Heaps to do on-site: organic farm shop & café, cookery & cheese-making courses, farm tours. A brilliant base for exploring the Cotswolds too

Stay just two kilometres from Siena's medieval gates with views over vineyards, lovely interiors, good food and pleasant gardens

Cast yourselves away to this beautiful island and a bright, spacious apartment with a rooftop terrace bang in the middle of the town square

Sustainably built Suffolk retreat with plenty of space for friends and family to properly unwind - a steam room seals the deal

A perfectly romantic and gorgeously restored bothy in a garden on a hillside by the sea, with grand views over the mountains of Skye

An immaculately restored old inn with generous bedrooms, great food, ale and wine. Locals love it as much as those who make it a destination

With a sauna in the woods and a Nordic bath by the lake, these carefully renovated farm buildings are a lovely slow-living retreat

Charming 15th-century farmhouse near Montrésor and Loches with immense lawns, orchards and a fabulous pool

Fresh, inviting bedrooms with leafy garden views and a pretty church next door. Moffat's spectacular Grey Mare's Tail waterfall nearby

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

Three very special places to stay on one glorious estate. Gather those whose company you enjoy and immerse yourselves in beauty and history

For retreats, groups of friends, and big families: come to recharge the senses at this special and ancient house enveloped by wild gardens

Set off on blissful walks, trek home to crumpets and tea. There’s no better place to escape the 21st century than rural Devon

Throw open French windows to this sleek self-catering space, with off-street parking. Walk to the beach & the pub, visit historic Chichester

A charming renovated stone gîte only 15km from Bergerac with a large outdoor pool, pretty gardens and walks and cycle rides from the door

Dreamy, languid beauty at this spacious, airy, arty house with garden and pool in typical Pugliese countryside

Gather your loved ones and come for colourful, exuberant interiors, an absolutely gorgeous covered veranda and a pool with moveable floor