Part croft, part restaurant, and all heart, Croft 3 serves up whatever’s freshest from land and sea in a beautifully restored barn above Loch Tuath. By day, you might find crab-filled focaccia, kouign-amann pastries, or langoustines with aioli; by night, it’s three courses of seasonal magic, from half-lobster mornay to chickpea panisses. Sundays are all about the two-course roast, with meats, nut roasts, and glugs of gravy to go round. 

The Glass Barn is a café, shop, and working farm all rolled into one. Sit under trailing grapevines with sunlight streaming through the glass roof (or rain pattering down), and tuck into soups, toasties, and cakes made with homegrown or local produce. Be sure to peek at the cheese dairy next door, where Isle of Mull’s famous cheddar is crafted.

The Boathouse Ulva is reached by a tiny on-demand ferry from Mull before settling in on a working jetty. Reimagined by BBC star Banjo Beale, this Hebridean spot pairs rustic, design-led interiors with ultra-fresh seafood landed daily. Come for creel-caught crab, langoustines, and oysters, homemade bread, and generous sharing platters, all served until they sell out. With no bookings and ever-changing menus, it’s a spontaneous, sea-to-plate experience shaped by island life.

Approaching Mingary Castle is a deep dive into wilderness. Settled upon a promontory on the West Coast of Ardnamurchan, this is a place rarely explored though romantically picturestuque. The rooms are idyllic, the restaurant even more so. Using the produce harvested locally at the West Ardnamurchan Community Garden, the tastes are just exquisite.