Peaceful Highland hideaway on a wooded lochside: spy dolphins and otters, stargaze, and soak up the deep silence

A delightful holiday home for a big family or group of close friends. Children and dogs can charge about safely, you can unwind completely

A lovely, rambling old house for family gatherings with an extra cottage for bigger groups, a gorgeous garden and hilltop villages nearby

Delightful, rustic retreat for families, romantic couples and singles. Food, views and owners are lovely

A wonderfully comfortable light-filled house with long views, a sandy beach to walk to, fabulous walking and wildlife and a superb kitchen

Glorious views of Derwentwater and Skiddaw from this comfortable house. Art dotted about, a big table for chatty meals and a pretty garden

A fuss-free, informal place to stay with family - your own entrance straight from the garden and tasty breakfasts set up in a summer house

Wonderful views over medieval Gubbio from this rural stone farmhouse with pool, cottages and apartments sitting in lush gardens

An elegant house with ancient roots and a shimmering pool – explore the Charente countryside, drive to lovely Angoulême

A period manor and pretty rooms in old stables: a quiet base for Pas-de-Calais and Picardie. Madame loves the house, animals, story-telling

A delightful retreat perfectly placed for walking, cycling and visiting some of the region’s most popular sights

Come to a gorgeous bolthole, just for two, in a sleepy riverside village with the delights of the Corrèze at your feet

A big, rambling inn – welcoming and unpretentious with deep sofas, eclectic artwork, tasty food and exceedingly comfortable bedrooms

Hideaway at the bottom of the garden with a little courtyard and far-reaching views; walk to the village pub or take a day trip to Bath

Gather the clans and just come. It's lovely here among acres of wildlife-filled grounds – a Sawday's Community Champion

An island of oyster farms, salt pans and white beaches, woolly donkeys, countless push-bikes and the odd celeb – we love the Ile de Ré!

Elegance and ease mark this gentle group of Loire-Valley buildings, with soft-textured interiors and the owners’ fine hospitality and food

An entire literary estate on the Brittany coast, with a trio of restored houses, fabulous gardens and a private path to the beach