September: For most of us, this month means back to school, back to work, and back to daydreaming about our next adventures. There are few places in Great Britain more glorious at the end of summer than the Scottish Highlands, especially this year. Scotland boasts some of the last great wildernesses in western Europe, featuring huge tracts of open landscape, mountains and lochs, undeveloped and sparsely populated where you can really get away from it all. There is very little light pollution in the highlands so the night skies are amazing, especially in the far north where witnessing incredible meteor showers is not unusual. The roads are long, slow and windy. You can run into quite heavy traffic on some stretches in the middle of summer, but as the season turns you often have the roads to yourself, so you can chill out, go with the flow, absorb the stunning scenery that surrounds and embrace the pace. Put on your favourite music, sit back and decompress; you will get to where you need to be eventually.

For almost twenty years, Loyd & Townsend Rose has been guiding guests through the Scottish Highlands, enabling them to explore and experience its magic. Director Andrew Loyd recommends a weeklong stay in order to make the trip worthwhile, and base you either at a castle or sporting lodge for the duration of your stay – your Scottish highland home-from-home – or transfer you from one hotel to another depending on the nature of your trip and the activities you wish you take part in. The former style or stay suits large family groups who want to nest and could do without the upheaval of moving around. The hotel route works well for smaller mobile groups keen to maximise their time in Scotland and who want to see as much as possible.

Along with its sensational scenery, Scotland is fortunate to still have an incredible array of castles woven through its mountains, around its lochs, dotted along its beaches. These are another huge reason why guests love the highlands, as these historical homes add further drama to the already rich landscape. The clan chieftains and noble families who built these castles helped shape the landscape through their forestry plantings and careful preservation of the wonderful open spaces. Similarly to Ireland, you will see a lot of modern cottages being built, but the moors, farmland and forests remain remarkably unchanged. Many of the castles have been rescued from neglect, and English or overseas business families have pumped fortunes into restoring them to their former glory, meanwhile embarking on further projects to preserve the landscape. A fine example of this is the great Aldourie Castle – above – which sits on the banks of Loch Ness and offers extremely comfortable accommodation for large family groups in 13 bedrooms and further bedrooms in other estate cottages. This castle offers easy access to famous local golf courses like Nairn and Royal Dornoch, historical sites like Cawdor Castle and Culloden battlefield, and of course to the loch itself, where guests can take boat trips (fast and slow) and admire the astonishing scenery. Inverness is close by, but it is some of the smaller towns, like Beauly and Strathpeffer, that Andrew finds more charming.

A little further east of Aldourie is Dalcross Castle, a smaller but equally impressive fortified tower built in 1620. Find eight lovely bedrooms and a real castle atmosphere, the perfect place to celebrate a special birthday or family gathering, or to hole up in winter with a good book in front of a roaring log fire. Of course, not all Loyd & Townsend Rose’s guests are looking for a castle with winding stone staircases as their base from which to explore the Scottish Highlands. For these guests, we have a myriad of lodges like Old Milton near Kingussie that has 7 bedrooms and a one bedroom cottage, or bothy, as the Scots call them. The house is extremely comfortable, beautifully done up with excellent bathrooms and a very light, cosy feel. A lot of shooting lodges are rather stuffy with dull sporting prints and endless tartan, but not this one. There is also a private golf course, tennis court, hot tub and fishing. A fun alternative, which is a balance between a home and a castle, is Gordon Castle – below – in Morayshire. Built in the 1770s for the Duke of Gordon, it offers either spacious bedrooms, salmon fishing on the river Spey, a stunning walled garden with a restaurant, and even produces its own gin. Being on the doorstep of Speyside, whisky country, there are many famous distilleries within easy reach of the castle. The Aberdeenshire coastline is stunning, and there are some lovely fishing villages to explore, including Pennan, where the cult movie ‘Local Hero’ was filmed.

If guests are curious to experience what it is like to stay in a Scottish castle but aren’t travelling with a big enough group to fill one, Loyd & Townsend Rose sends the group further west to stay at the wonderful Inverlochy Castle Hotel, below. This romantic and magical hotel is a personal favourite, as Andrew proposed to his wife there! Fort William itself, just down the road, is not a great beauty of a town. However, the castle is located a few miles north and is sort of a gateway to the rugged west coast highlands and the Isle of Skye. Lovely big bedrooms with huge windows offer panoramic views of the picturesque surroundings and good hearty Scottish cuisine is served up in the restaurant, which is much needed after a long day climbing a Munro, or even Ben Nevis) for the ultra-ambitious. The castle was constructed in 1863 and is a classic Victorian home and built to impress. 10 years after its completion the owners hosted Queen Victoria for a week of painting!

