48 hours in: Sutherland

Stop off at the Anta textile and pottery showroom (www.anta.co.uk) at Tain for a well deserved lunch. It's a little off the beaten track, but delicious soups and possibly the best cheese scones in Ross-shire are worth the diversion.

5pm

Arrive at the Kylesku Hotel (www.kyleskuhotel.co.uk) to a warm welcome. Make yourself at home in the residents' lounge cosied up by the roaring wood-burning stove, or sit in the glass-fronted porch with spectacular views of the loch. Seals and otters are regularly spotted.

7pm

Dinner in the bar from a menu that offers fresh, local produce including seafood landed on the slipway outside the hotel. The grilled langoustines served with garlic mayo and chips are not to be missed.

9.30pm

Notice the impact of "Sutherland Time" as you start to yawn.

Saturday, 10am

After a hearty breakfast, horizontal rain means that it's time for a contingency plan. Stay dry as you drive the breathtaking (in every sense of the word) B869 Assynt coastal road between Kylesku and Lochinver.

2pm

As the weather clears head to Scourie, the starting point for a moderately easy walk that takes you round the peninsula and offers stunning sea views.

8pm

Try out a few of the 50 malts on offer at the hotel, while looking through your photos of the walk at Scourie.

Sunday, 9am Revived and refreshed you're ready for a walk to the Eas a Chual Aulinn, the spectacular 200m high waterfall that tumbles down to Loch Glencoul. During the summer there are twice daily boat trips to the falls but if you're an experienced walker you can reach them on foot from Loch na Gainmhich. There's no better way to experience the unique Sutherland landscape.

THE FACTS

Double/twin rooms at the Kylesku Hotel are 97 per night, b&b. The hotel is closed from late October until March. For more about Sutherland, www.northhighlandsscotland.com

This article was originally published in The Scotsman Magazine on Saturday 23 October 2010.