Off the beaten track and into the hills – this remote, unknown bird-filled region is faultless for outdoorsy people

Good old-fashioned hospitality in a quiet Highlands cottage ringed by roses and roe deer. Forest and coastal walks, shortbread and tea

Two spruce spaces for couples in peaceful Cornish countryside; it’s an easy drive to gardens, both coastlines and good eateries

Great taste – in decor and food – and a delicious heated pool. Views swoop over field and valley; trails, villages, wineries tempt

Your own wing of an impressive 1700 baronial castle, restored with authenticity and with a lovely garden, wildlife and a little river

You are treated like nobility in this gorgeous Manoir, enveloped by the towering cliffs and Aurélia and Julien's generous hospitality

Vistas of olive groves, village life and the sea; gaze and daydream from this beautiful spot. A Michelin recommended restaurant to boot

A cottage in a conservation village with logs in the burner, sloe gin on the table, and a good dining pub you can walk to

Glass-and-timber doors bathe you with light, gaze at big skies and the river Dart lapping. Sublime year round, it's one of our favourites

Furniture from home-grown wood, reclaimed tiles - beautiful. The Jurassic Coast is near, Bridport's antiques, too. Cycle, walk, spot birds

Taste the wine, plunge into the granite pool, play billiards in the library, linger outdoors as swallows swoop – eat delicious local dishes

A grand place for up to 12 adventurous souls and the young at heart: swim, bob in a boat, hike and cycle or simply revel in the greenery and peace

Treat yourselves to some downtime at this lush, semi-tropical hideaway with big pool, delicious breakfasts and charmingly rustic bedrooms

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

Tranquil stone house with a rustic feel, a large garden with a swimming pool and views of the French Riviera and out to sea

A proper old-fashioned inn dating from the 1600s with beamed ceilings, low doorways and winding staircases up to comfortable bedrooms

Traditional beamed cottage, tucked in the hills, with views to distant beaches plus colourful gardens and a pool

If you want to come to Venice as an open-hearted traveller rather than a tourist then this is the place for you - just walk to everything