The Dining Room at Highland Cottage

Having lent its name to one of the Wombles, Tobermory has more recently gained coverage as the setting for the CBeebies show Balamory. But if you are here without kids, & grown-up eats are on the agenda, head for Highland Cottage. A small hotel sitting up the hill behind the much-photographed & colourful Main Street, its Dining Room restaurant is elegant &, as with so many west coast establishments, the seafood is fine, fresh & largely local. The food is more sophisticated than pints of prawns though: starters of Jerusalem artichoke veloute or smoked mussels with mango mayonnaise arrive before main courses of seared scallops with parsnip mash & ginger cream, or roast saddle of venison, with lemon meringue roulade to finish. Overall, a genteel counterpoint to Mull’s more robust outdoor attractions. Booking is advisable.