The Bosville, Isle of Skye, Scotland

You're in the heart of Portree with a grandstand view of the harbour (where you'll find excellent fish and chips). It's on a busy corner in the road, with all the shops, cafés, banks and buses a few steps away. You can buy anything from hiking boots to whole foods. The well-regarded Scorrybreac Restaurant is up the street, or nip around the corner to the Isle of Skye Ice Cream Company.

By car: around 5 hours 15 minutes from both Glasgow and Edinburgh, and 8 hours 30 minutes from Manchester.

By train: trains run from Glasgow to Mallaig for the ferry to Skye, and from Inverness to Kyle, where you can take a bus to the island. Book trains.

It's a busy, buzzy place full of laughter and bonhomie, with people spilling from the bar to the pavement when the weather allows. The style is smart-rustic with nods to the Highland vernacular of tongue and groove panelling (they had it before it went mainstream) mixed with smart midcentury furniture.

You won't find hotel services here beyond room service, and you may want to pre-book your table in the restaurant (or bar) as it can be busy, but in common with many small hotels the staff are wonderfully helpful.

• Bar
• Restaurant
• Family-friendly
• Free Wi-Fi

Rooms range wildly in size and shape but all are simple and calming, in soft shades of grey with accents of autumnal brown and russet. Local ceramics, shelves of well-thumbed books and antique-coloured bottles add interest, while well-designed bathrooms range from a free-standing bath to a small bathroom with a great rainfall shower.

Room types: Cosy, Room, Superior, Premium, Family

Key amenities: ensuite bathroom with toiletries, bathrobes and slippers, hairdryer, tea and coffee facilities, TV, free Wi-Fi

The Dulse & Brose restaurant is informal, and so is the well-prepared food. You'll find lamb chops and roast cod, and haddock with Skye Ale batter and a bright garden pea purée. And while the pudding list may be short, who's going to pass up a slice of Perthshire raspberry tart?

Dulse & Brose: British cuisine, locally sourced ingredients. Dishes include haunch of venison and wild halibut fillet. Open for breakfast and dinner.

Merchant Bar: cosy bar, log fire. Local ales, gins and whiskies.