Set loose your inner castaway on your very own island with enthralling views and much wildlife a short boat ride from Skye

Walkers and wild-lifers, here is your place in the Pyrenees. Colour, character, a welcoming family, log fires and delicious home cooking

You're on an ancient packhorse trail just a stone's throw from the coast. There's a timeless feel to this place and the peace is deep

Superb, all-organic agriturismo built of straw bales and offering wonderful home-grown natural food, a delightful family, great walking

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

Inspiring scenery for this lavender farm near a Provençal village. Rustic eco-friendly cottages, a hump-backed bridge, a hammock by the pool

Proper village pub with much-praised food and cosy rooms; country walks lead from the door and Oxford is half an hour away

For walkers and lovers of wildly beautiful coastal country: two cosy old cottages and a bright, modern renovation in a cluster with others

In château parkland, 10 minutes from Chinon, find books, beams and open spaces for three renovated houses, a delight for families