded a Michelin star and four AA rosettes for cuisine. Much of the produce is sourced either locally or from the hotel's own kitchen garden. The house offers an Ayurvedic treatment room and its walls are adorned by a large collection of Scottish art, much of which is for sale. The library hosts an intimate whisky snug, ideal for sampling the malt selection.

The eight bedrooms include two ground floor and a cottage in the grounds, which can house a family of four.

Dogs only accepted as staying guests.

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