Spectacular spas: splendid isolation

Most spas leave you looking refreshed on the outside, but the Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa feels like a tonic for the soul, too. Set on the shore of Craignure Bay on this beautiful Hebridean island, I could feel the tension drop out of my shoulders with the first look out of the bedroom window - a breathtaking seascape with moody Duart Castle emerging through the mist on the horizon. Walking down through the hotel's gardens to the shore or up the steep woodlands behind, with far-reaching views at the top, there's a real sense of getting away from it all.

So I was feeling pretty calm before I even made my way to the hotel's spa, or so I thought. I'd booked in for a facial and was slightly taken aback when my instructions were to strip to the waist and lie on my front. But the therapist, Catriona, explained that as this was a Decléor Aroma Expert facial it started with a back and shoulder massage. She applied the aromatic ylang ylang oil and started to knead around my neck and shoulders to release tension.

The new treatment rooms, with their subdued lighting and forest images, coupled with more than an hour of heavenly smelling preparations being applied by the expert Catriona, left me feeling relaxed to the point of drifting off.

The spa centre and pool is a new addition to the hotel, and it makes the most of its greatest asset: the views. A glass front means you can look out to sea while you swim and the hydro foot spas face a huge window to panoramas beyond. Time seems to pass more slowly on Mull. Just a couple of days spent walking along the coast and unwinding in the pool felt like a week's worth of relaxation. And, on my last day, all that time gazing out to sea finally paid off with a glimpse of a dolphin. Shoulders unknotted, I felt rejuvenated both inside and out. Kate Langrish

Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa, Craignure, Isle of Mull (0870 950 6267; www.crerarhotels.com). Prices start from £110 per room for bed and breakfast. Spa treatments cost from £22.50. CL readers can enjoy a two-night stay for two people including bed, breakfast and a three-course table d'hôte menu for the special half-price rate of £240

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