"Ok, so the hotel room was a little faded, not to say shabby, although not offensively so. But this was more than made up for by everything else this characterful hotel offers. It’s like a cozy home-from-home in the northern highlands. The fact that the Altnaharra Hotel is genuinely in the middle of nowhere makes the comfortable lounge and roaring open fire seem even more welcoming. Management and staff were extremely friendly and attentive too. Most surprising of all though, was the food served at dinner. On arrival, the host explained that the hotel had only just reopened for the season (early March) and was not providing a full dinner full menu, but they could rustle up fish and chips, or a pie perhaps. So expectations were not high. However, the food actually served to me in the attractive dining room was a revelation. My haggis fritter starter and sticky toffee pudding dessert were both well above average, but the seared chicken and haggis main was a tour de force, similar to what you might expect from a top-end Edinburgh restaurant. The truth is, the hotel manager is actually a highly accomplished chef, but just doesn’t like to boast about it. So overall, if you’re looking for a cosy highland retreat, brimming with charm and character, and you value great food and friendly personal service, then I would recommend the Altnaharra Hotel unreservedly."