Interesting report from the OP.
If your traveling is focused on food, you might wish to stay at only 4 rooms
21212 Paul Kitching in Edinburgh. The rooms are stunning and the chef as well as his food are eclectic.
Agree regarding
Cromlix House, this is the new generation of country house hotels with less formality, but real service and easy going high quality food. This is sadly not the case for
Inverlochy Castle, where Michelin was right to remove its star. The rooms are still fantastic, Jane Watson a fantastic GM, but the whole experience is now outdated and gone with the jacket and tie story.
Torridon is the new top performer, the rooms to go are # 3, 4 or 5.
Airds is what it is, cosy and good food in a romantic location.
Going to the Isle of Skye consider two top Michelin star places:
Kinloch Lodge in the traditional country house style and
Three Chimneys for a more temporary feel - my best meal in Scotland.
Regarding
Culloden House, prefer the
Boath House, despite a certain surly arrogance of the owner family and weird service techniques.
Not all of them might be Virtuoso
.