Viewfield House Hotel

It’s a family affair, more like the Waltons than Hamlet, and the recent succession from father to daughter passed without a sword being drawn. Iona is now at the helm, but as Hugh is the only person on Skye who understands the plumbing system, he has been retained as a vital asset, and rightly so. As for their ancestral pile, it stands high above Portree Bay with long views across the Sound of Rassay. Twenty acres of gardens and woodland wrap around you; there’s croquet on the lawn and a hill to climb for 360º views of peak and sea. Inside, aristocratic fixtures and fittings come as standard: hunting trophies, cases filled with curios, a grand piano and open fire in the drawing room. Bedrooms have a country-house feel: colourful fabrics, crisp linen, pretty furniture, sea views from those at the front; bathrooms do the job nicely and are in the throes of refurbishment. Majestic Skye waits: mountains, sea lochs and beaches, wildlife, castles and distilleries. Light suppers are available by arrangement, but there are good restaurants in Portree, too. Highland porridge for breakfast is a treat. An old-school, island delight.