Wide views over the trees to the glittering loch and the hills beyond will mesmerise; interiors are calm, uncluttered and generous

Kate makes you feel at home the moment you enter her great big beloved house - full of books, guitars and a piano, antiques and huge spaces

Cosy bolthole for two in a tiny hamlet next to a river and pub; walk the hills or spend the day at the unspoiled coast

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

An ancient farmstead in the Lombard style with up-to-date B&B rooms plus a garden, lake and museum all surrounded by quiet countryside

Perched on a hillside between mountains and sea is this charming house in a modern Spanish style, engulfed by a beautiful garden with views

Serious art, lovely lighting, great sound system and a fat wood-burner belting out the heat at this super place for families or friends

A great little place, hugely popular, with stylish bedrooms, lovely food, happy staff and a winning position on the river Wyre

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

Just below the Tuscan town of Massa Marittima, an agriturismo loved by sporty types and families, with wonderful food on site

An old farm worker's cottage, niftily done up and nicely remote, with walking and fishing on the doorstep, four miles from Hadrian's Wall

Simple and rustic, this early 1700s farmhouse has warmth and charm, surrounded by countryside in the Perche

A serene retreat basking above the Algarve with sea views from the garden and pool, and charming Moorish details

You're only a whisper away from history in this family-run château, where rose gardens, sumptuous bedrooms and generous breakfasts wait

Get the full-English bucolic countryside experience at this boutique inn right in the heart of a quintessentially pretty Cotswold village

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