SIR IAIN NOBLE, born in Berlin and educated in Argentina, Shanghai, Windsor and Oxford, is something of an unlikely champion of Gaelic, especially as it wasn't his first – or possibly second – language. Yet when in the 1970s he flogged his eponymous merchant bank, he ploughed some of the proceeds into buying 23,000 acres of the Macdonald estates on Skye.

That was the trigger for a Damascene conversion to the language of the Gaels. Since then, he has done everything possible to support the mother tongue of the Highlands. At a time when schoolboys along the west coast were getting the strap for having the temerity to speak Gaelic in the playground, Noble was championing the cause of their fathers by introducing positive discrimination in favour of Gaelic speakers.

He was responsible for the first Gaelic road signs in Scotland and was the first Scot to possess a chequebook in the language. His financial and moral support also led to the creation of the Gaelic-medium college in Sleat, on his Skye estate. Wherever possible, he has spread the gospel, even insisting that the venerable old Isle Ornsay Hotel, which is at the heart of his estate, be called by its Gaelic name, Hotel Eilean Iarmain.

But if the name has evolved, much that has long made the hotel an essential stop-off on any visit to Skye remains. For a start, the hotel is only a couple of miles from the bridge and from Armadale, where the ferry from Mallaig lands, and it still possesses one of the most convivial bars on the island.

More than that, though, this little hotel has an idyllic position, on a small quay overlooking its own bay and the Sound of Sleat, with Knoydart as an imposing backdrop. Quiet and secluded, it's difficult to imagine a more relaxing situation.

Inside, the hotel is homely, if fraying around the edges. The stuffed golden eagle in the main hall looks like it has been there since Victoria was busy building Balmoral, and some of the chairs in the lounge, where aperitifs are served, look like pre-war vintage (that's the First World War). Yet somehow none of that matters because the place is built for comfort, and once seated in the dining room, you're looking out on one of the best views in Scotland.

When it comes to the food, Noble's driving principle of lauding the indigenous – in this case, Skye's overflowing larder – pays dividends. Vicky's mouth-watering starter – a huge plate of small but unusually juicy, locally landed langoustines, drenched in coriander butter and chosen off the extensive specials menu – was a case in point. This was the fruit of the sea straight on to the plate with little adornment, and all the better for it.

By contrast, my ham hough terrine with foie gras starter was a little disappointing. It looked impressive but the ham was tough and the foie gras tasteless.

Still, if my starter was below par, my main course of half a roasted lobster with champagne soufflé, chosen from the specials board, surpassed all expectations. Not only was the winsomely delicate meat extraordinarily succulent, but there was so much of it I could barely finish it. While I thought it was one of the biggest lobsters I've clapped eyes on, chef Richard Carlton reckoned it was "a little on the big side, but not out of the ordinary". They obviously breed 'em big in this part of the world.

Given the venue, Vicky's main course was a curious choice of sweet potato rosti cake with buttered spinach, poached egg, asparagus spears and a cream butter velouté, and having seen the lobster she regretted it a little. That was especially so because, while all the other parts of the dish worked perfectly well, the sweet potato isn't as suited to rosti as a conventional spud, and it had become too mushy to sustain the necessary consistency.

We rounded off the meal with puddings of cardamom crème brûlée with poached pear and homemade sorbet, and my dark chocolate tart with ice-cream and hot chocolate shot. Both were good without ever threatening to raise the roof, but then Hotel Eilean Iarmain is all about the environment – and that remains unbeatable in any language.

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Hotel Eilean Iarmain, Sleat, Isle of Skye (01471 833332 www.eilean-iarmain.co.uk)

Out of pocket

Starters £4.25-£7.50 Mains £10.95-£25.50 Puddings £5.25-£5.95 Cheese £6.95

Rating 7/10