Peaceful Highland hideaway on a wooded lochside: spy dolphins and otters, stargaze, and soak up the deep silence

A row of old brick stables now craftily converted into a light-filled and very peaceful place to stay with a garden room and gorgeous views

Two villas on opposite shores of a big lily-covered lake, fed with natural spring water from the Ticino river and surrounded by gardens

A sweet bolthole around a courtyard on a smallholding, extremely comfortable, bright and spacious inside and with a communal garden

A roomy, stylish barn conversion in Devon's rolling hills with wonderful walks from the door and panoramic views of the Exe valley

Towering 5 storeys above lively Palermo, a gracious B&B with sunlit rooms, lovely Sicilian hosts and breakfast in fine china on the terrace

Two family-friendly gites with gardens and a big pool, surrounded by corn fields and sunflowers, ideal for a larger family to take together

Restored stone barn in 22 acres filled with special wildlife, on the edge of Radnor Forest, with walking trails, glorious countryside views

A grand spot for walkers, cyclists and nature lovers - this warm, informal B&B gives you very comfortable rooms and delicious breakfasts

This stately-looking former manor house set back from the road in acres of gardens serves very good food and has rustic-chic bedrooms

A modern, architect-designed renovation of a 19th-century building, sitting in harmony with nature yet only a short drive from Bordeaux

Come for excellent food, warm interiors and nicely priced rooms in this light old Rectory with a pretty terrace for summer drinks

A stunning château with huge rooms, pretty balconies with views, peaceful garden. Super owners, excellent dinners - and child-friendly too

From the delicious scented garden with its limestone pool to the cool rooms with perfect linen, this is a place for a special occasion

A stylish, refined 17th-century house off a quiet street with its own garden and lots of generous surprises, a short hop to everything

Tucked at the bottom of a long track and surrounded by a gorgeous natural landscape, is this generous end-slice of a 17th-century stone farm

Next to a glorious National Trust estate, an exceptional barn renovation, a honeymooners’ dream – and Marsden a stroll downhill

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