St Magnus Bay Hotel

The owners are so welcoming, and we had a great time chatting with them and other guests in the residents pub, swapping travel stories. The food was great too. The hotel is an old pile, with some renovations still going on and older areas, but that all adds to its character. The scenery is amazing, and this is a great place to get away from the city and experience Shetland life. By the end, we didn't want to leave.

We stayed in 'the loft', a peaceful little apartment up the hill from the hotel, with lovely views. It had a full kitchen and a washer and drier, which worked well for us while travelling for an extended period. We didn't mind walking down and back up for breakfast each morning. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful, and the restaurant serves huge portions of British home cooking. It's a relaxed, down to earth place. The bedroom is on a mezzanine with a very low ceiling, so you can't stand up in it. The bed was fairly comfortable, but it was a small UK queen bed with a scratchy, too-hot flannel bottom sheet and flannel duvet cover, and no top sheet. We know that setup may be normal for British guests, but we find these beds too small and the flannel horrid. Apart from that, we had a great experience and would highly recommend it.

We only stopped in for lunch, and the service was great. The staff were lovely and friendly. The food was fresh and really tasty, especially the scampi and lentil soup with warm crusty bread and butter.

The Sunday roast carvery was delicious, with a succulent selection of meats, tasty yorkies and gravy. It isn't cheap, but I thought it was worth it. The server's Christmas chicken joke was a delight, she was a hoot. We had a lovely time here as a birthday treat.