Cosy boltholes

Lovers will be happy here in their own sweet space with a bird-filled garden. All you will hear is the river flowing gently past you

A lovely little bolthole to return to after days out exploring pretty Cotswold villages and walking in an AONB straight from the door

An elegant, super central bolthole for two (or three): stroll everywhere, hop on a vaporetto, sit in piazzas drinking cappuccino, live like a local

A lovely old house and rambling garden in a medieval village with a monumental château, 12th-century church and a good local restaurant

Cosy bolthole for two in a tiny hamlet next to a river and pub; walk the hills or spend the day at the unspoiled coast

In an outstanding area for lovers of food and wine, here are 3 beautiful boltholes in the Alto Douro, the oldest wine region in the world

Come for big skies, grand walking and hilly cycling. Style and comfort abound in this cottage set on the hillside with views to North Uist

Filled with interesting finds, antiques and artefacts, this is a charming cabin hideaway for couples on the banks of the Kingsbridge Ria

A delightfully Lilliputian Georgian cottage with all mod cons at the end of a terrace just a short walk to shops, cafés and the beach

A pretty stone single-storey house, now renovated beautifully into a comfortable hideaway with wonderful views to woodland and river

A countryside escape for 2 near Chepstow with traditional interiors and cheery wood-burner. Not suitable for children but dogs very welcome

A snug Snowdonia bolthole arranged around a vast boulder, once home to Victorian artists inspired by the setting. For romantic hikers

Come for gloriously independent B&B in your own cosy retreat with a belter of a breakfast brought to your door and plenty of local walks

By a bubbling brook in the Mendips, close to Bath and Bristol, a wonderfully revived and welcoming inn with smart rooms and scrumptious food

The village is tiny, the bar is lively, the food is delicious. The Cotswolds are at your feet and you’re encouraged not to lift a finger

A peaceful, very stylish bolthole for 2 on the doorstep of glorious Holyrood Park, with Edinburgh’s sights a stroll away

A light larch-clad space for lovers, or a retreat for walkers and writers in pretty Orford, once a medieval sea port but now on the river

A romantic little bolthole with a hot tub on the Penicuik Estate with well-thought-out interiors and dreamy views over pastures and woodland