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The charming Kinloch Lodge doubles up as home to Scotland's favourite cook, Claire Macdonald, and so your search for warm Highland hospitality ends here. In the dining area, feast under the watchful eyes of Macdonald ancestors whose portraits adorn the walls, while the linen napery, vintage silver cutlery and polished glassware make an attractive display of how it should be done.

The kitchen team is headed by the Roux brothers-trained Marcelo Tully whose vision of Scottish cooking is largely based on finest local and seasonal produce. It's also comfortingly familiar, with Stornoway black pudding and caramelised apple and bacon, or Mallaig kippers with lemon and parsley butter for breakfast. There are few things better than fruit tartlets filled with crème patisserie or smoked salmon sandwiches for afternoon tea. At dinner rely on some exceptional produce from Scotland's natural larder, such as Buccleuch Estate beef and local poultry, game and shellfish.

Kinloch is also one among the few restaurants in Scotland to be awarded the Michelin Guide's 'Red Grapes' for their wine list, but the ultimate recognition arrived in 2010 when they gained a Michein star, the first ever on the Isle of Skye.

This romantic and seriously scenic piece of the Western Isles is awash with history. At the little harbour in 1746 Flora Macdonald was taken as a captive aboard the frigate Unicorn, after her rescue of Prince Charles Stuart, and interrogated before being taken to the Tower of London.

The Hotel claims to "offer our guests cuisine that sustains health and satisfies indulgence", and to judge from the galaxy of Awards that is precisely what they do extremely well. At dinner a typical meal could be made up of a grilled seafood sausage on cucumber pickle with a Glendale organic herb salad, interspersed with a cappuccino of smoked haddock and potato and followed by grilled calves liver with crisp bacon thyme mousseline served with fondant potato and a shallot and sherry jus.

A pudding of banana fritters rolled in nutmeg and fine sugar with butterscotch sauce gives a new slant on the humble fruit. The cheese board could offer Bishops Kennedy, Lanark Blue and Isle of Mull, three of Scotland's finest, and I dare say if you spoke to them very nicely an extra course could be negotiated.

A wine list selected by Sir Iain Noble, who owns the surrounding 23,000 acres, and Lady Noble, is sheer joy. Be prepared to ring the office when the dreaded day looms near to tell them you have been indefinitely detained in this paradise on earth.

Ideally located between Portree and Broadford, the Sconser Lodge Hotel offers comfortable accommodation and dining for those who'd like to explore the scenic attractions around the Isle of Skye and is a favourite haunt for nature enthusiasts. Originally built as a hunting lodge for the MacDonalds in 1871, it has been extensively, but tastefully refurbished to provide all the conveniences a 21st century traveller would expect including en suite rooms, home cooked meals and a well stocked bar.

The menu changes regularly to reflect seasonal and local produce, and a typical meal at the restaurant could begin with wood pigeon breast served with onion marmalade, Skye mussels in Skye ale broth, and wild mushroom bruschetta. Main courses could include Scottish sirloin steak served with hand cut chips or West coast fish stew with crusty bread, and few can resist the simplicity of a chocolate fondant or cranachan at dessert time.

Draught lagers, Isle of Skye real ales, malt whiskies and wines are served in the bar, and visitors can entertain themselves with books and games in the sun lounge area.

The restaurant is tiny and atmospheric with an idyllic location by the loch side. Loch Bay serves the freshest of local seafood, commendably the fish is allowed to speak for itself and is not overwhelmed by extraneous sauces, dishes might include Loch Bay king prawns, dressed and served cold; Loch Bay king prawns, dressed and grilled with garlic butter; sautéed scallops with lime and coriander or organic salmon - poached or grilled.

They keep oysters and lobsters in their sea-water tanks and there is always a good choice of specials such as halibut or Dover sole. Do note that they are only open from Easter to the end of October, and on Saturdays from the start of August - and also for a week over Hogmanay.

Duisdale House Hotel stands in all its Victorian splendour on the hillside of Sleat in the beautiful Isle of Skye with brilliant views across the mountains, hills and open waters. Once inside, a surprisingly modern décor with vibrant colour schemes and trendy fabric patterns complement the original features of the building.

At the restaurant there's no better way to enjoy a romantic meal on a winter night than to just sit by the crackling log fire and sip on a Cuvee Rose Brut NV in the candlelight. Then a dill and lemon cured mackerel with oatcakes, herbed cucumber salad and capers could be a good way to start your meal. For the main affair there's pan fried pork fillet steak with pak choi, black pudding and prune crushed potatoes, and apple and whisky butter. Finish with a warm chocolate fondant with vanilla cream and raspberry coulis before stepping out to watch the sunset on the hills of Knoydart.

Nestling in a charming hamlet on the shores of Loch Bay, Stein Inn introduces you to a world that's straight out of a picture postcard. Believed to be one of the oldest inns in Skye, this is a true haven for those who'd like to experience warm Scottish hospitality, excellent food and accommodation, and over 99 malt whiskies.

With the shores of Skye and Lochalsh in close proximity, the menu emphasises on fresh local produce and could open with starters of West Coast mussels marinières and scallops in oatmeal. Main course dishes include Highland venison pie and Scottish salmon with vermouth and tarragon sauce. Lunchtime menu features a Scottish Ploughman's often including Achmore cheeses, local fresh crab sandwiches, toasties, including the legendary haggis toastie, and two types of smoked salmon platters.

The bedrooms strike a right balance between the old world and modern times and are distinctively designed with uninterrupted views across Loch Bay.