Gordon’s Shortlist*

'The welcome and food are always wonderful,' write trusted readers on a return visit to this restaurant-with-rooms, occupying a Victorian terrace house in a coastal hamlet close to glorious Lunan Bay. The venture was launched in 1986 by Gordon and Maria Watson, and since Gordon’s death in 2016, son Garry has manned the kitchen. Guests might take a drink in the walled garden before sitting down in the intimate dining room, with its log burner, bare stone wall, chandeliers, and wallpaper by edgy Glasgow designers Timorous Beasties. There is nothing timorous about the decor here, or Garry’s 'well-thought out' and 'perfectly executed' tasting menus of locally farmed, fished and foraged ingredients. They might include dishes such as barbecued Shetland turbot with wild mushrooms, celeriac and apple or Aberdeen Angus beef with caramelised cauliflower and red wine sauce. Everything from breads to truffles are made in house. Bedrooms are emphatically modern, with a bold palette. The ground-floor courtyard suite has a free-standing roll-top bath and separate shower room. The gourmet breakfast does not disappoint. (Andy and Sally Mehalko)