Dark skies and extensive views from this romantic hideaway cottage. Walk down to the loch, snuggle up by the wood-burner… a cosy retreat

In off-the-beaten-track Tuscany, 2 peaceful apartments in a former haybarn, both carefully renovated with antique furniture

A beautiful cream stone building in the grounds of a grand château, with a large and view-filled outdoor terrace for peaceful dawdling

Good old-fashioned service, fresh and gleaming surroundings, great food and very comfortable rooms at this rejuvenated roadside inn

White-painted beams, wonky white walls and your own parking spot fairly nearby. You're near the harbour and subtropical gardens

Peaceful escape for couples in the grounds of a stately Tudor manor house; watch the wildlife from your garden, explore the nearby coast

Colourful coastal apartments and studios where you can be nicely independent, and enjoy a communal café and health club with Art Deco pool

Cosy, peaceful retreat not far from Hadrian's Wall. A real fire, tennis, BBQ, the Coast to Coast cycle route and hilly treks from the door

Bags of character within and without at this four-storey village house with rooftop views over the mountains, next to a 12th-century church

Come for peace and quiet down a long lane, pretty buildings and big, beautifully-kept gardens with a secluded outdoor pool

A three-storey Victorian villa half way up a vigorously cobbled street in the centre of Culross, with beautifully choreographed interiors

Two lovely old cottages, part of the 1700 stable block on the St Giles estate, with 5,000 acres to roam, for walkers and peace seekers

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

Two duplex apartments filled with art and sculptures inside a beautiful 18th-century orangery, minutes from magnificent Versailles

Bright, cosy cottage in a quiet Devon village, four miles from Totnes, with two good pubs nearby and an en suite ground-floor bedroom

Ease yourself into a rather more gracious lifestyle from this sweet retreat on a historic estate with gorgeous walled gardens

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

Feel right at home in a thatched farmhouse on South Pool Creek, with cottage garden views, great breakfasts and a good local pub