Ranald Macdonald (owner of London’s Boisdale mini-chain) bought this village restaurant-with-rooms on a whim, when he stopped off for a meal during a hunting trip – as you do. It’s easy to see why: the dining room’s dark beams, stone hearths, blood-red walls and heavy antique furniture creak with centuries of character. Like his three headline venues in the capital, this further-flung outpost flies the flag for Scotland with accents of tartan and a stonking selection of whiskies. The menu mixes ingredients from north and south of the border, so expect anything from Dunkeld smoked salmon drizzled with a subtle caper and shallot dressing to juicy Dorset steaks or Wiltshire ham – no wonder it’s a hit with muddy-booted locals as well as Ugg-booted townies. If a post-dinner dram or two is on the cards, book one of the Lamb’s comfortable bedrooms, which come with tartan-decked four-posters.