Isle of Eriska Hotel, Spa & Golf

About 200 yards to the east of the little bridge that connects Eriska with the mainland is a sunken dwelling, or crannog, dating from around 200BC, evidence of the earliest human settlement on this lonely outpost. The modern amenities of golf and spa treatments may be more in evidence these days, but Eriska's delicious remoteness is as haunting as ever, especially if you arrive on a dark evening for a dinner booking at the Isle of Eriska Hotel. The interiors are a mix of what looked old and new at the turn of the last century, so the oak panelling in the main hall harks back to Elizabethan times, but the library, where drinks are taken, features a rather racy Art Deco fireplace. The dining-room has been assembled from a number of diverse spaces - morning room, butler's pantry, state-of-the-art modern conservatory - and is attired in serene shades of mauve and ivory, with gentle stripes predominating. Simon McKenzie trained under Marco and Gordon in his London days, but has good pedigree as a country-house chef too, bringing a sense of modern combinatorial style to a rollcall of prime Highland produce. There's the option of a seven-course tasting menu if you really want to put him through his paces. And what paces they are. Openers might see sturdily constructed ballottine of pheasant and foie gras accompanied by ceps and apple, or a sharp red mullet ceviche offset with baby squid salad, courgette and aubergine. Mains highlight stunning raw materials, whether John Dory from Mallaig accompanied by Indian spices, razor clams and pine nuts, or venison loin with the sweetening notes of smoked beetroot and blackberries. Desserts also mine a creative seam of flavour contrasts, as when preserved kumquat is juxtaposed with chocolate, orange honey and crème fraîche, and there's a trolley of fine cheeses, served with walnut bread, oatcakes and apple jelly.