T hey say all the best things come in small packages and that certainly can be said of The Horseshoe Inn, just outside Peebles.

Just eighteen miles south of Edinburgh in the village of Eddleston, a few miles north of Peebles and in the heart of the Scottish Borders, the Horseshoe Inn is a quaint-looking building.

The cottages were rebuilt in 1862. The cottage to the north was originally a smiddy and later a mechanic's garage which used to host a petrol pump outside.

The cottage to the south was once a tea-room.

At the back of the restaurant the old Victorian school has been converted and now is home to eight bedrooms.

Though modest in size they all have en-suite showers, bathrobes, tea and coffee-making trays with fresh milk, fresh fruit and homemade cake. The Horseshoe looks after a small number of guests at a time, with 10 tables in the main dining area and a private dining area which can seat up to 14.

Just off the restaurant is a charming lounge with luxurious sofas, chesterfields and a wood-burning stove.

After we checked into our room we set off into the local town of Peebles. Initially a market town, Peebles has long played a role in the woollen industry of the Scottish Borders. Although one woollen mill remains operational today, the industrial composition of Peebles has changed and now it's home to many people who commute to work in Edinburgh, as well as being a popular tourist destination, especially in summer.

We took a stroll down the busy centre of town which has various shops, pubs and hotels. We popped into the local for a pub lunch before heading back to the hotel for dinner.

The restaurant sources all of its food locally, and chef Alistair Craig was previously senior sous-chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Presented with an excellent menu we started off with a few appetizers of olives and biscuitsfollowed by tomato and basil flavoured amuse bouche which was delicious.

We choose a starter of Rabbit Terrine followed by our mains of chicken and venison.

As if we hadn't eaten enough, we followed that up with chocolate dessert.

Not only was it some of the best food we had ever tasted, but the service was second to none and we were made to feel as if we were the only diners in the restaurant.

After finishing off the wine we were stuffed and retired to our room for the night.

The Horseshoe Inn may be small but what they do they do very well.

As Arnold Schwarennegger would say: "I'll be back".