Checking in

In Britain, the general rule is that the more beautiful the location, the worse the hotel. The honeypot towns in the middle of our national parks are home to some truly awful establishments. Places like Betws-y-Coed in Snowdonia, Windermere in the Lakes and Fort William in the Highlands get so many visitors that even the laziest, nastiest hotels are fully booked every weekend. So why try harder?

Aviemore, gateway to the Cairngorms, harbours some shockers, chief among them the MacDonald Highlands resort. The town's biggest hotel, it has the atmosphere of a motorway service station and a concrete tower that mars the views for miles around.

So finding the Rowan Tree, a couple of miles south of town, was as surprising as it was welcome. It doesn't attempt to market itself as a boutique or design hotel. It's not a chic retreat or a luxury love nest. There's no Frette linen, no Moulton Brown, no rainforest showers. Instead, it's simply a straightforward country hotel, but one with exceptionally friendly staff, clean rooms and excellent food. We arrive in the drizzle on a Saturday night after a long day in the mountains, emerging from a taxi in an explosion of rucksacks, boots, skis and snow shovels. At this point at your traditional British beauty spot hotel, the receptionist would eye you disapprovingly through the window. But no, here she comes out, into the wet, and helps carry in our muddy kit.

The building dates from the 18th century, and has served as coaching inn, post office, pub and village store. So there's character aplenty - ceiling beams, timeworn wooden banisters - but our room is so spotless it looks brand new. There are twin sleigh beds, duck feather duvets and a light blue colour scheme (thankfully tartan is confined to the public areas).

In the bar is a crackling fire, a selection of local beers and some surprisingly dressed-up people arriving for dinner. Surprising because in touristy mountain towns, good food is even rarer than good hotels. Here, though, the menu draws non-residents from miles around - a starter might be Scottish king scallops with saffron ravioli (£6.95); a main, roast venison fillet with parsnip and herb gnocchi, beetroot fondant and red wine sauce (£16.95).

Next morning we're off early. Often getting back into the hills is a blessed relief, but here I look back at the other guests lingering over their porridge and sausages and wish we could have stayed longer.

We liked: The welcome, the porridgeWe didn't like: The lack of biscuits on the in-room tea trayThe verdict: An exception to the ruleThe damage: Doubles, with breakfast, from £75