Cosy and comfortable family holiday home just a dozen steps from the sandy beaches of the Quiberon coast. Spend days walking, cycling and paddling

Spacious bolthole for two with long sea views: explore the wilds of the Scottish Isles, watch plenty of wildlife from big windows

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

A hilltop setting for this ancient fortress with an illustrious past. You stay in apartments or farmhouses inside or outside the walls

The sort of inn we all love - open fires, original beams, ancient flags, tasty food, with lovely bedrooms thrown in for good measure

A majestic renovation of a Victorian 'model' farm with underfloor heating, open plan design, light bright lines and not a whiff of IKEA

A comfortable and characterful 1775 gatekeeper's lodge on the Mount Congreve Estate with access to the magnificent gardens

An immaculately restored 1500s palazzo, filled with history, art, antiques and books in the buzzing heart of a charming town

A dear little cottage, full of interesting things, overlooking tranquil farmland on the Stackpole Estate just a 20-minute walk to the coast

Traditional accommodation and organic food; handy for Bari but set peacefully in the countryside near Toritto, famed for its almonds

The view is pure Canaletto, the vibe is modern and laid back. Just minutes from all Venice’s best bits, but with far fewer tourists

A serene restaurant-hotel on Chesil beach, with a perfect view of the big blue sea. How restorative can a hotel be?

Cosily colourful bedrooms and large luxurious bathrooms; relax among the lovely antiques after a day's exploring. Great host, too

A hop to Montpellier, but deep in the countryside: a romantic pad, with Moroccan rugs, ochre-limed walls and bikes to ride into the country

In the National Park with all its glories (Ashbourne for antiques, Chatsworth for history, Bakewell for its market), a sweet village cottage

Come for pristine beaches, long walks to Barbate, sea views, whale watching trips and serene suites

High in the Beaujolais is this wonderful B&B - vast views, a big pool in a half-wild garden, and the best cuisine for miles

An exquisite, serene B&B with sweeping views, tucked between hills, vineyards and meadows and the ancient remains of a Benedictine abbey