Following a stunning redesign, this family-friendly, luxury New Forest hotel and spa continues to set the standard for country-house comfort, romance, fun and superb food.

The catch of the day could be Shetland hake in the restaurant or nifty fielding on the sands at this pub-with-rooms overlooking the Firth of Forth, with its own beach cricket team.

Within a medieval castle and Georgian house above the Sound of Mull, this remote restaurant with rooms has four fantastic suites, spectacular views, and no less memorable cooking by chef-proprietor Colin Nicholson.

Occupying two waterfront former warehouses, this maritime-themed hotel has bedrooms modelled on captains' cabins and lined with reclaimed timbers.

A Regency beauty with spectacular views from the balconies, this stylish, dog-friendly country-house hotel has a relaxed vibe, beautifully designed bedrooms, and a fine-dining restaurant.

There's a romantic air to the setting of this Scottish baronial mansion overlooking Loch Oich with the ruins of Invergarry Castle in the grounds.

Old-fashioned and nurturing, the Wood family's hotel in flower-filled gardens on the edge of the moors inspires devotion among those who know it.

The team from Covent Garden restaurant Native has taken over this exceptional restaurant with rooms, continuing the ethos of sustainability and localism with wonderfully creative cooking.

Lakeland luxury at its finest comes courtesy of Gilpin, with its Michelin-starred dining, private hot tubs in the majority of its indulgent rooms and attentive staff. Its flagship rooms are extravagantly large glass-cube spa suites that extend over a pond and offer private garden, spa room and circular bath.

There are mesmerising views of medieval Alnwick Castle from the Duchy of Northumberland's new hotel, occupying the Georgian Commissioner's house and former school, with further rooms in a modern extension, and 'top-notch' cooking in the restaurant.

In deepest Constable country, Wendy and Jim Sarton's characterful timber-frame manor house specialises in residential art courses; there is a large studio in the ground for workshops from tutors in various mediums. But even if you're not interested in taking a course, it's a great place for an 'extremely relaxing weekend'.

This Victorian gothic mansion might appear a little forbidding, but step inside and you are overwhelmed by a warm ambience and beautiful interiors, while some guests choose to sleep in the woods in a timber-lined 'hive' or treehouse.

Beside the ferry landing, with views to Mull and Staffa, this family-run hotel and island social hub has smart, uncluttered bedrooms, and short menus of locally fished and farmed produce.

Birdwatchers and bon vivants beat a path to Tracy and Galton Blackiston's Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms in a flint farmhouse with Blakeney nature reserve on the doorstep.

The neon sign outside this former steward's house in a 1,000-acre deer park sets the tone for what to expect in this unique and interesting pub owned by art dealer Ivor Braka, with provocative works by artists such as Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst on display within.

In the heart of the Gloucestershire countryside, this one-time Saxon hunting lodge, rebuilt over centuries and rich in Tudor detail, is an intimate B&B, with large and characterful bedrooms, welcoming hosts, and a Cordon Bleu dinner cooked by arrangement on Fridays and Saturdays.

With distant views to the Orkney Islands, and with the ferry just half a mile away, this unusual, eco-friendly, dog-friendly B&B is perfect for guests who want space, privacy and imaginative food morning and evening.

The gardens are the great glory of John and Sue Cushing's Georgian manor house deep in dairy country, with abundant home-grown produce featuring on menus, and light summer lunches served on the rose garden terrace.

A traditional farmhouse B&B with just two bedrooms as well as self-catering cottages, Thistleyhaugh is in the capable hands of the Nelless family's second-generation of hosts.

Free-roaming ponies and donkeys wander past the garden gates of this Arts and Crafts-style single-storey house in the magical surroundings of the New Forest.

Attached to a 15th-century fortified tower house, the Mernagh family's farmhouse B&B offers both history and comfort. Guests are welcomed to this lived-in and loved home with tea or coffee and home-baked biscuits.

Fiona Doyle is your welcoming host at this B&B on the shores of Loch Indaal with stunning views across the bay and a home-from-home ambience.

From the oak-panelled hall and portrait gallery to the commodious bars and lounges, this Victorian country house abounds in solid traditional charms, with hunting, shooting and fishing on offer, and local and home-grown produce on the menu.

Overlooking the water towards Mull, in a 'wonderful location near the sea and harbour', this hotel on the Hebridean island of Iona has a deserved reputation for its warm welcome, fresh and creative food, and feel of restorative peace.

Sarah and Jonathan Stamp's Georgian farmhouse B&B offers three lovely bedrooms for adults only, a first-rate breakfast, walking trails, a trout stream for fishing, and bucolic bliss.

You can dine in style in the Grand Ballroom or hunker down in the cosy old Pilchard inn at this extraordinary Art Deco hotel on a tidal island just a sea tractor ride from the 21st century.

With 'nothing in between to Canada', this pretty blue-and-white weatherboarded farmhouse, which sits above a secluded cove on Bryher's rugged west-facing coast, is England's most westerly hotel.

On this remote island of woodland, wetlands and sandy beaches, Julie-Anne Uggla's hotel combines the friendly ambience of a local drop-in with beautiful boutique bedrooms and locally sourced cooking of a very high order.

Winding country lanes lead to this popular local and gastropub with a welcoming vibe, smart New England-style bedrooms and a restaurant serving the freshest fish and seafood.

The River Rothay runs past the back garden of this small country-house hotel with attractive, individually styled bedrooms and good food.