Set in its own little forest near Oban bay, there is something perfectly tranquil about Home Farm – a softness and privacy, a sense of being folded into trees. Part 1600’s, part Arts and Crafts, this is the oldest building in the glen. Fully restored to accommodate ten guests, every room in the house has been individually composed - paintings and prints by local artists on the walls, a bespoke croft bed, open fires. Owls and red-squirrels live in the large, secluded grounds beyond windows flooded with the silver and apricot light that characterises the west Highlands. Drive here, or take the famously vivid train route from Glasgow, past Loch Lomond and up to Oban. The town is just a country walk away, its famous bay dotted with seafood stalls and restaurants, and boats sailing to the rugged and rolling Isle of Mull, and the white-sanded Inner Hebrides beyond. Water and forest, Highland and garden, peace and bustle: Home Farm offers it all.

Mountains sweep down to the fishing port of Oban, known as ‘Scotland’s Seafood Capital’. This Victorian resort is full of life, with ferries to the Hebrides coming and going, bars and streets packed with shops. North of Oban, two picturesque peninsulas – Benderloch and Appin – offer great walking and cycling. The island of Kerrera sits in Oban Bay. Lismore is another gem.