IT must be the best- padded pad in the Highlands.

Because Fisher's Hotel in Pitlochry has its own upholsterer plumping up its period furnishings.

The Perthshire bolthole has been providing cosy lodgings since Victorian times, with guests such as William Gladstone and Robert Louis Stevenson, familiar with its Highland hospitality.

But - along with its bigger sister hotel, the Atholl Palace - it is under new management and recapturing the comfort of old.

The two hotels could, of course, have gone for a completely fancy new ultra-modern look as they revamp. Instead, they have tried to combine all-mod-cons with traditional Highland style.

Cue the decision to hire an upholsterer to re-cushion and recover beautiful chairs from the 1930s - one of the heydays of Pitlochry as a fashionable Highland resort for motoring tourists.

Now - let's be brutally honest - the weather in Pitlochry is never guaranteed. This is a Scottish mountain resort after all. Most of you will know it can be stunning of a January day - with that clear, white light brightening up the snow-capped, tree-covered hills.

We visited, however, in this year's dreich wet winter.

So cosy and comfy was just what we needed. Even checking in at Fisher's was a pleasure. We stumbled in to its bright foyer, dripping wet, only for the receptionist to pour a wee dram from a crystal decanter to warm us up.

We got one of the spacious, high-ceilinged front rooms, overlooking Pitlochry's main street. Behind the bed - what else? - a nicely padded bedhead.

Pitlochry - if you have only been in the summer - stays really busy over the winter, with its shops and cafes full of life. Sure, some of the area's attractions, such as Blair Castle in nearby Blair Atholl, do shut.

But, despite the terrible weather, Pitlochry was buzzing when we were there. One real treat was the Blair Athol distillery, which, just to confuse you, is in Pitlochry and not in the confusingly spelt Blair Atholl. I am not usually a fan of visits to distilleries with their banter about a mythical, artisan drink made by ruddy-faced farmers scooping malt with their shovels.

But Jeff, our guide, really brought the tour alive, and the historic buildings were atmospheric and authentic. You've probably consumed its output without realising: it's the core ingredient of the Bell's blend.

It wasn't just the room that was well-padded after a weekend at Fisher's. We were too, thanks to the "hearty" full Scots breakfasts, including porridge laced with whisky and raspberry jam.