Culdearn House

Perfectly placed to enjoy a distillery tour or to follow the whisky trail, Sonia Marshall’s Victorian house in the heart of Speyside stands in mature grounds on the edge of a swathe of the ancient Scots pine woodland that surrounds Grantown. The ambience is more intimate guest house than hotel, with just six bedrooms (double and twin), a wide choice of malt whiskies to sample by the fire, and a locally sourced, four-course dinner cooked by the hostess. Readers who arrived soaked from a fell walk were delighted to have their wet gear whisked away to the drying room. They reported that their room, Craigevar, had 'lots of space, terrific views, a very comfortable bed, a bathroom with doubled-ended bath and separate shower'. At dinner, the 'food was excellent, especially the steak, pork tenderloin and the rack of lamb'. After a freshly cooked breakfast of Scottish produce that 'could not be faulted' with 'particularly flavoursome' smoked salmon and scrambled egg, head out to explore the Cairngorms national park, fish in the Spey, or take an exhilarating ride on the funicular to the summit of Cairngorm Mountain. (Alan and Edwina Williams)