Fernhill Hotel, Portpatrick

Reviewed by Louise Glen from Oban

When we first arrived at the hilltop hotel of Fernhill, in beautiful Portpatrick, I was a bit worried that very kind staff members were pulling out all the stops for us – but they weren’t. Time and again we saw them looking after other guests to the same high standard.

Fernhill is a genuinely wonderful place to be for tranquillity, to explore the village and surrounding area – but most of all just to relax. The bedrooms are spacious, as was our bath and powerful shower.

Hotel food can often be uninspiring, but not here. Every bite was accentuated by an outstanding view of the sea. The menu offered great local food choices and carefully chosen ingredients. The fish of the day was outstanding. The desserts were to die for. The restaurant was full of locals celebrating – a sure sign that this established hotel is doing very well.

From the hotel we were able to watch dolphins jumping, and on the hillside above the village wild deer roam. We watched birds on the cliffs and saw a huge number of species including gannets, black guillemots and more than 2,700 nesting pairs of birds at the Killantringan Lighthouse a few miles from the hotel. Prices from £75 per person per night