Address: Walls, Shetland.
Tel: 01595 809307.
Website: users.zetnet.co.uk/burrastow-house-hotel.

First impressions: Aristocratic paintings, creaking floorboards, worn carpets and domestic clutter housed in an 18th-century farmhouse on the western tip of the Shetland mainland. Surrounded by Vaila Sound and peat bogs, heather, swooping bends, hamlets and looming lochs.

What are the rooms like? Two extremes. Same price. From four-postered splendour in the old part of the house upstairs (best views) or basic pine furnished rooms downstairs. Energy saving light bulbs for illumination, Burrastow is a Gold member of the Green Tourism Business Scheme.

The bed test: A tad short for a six foot plus couple. Cotton sheets and a big, fluffy duvet keep any Shetland chill at bay. A silent night is guaranteed, although a harder mattress would have been greatly appreciated.

The bathroom: Cosy, but functional with the option for Sitz baths, but no lying down. Generous range of Jojoba toiletries and big, soft towels.

The restaurant: The food is good. Chef Bo Simmons, runs cookery courses and has written a cookbook - A Taste of Burrastow. The set menu is changed daily according to what's fresh and available locally: fillet of Shetland sea trout with lime and coriander, duck with puy lentils and red wine.

The bar: No bar, but a living room with a well-stocked drinks cabinet. Emphasis is on local, organic and offbeat bevvies. There's a decent malt selection and three Shetland-brewed beers.

What is there to do nearby? Walk the wild headland. Trout, sea trout and arctic char fishing draw many, while wildlife viewing (the RSPB has several reserves in Shetland) proves popular. You can get boat trips from Lerwick.

How much? £40ppn per night.