Follow the journey through Scotland taken by farmer and TV presenter Jimmy Doherty as he samples single malts, enjoys farm-to-fork food and explores the conservation efforts of Scottish hotels.

Begin at Prestonfield a short drive from Edinburgh airport. Although just minutes from the Old Town, the hotel feels like an oasis of calm in the city leaving you feeling “instantly relaxed” as Jimmy says, with 20 acres of gardens and parkland where Highland cows graze, a peacock struts between the trees and bees from the hives buzz between the flowers.

Inside, historic public rooms feature plasterwork by artisans who worked on the Palace of Holyroodhouse, 17th-century Cordoban leather panels, tapestries, ornate carved fireplaces and plenty of art and antiques. The atmospheric Whisky Room is “the kind of place you want to be when you’re tasting whisky,” perfect for sampling a dram, and there are 23 opulent bedrooms – a fitting backdrop when you consider that past visitors included Benjamin Franklin and Dr Samuel Johnson.

In the award-winning restaurant, be sure to try the rhubarb dessert: in the 18th century, Prestonfield was the first estate in Scotland to grow the fruit, and it is still cultivated in the gardens today.

From here it’s a 65-mile drive west to Mar Hall Golf and Spa Resort, less than half an hour from Glasgow. Fresh from a £20 million refurbishment, the hotel balances its historic architecture – original wood panelling, gothic-style windows and grand fireplaces – with bold contemporary colours and design. Guests sweep up palm-lined stairs through the lobby and gallery to the bar and restaurant. The 74 rooms, spread between the historic mansion and a modern spa annexe, are modern in style, with suites featuring grand pianos or pool tables.

Local provenance shapes much of the experience here. In the spa, treatments use Ishga skincare, made from organic seaweed hand-harvested from the waters around the Hebridean islands. And in The Dining Room, “the menu tells a story and can do a lot of travelling for you” with dishes big on local produce such as Argyll smoked salmon, Orkney scallops or Perth and Kinross beef.

Outside, an extensive kitchen garden with fruit orchards is being created to supply the kitchen, alongside further landscaping projects that include a parterre garden, the addition of a mini-maple forest and increased plant biodiversity.

A couple of hours’ drive down the coast brings you to Glenapp Castle, approached along a tree-lined drive. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, a mild microclimate helps sustain its woodland and spectacular kitchen-garden, which “isn’t just about ticking boxes, it’s about the legacy it leaves for the future.”

This late-19th-century baronial castle, with its towers, turrets and crenelations, looks like something from a storybook, while inside oak-panelled rooms exude a feel of quiet elegance. The 17 bedrooms are lavishly furnished with traditional wallpaper, antique furniture and large picture windows, some with sweeping sea views – on a clear day you can see as far as Northern Ireland.

Food is a highlight. The daily changing menu showcases line-caught and hand-dived fish from Scotland’s west coast, game from nearby Ayrshire estates and beef, lamb and pork from farms within a 17-mile radius, alongside produce from the kitchen garden (more than 40 varieties of fruit, veg and herbs are grown on site). A 150-foot Victorian glasshouse houses an additional restaurant during the warmer months.

There are plenty of activities to work off all the food, from woodland walks to a sea safari to explore the Hebridean islands.

As Jimmy says, “All these hotels are connecting their guests with nature as well as considering their environmental story, doing their bit for conservation and reducing food waste and carbon footprints. I think it’s really important.”