Deluxe and pretty hotel with fine dining, very fine hospitality

Highland Cottage sits on one of the upper streets in the Isle of Mull’s capital, Tobermory, giving it fine views across the bay. It’s an utterly charming little place, deluxe, boutique in a sense, and pretty. It was created by owners David and Jo Currie, who run the AA 3 red-starred hotel with energy and dedication. Jo is chef-patron and her food has received much praise over the years, winning her both a Chef Médaille d’Or 2007 and a Real Food – Fine Dining 2009 recognition. The local produce of Mull gives Jo access to superb natural ingredients and her beautiful cooking has a twist and passion to it. David is an exemplary winner of the Host with the Most 2009 award; guests deeply admire both his and Mrs C’s personable style. The hotel is on-street one side and has a sun lounge and terrace areas to the rear. Bedrooms are deluxe and, while none are large, everything is done so nicely. Signs of quality throughout. The sitting room, with honesty bar, is a plush place for a rest or read. The dining room is traditional and a welcoming retort to modernism. A happy place.

E S S E N T I A L   I N F O
> Ring to discuss the accommodation options before booking as each room is very different
> Of the superior rooms Ulva is perhaps the biggest, having the view shown in the gallery above
> Staffa has the same view and offers guests a romantic, fully-canopied four poster bed
> If you don’t fancy climbing stairs then there is one bedroom, Iona, a ground floor twin
> All bedrooms have flatscreen TVs with Freeview, CD / DVD players, iPod dock and sweets
> The candlelit dining room serves a daily-changing menu offering around 6 options per course
> The dinner menu (£48) includes canapés, an amuse bouche, intermediate course, coffee, tablet
> Breakfast is delightful and offers resident guests fresh island produce including delish fish
> No family rooms; style of restaurant also means it’s not suitable for the under-10s
> Open seasonally from March – the end of October

R A T I N G
Highly Recommended
BreakfastStar

L O C A T I O N   Map
Take a Cal-Mac ferry from Oban (about 2 hours drive from Glasgow) to Craignure on the Isle of Mull. Or take the Lochaline – Fishnish ferry, or the one to Kilchoan from Ardnamurchan. On the approach to Tobermory, in the north east area of the isle, go straight over the narrow stone bridge at the new mini-roundabout; this is Breadalbane Street. Continue on and you’ll see the terracotta building near the fire station.

T I P S   &   H I N T S
David and Jo run the hotel with enormous, informal and unstuffy charm. They both have professional backgrounds in the industry – hotel school and what not – and here they have achieved what they set out to. Don’t expect formality or distance. This is a happy house. Tobermory is Balamory of the eponymous kids' TV show fame. So smile. Relax. Or Miss Hoolie might get you.

Highland Cottage on TripAdvisor