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Whitecroft Mansion is an elegant Georgian Country House, set in three acres of its own grounds, with a warm, friendly and welcoming atmosphere, this, hand in hand with high standards of hospitality, ensures that it is a haven of peace and tranquility. Located in the breathtaking Dumfriesshire countryside and enjoying views of the Solway Coast, the mansion has been lovingly restored and beautifully decorated.

The Armouries restaurant continues in the same vein, with a menu that entices with straightforward, well-prepared dishes, making use, a lot of the time, of the wealth of quality local produce almost on their front doorstep, with starters like Loch Fyne tiger prawns laced with sweet chilli jam and set on wok noodles or smoked Rannoch red deer with a honeyed peppercorn dressing.

A similar theme follows with the mains, such as seared fillet of Tay salmon on wok vegetables with a lemon basil velouté; seared medallions of Rannoch venison laced with a game reduction or an 8oz tender fillet of Buccleuch beef with chunky chips with a skewered garni.

Desserts are very much following the traditional line with crème brûlée with stewed rhubarb and homemade shortbread or sticky toffee pudding with crème anglaise and a rich butterscotch sauce.

This quiet 17th century restaurant is situated at The Cross Keys Hotel in the heart of Galloway, and serves traditional British food. Their simple but interesting menu offers the chef's homemade pate served with Scottish oatcakes, fillet of butterfish and other such hearty fare. An exotic prawn cocktail on a bed of lettuce with homemade Marie Rose sauce and a selection of award winning Loch Arthur cheeses are also available. Their warm and personalised service is an added attraction.

The thing I tend to notice amongst Scottish hotels and restaurants is that, whilst there may be less of them per square mile, the ones that are there generally carry a higher percentage of quality than, shall we say, other parts of the globe not so very far away. Cavens is no exception to this generalisation, presenting a small 4 star country house hotel of great character and charm that provides the perfect setting for short breaks, weddings and meetings. Formerly a privately owned manor house, it was bought by Jane and Angus Fordyce and now specialises in exclusive-use for private and corporate bookings.

Their reputation for cherishing their guests, no matter what their status, is well known, and locals rub shoulders comfortably with hotel residents and visitors alike. Dumfries and Galloway is an area where rushing about is considered to be in bad taste, and the pace of life is geared to the seasons, the weather and personal whim. No wonder so many English make the transition across the border when it's time to take life a touch more easily. Not for nothing did the Romans name that great fascinating tidal estuary, the Solway Firth, with its mild climate, as they did - 'The Way of the Sun'.

The restaurant has received much acclaim over the years, with a reputation for an ever changing menu devised by Angus, who doubles up as Chef and proprietor that exploits the markets and the seasons to the full. With an AA Rosette, three Visit Scotland medallions, and recognition in the Best Guide to Scotland.

A typical menu might run along the lines of a salad of locally smoked duck breast or pan fried scallops with lime and vermouth, followed by sea bass roasted with white wine and fennel or rack of Galloway lamb in a thyme and oatmeal crust. A notable finish to the meal could be pannacotta or cheeses from the Loch Arthur Estate, served with oatcakes by Corson of Castle Douglas, rounded off with coffee and chocolates made by Carswell of Kirkcudbright. Some notable single malts have found their way down from the Highlands, though sadly the locally distilled Bladnoch is now in scarce supply.