Aberfeldy's Watermill has been a focal point of local life since the 15th century, when oats were first ground on the site. The current, restored building dates from 1825, and reclaims a role at the community's heart, albeit housing a very different quartet of businesses: a captivating bookshop, an art gallery, a home design store, and crucially, a cafe in which to appreciate the offerings of the other three.
The 16th century drover's rest and one-time soldiers billet is on the A84 trunk road (hence the 84 in the name) midway between Killin and Callander, but once you get out of the car, bracing Perthshire air and views of imposing Trossach hills ensure that it feels a long way from the thoroughfare.
Lighthouses and castles emerge from the mist, the outlines of distant islands dot the horizon, and if you keep your eyes peeled, there is a good chance of an enticing first encounter with some of Mull's fabulous wildlife - just a few weeks ago we were treated to the crescent-shaped silhouettes of a quartet of porpoises swimming near the boat.
Though this tiny, vintage-style venue is just minutes from the bustle of Glasgow's West End, opening its door is taking a decision to step away from the thoroughfare and take your time over tea, served in what the menu describes as "the traditional way" - loose leaf, in a proper teapot with a strainer.
As well as the headline attractions of clean beaches and one of Scotland's oldest castles, it is home to a thriving shinty club (the Highland sport is an unexpected force here on the east coast) and is a deserved finalist in this year's Britain in Bloom competition.
While much of the region is a jagged landscape of peaks and troughs, the area below the village of Kilmartin is flat, fertile, and littered with clues about its past, from standing stones to cairns and mysterious rock carvings.
The Grantham's visit to the stately home, which appeared in the ITV drama as the fictional Duneagle Castle, featured its impressive armoury hall and lavish state dining room, but while the script placed Lady Cora and her peers in these grand spaces, the real lady of the house, Eleanor, the Duchess of Argyll, is as likely to be found below stairs working in the castle tea room, which she runs herself.
Thousands of tourists make the trip north from Glasgow to Mallaig or Oban every year, but not all break the journey with a stop, and that's a pity, because the route is dotted with elegant green and cream Victorian stations, and they repay a close encounter.
It might feel like a test, but the reward - entry to an enchanting other-world about thirteen minutes away from urbanisation (a ten minute drive from Oban, plus about three minutes to cross the Sound of Kerrera) makes the initiation not only worthwhile, but part of the adventure.
