A new-build in local stone with vast windows gazing out at the meeting place of three beautiful lochs, surrounded by 12 acres of croft land

Peaceful, traditional country house just 2 miles from central Dorking. Relaxed hosts, good food, beautiful gardens, walks galore - a retreat

Airy, spacious, sunny. This Lot gîte is a delight: linen curtains, oak stair, sunny pool. Sarlat and painted caves are an easy venture away

3 lovely cottages in the heart of Cognac vines for cosy nights by the fire and summer barbecues by the pool

The cottage looks down over Lough Swilly, idyllic for boats and safe swims... and the neighbours are friendly, just sheep and cows

Walk, ride, bike or canoe, climb a mountain, head for Hay, then return to a comfortable bar, warm bedrooms and delicious food

History, elegance and art combine in this special spot near the Louvre. Wonderful staff too. Relax - take breakfast in bed

Escape to a rural idyll on a working olive and citrus farm in the toe of Italy. Attentive hosts, good for kids and great food!

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

Come for history, wildlife and a stunning garden estate with acres to roam. Bring children and dogs too. Fabulous

Year-round Alpine fun at this peaceful home a short hop from the peaks with calm bedrooms, delicious breakfasts and mountain views

A stylish, canal-side inn – you get Sunday lunch, tow paths that lead into Edinburgh, then a pretty garden and cute rooms

Swim with frogs in the freshwater pool, breakfast in the sunshine, play boules by moonlight. Châteaux don't get much more rural

An old farmhouse in a hilltop town deep in wine country, with a charming owner intent on ensuring you make the most of your stay

A niftily restored, open-plan, beamed hayloft, just the ticket for romantics, with gorgeous views of fields and open countryside

A very special design-led garden apartment on the ground floor of an elegant 1835 house on one of the prettiest crescents in the city

Georgian country house with rustic charm and a home-from-home feel. In the heart of Wiltshire just outside historic town Bradford-on-Avon

A country house, elegant and unstuffy, at the heart of a working Lazio olive farm. Lunch by the pool or unwind at the hot spring spa