When the weather outside is frightful, the last thing you want to do is book a mini-break somewhere even colder, right? Wrong, as I discovered during one recent, very chilly weekend in Scotland.

The mini-break destination in question was Gullane, a picturesque town (if that picture was a patchwork of bright sky, bottle-green sea and soft sand) on the southern shore of the Forth of Firth in East Lothian. From January to March, the temperatures rarely reach 5°C and the winds are bracing – but it’s also irresistibly beautiful. No wonder, then, that Michelin-starred Scottish chef Tom Kitchin and his wife and business partner Michaela chose here to set up The Bonnie Badger, their first restaurant with rooms.

If you are travelling from outside Scotland, the quickest route is a flight to Edinburgh followed by a taxi to the hotel, which takes about 40 minutes. In these parts, even the roadside scenery is breathtaking, and it’s worth asking your driver to take the scenic route for a four-wheel tour that passes farms, historic buildings, golf clubs (this is Muirfield territory), and Prestonpans, a coastal village lined with storytelling murals.

This Scottish hotel is the perfect cosy mini-break for foodies