Michelin-starred cooking comes courtesy of chef Chris Firth-Bernard and his five-course no-choice dinner is simply divine. Expect plenty of fishing, walking, birdwatching and endless tranquility.Room with best view: Owner Gerry Irvine says: “Nine of the 13 rooms have sensational sea views. Guests not only gaze out over the bay to the Summer Isles and beyond to the Hebrides but to the Torridan Hills as well. Room 7 in the main building has the best view of any bathroom in Britain. My personal favourites are Rooms 32 and 34, the balcony rooms on the first floor.

Guests gaze eastwards for 30 miles across the Severn Valley with the Cotswold Hills forming the horizon. It’s the view that inspired Sir Edward Elgar and Piers Plowman. We see the sun rise from behind Bredon Hill, flooding the valley with ever-changing light and shade.”Number of rooms: 27 doubles, four suites.Cost per person per night: from £99 to £170 b&b, based on two people sharing.4 Summer Isles Hotel, ScotlandAddress: Achiltibuie, by Ullapool, Scotland (01854 622282; ).Open: 7 April-17 October.Overview: At the end of a single-track road north of Ullapool on the remote west coast of Scotland, Mark and Gerry Irvine’s much-admired, small hotel and restaurant are frequently described as faultless and simply outstanding. There is also access to the local golf and squash clubs.Room with best view: Proprietor John Pattin says: “The best are Rooms 5 and 7, the two gable rooms in the main hotel and the 10 front-facing rooms in our sumptuous new building. Situated in three buildings, which are almost hidden from view by seven acres of woodland, this family-run establishment has traditional decor and is noted for its friendly atmosphere.

The innovative menu is courtesy of chef Dominic Pattin (the son of the owners), and guests can work off their meals on walks from the front door. Guests can step straight into the private gardens and enjoy room service breakfast or early evening cocktails. They have fabulous views over The Park with the rolling hills in the distance. Sunsets can be spectacular and, after dark, the lights of the city twinkle in the darkness.”Number of rooms: 30 doubles, two suites.Cost per person per night: from £60 to £125 b&b, based on two people sharing.3 Cottage in the Wood, WorcestershireAddress: Holywell Road, Malvern Wells, Worcestershire WR14 4LG (01684 575859; ).Open: All year.Overview: Perched high on the sheltered eastern slopes of the Malvern Hills, John and Sue Pattin’s country house hotel has widescreen views of the Severn Valley. The restaurant is winning awards and has a good-value, set-price lunch and an ?a carte dinner menu.

It is well placed for enjoying both the city and countryside.Room with best view: Manager Rupert Elliott says: “While the finest view is from Suite 33 on the top floor, I think the Garden Rooms are hard to beat, especially in summer. Most of the rooms face away from town, overlooking the gardens and The Park, Nottingham’s smart residential area, with open views over Nottinghamshire. The Welsh mountains are in the distance; a bubbling stream runs along the valley floor; the rolling hills are dotted with grazing sheep. There’s even a small stone farmhouse to complete the picture. The sunsets are stunning as the sky turns a deep crimson and the sun drops behind the hills.”Number of rooms: 12 doubles, four with private patio.Cost per person per night: from £49 to £70 b&b, based on two people sharing.2 Hart’s, NottinghamAddress: Standard Hill, Park Row, Nottingham NG1 6FN (0115 988 1900; ).Open: All year.Overview: Guests standing in the private garden of Tim Hart’s purpose-built boutique hotel in Nottingham scarcely believe they are only five minutes’ walk away from the city’s Market Square. Chef David Morris, uses local organic produce and home-grown vegetables on the imaginative menu.