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White Cottage Restaurant gives diners plenty of reasons to be cheerful. Its location in the heart of Royal Deeside is one among the most beautiful places in Scotland, and then considerable thought has gone into the selection of rugs, pictures and furniture that make up the interior. And what stands out as even more exciting is recreating those dishes that have tickled so many taste buds in the past.

The cooking travels with the seasons, and Italian is the way to go during autumn-winter. Pasta is the main event here, from the lasagne of peperonata and aubergine to linguine with spicy pork and spinach meatballs in passata. First courses of calamari rings with spicy chilli dip and fantail of melon, prosciutto and grapes with honey drizzle vary the theme slightly. Keep an eye open for some lighter options during lunchtime and specials of the day.

After a hearty dinner if driving home is not what's in your mind, then relax in one of White Cottage's three private ensuite bedrooms.

First off is modern slang. Line 4 is a good demo of where even comes into its own. Did Prince Albert take Queen Victoria here? Probably not. But he might have done if it had been there.

The Osprey Restaurant at The Lodge on the Loch is thoroughly contemporary in a magnificent setting in Royal Deeside. It boasts a wide ranging menu, offering Mediterranean, traditional Scottish and British favourites as well as a selection of vegetarian dishes. The emphasis is on fresh, local and healthy food.

The wines from around the world are reasonably priced at, in the main, under £20 per bottle, with a Bordeaux vintage selection that should keep the most interested wine connoisseur happy and quickly planning his next visit.

The desserts are all homemade and the cheeses are locally produced, a number of which are organic and award winning; you could wash these down with a glass of one of their vintage ports.

At lunch they offer an extensive selection of light lunch Mediterranean style dishes, together with some traditional old favourites, while in the evening the dinner menu is based on the same theme, but with less snack meals and more formal choices; throughout the day there are a selection of special to choose from as well. The Lodge is fully licensed, with a wide choice of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks including cocktails, and serves excellent fresh coffees made from Lavazza beans in an espresso machine.

The Lodge is located just off the A93, 1 mile west of Aboyne and is well camouflaged by trees at the side of the road and the old Railway line. When you approach the building the views open up to reveal a true hidden gem of Royal Deeside with panoramic views over the Loch and the Cairngorms National Park.

The wood clad structure is a new one that has been custom built for the purpose. It is unique in having outstanding views from all the public areas and function rooms, not to mention the aptly named Osprey Deck which has an extensive area for BBQs and al fresco eating.

After one year of operation the Lodge passed the rigorous standards of Eat Scotland and, after two, their Head Chef Sandy Cowie won third place at the Grampian Chef of the Year Awards.