Over on Skye is the great Macleod family stronghold, Dunvegan Castle. It isn’t possible to stay here, but it makes a great visit and is perfectly positioned with absolutely stunning views of Scotland in every direction. Spend a night at the Three Chimneys Inn, watch the dolphins play in the sea, and eat the most delicious langoustines in the world.

Back on the mainland, near Oban, is the dramatic castle of Inveraray, which has been the home of the Dukes of Argyll since 1746. Fortunate guests can stay in Ducal splendour and experience old-school grandeur in the private apartments that overlook Loch Fyne. During the daytime, there are a lot of visitors to the main part of the castle, but after 5pm you will have the place to yourselves.

Wherever you choose to adventure in the Scottish Highlands, from the windy roads of Applecross to the sweet village of Plocton, you will be overawed by the landscape. Never ceasing to amaze, the gulf stream enables a varied and surprising array of plants to grow and flora to flourish, including unexpected palm trees. Trust Andrew when he says that it is good for the mind, body and soul to immerse yourself in the remote countryside, and you will return home truly refreshed from the peace, quiet, and fresh air.

For more than a half century the South of France has been an amazingly popular destination for European beach holidays. Even today many holiday-goers flock to glamorous destinations like Saint-Tropez, Cannes and Nice, leading their main beaches to be completely packed. However, there are still a number of more secluded beaches along the coast which offer those who are willing to seek them out a peaceful hideaway in this beautiful, but busy vacation spot.

Calanque d’En-vau, Cassis

It would be difficult to talk about the hidden beaches of the South of France without mentioning the famous calaques found between Marseille and Cassis. This breathtaking stretch of coastline features unique rocky inlets of white cliffs towering up from small arched beaches flanked by pines. While they aren’t a complete secret, they are definitely hidden… and challenging to reach, as aspect which keeps a certain number of crowds at bay. This particular calanque is one of the prettiest, though it can only be reached by daring down a very steep path or by the much easier means of a kayak, which also grants you exceptional views of the cove from a distance. There are no shops, so be sure to bring a picnic and water.

Calanque d’En-vau beach

La Plage Mala. Photo Patrick Janicek

La Plage Mala. Photo Patrick Janicek / Flickr

Plage Mala, Cap d’Ail, Alpes-Maritimes

Along the Cap d’Ail just west of ritzy Monaco is this lovely hidden beach of the French Riviera. Since the only way to reach it is down some very steep steps and protected by trees, it attracts many fewer people than most other nearby beaches. The semi-circular bay is covered in sand and pebbles and is protected by trees. You would almost not even guess you were on one of Europe’s busiest stretches of coastline. There are a few restaurants down on the cove to offer refreshments and food, plus you can even reserve your own sun lounger in advance here.

Plage de Gardanne. Photo Nanel4 / Flickr

 

Plage de Gardanne, Point de L’Aiguille

On the other side of the Golfe de Napoule from the crowded beaches around Cannes, you’ll find several pretty, secluded beaches dotting the coast around la Pointe de L’Aiguille between Theoule-sur-Mer and Agay. These will require some walking, but your efforts will be well worth it! Within the Parc de la Pointe de l’Aiguille is the lovely secret cove of the Gardanne Beach. Surrounded by jagged boulders, here you’ll also find a cave, though very little else! The perfect hidden spot for adventurers.

Calanque de Saint-Barthélémy

While the Calanques around Cassis are the most famous of the South of France, this on near Saint Raphael is also very beautiful and remains more offbeat than the ones further to the west. It plunges down 20 meters from the Rocher de Saint-Barthélemy on the massif de l’Estérel of the Corniche d’Or area. There’s small, normally deserted pebbled beach border by sparkling turquoise waters, perfect for swimming or snorkelling to discover its impressive array of water life.

Cap Taillet. Photo Akunamatata / Flickr

 

Plage de la Bastide Blanche, Cap Taillat

With such a gorgeous coastline, it’s no wonder that Saint-Tropez became a Cote d’Azur vacation hotspot. On its outskirts, you can already escape some of the crowds at nearby l’Escalet beach of the charming village of Ramatuelle, from the more adventurous can either set out on foot or by kayak to track down the even more remote Plage de la Bastide Blanche. It takes about an hour, but the journey is part of the fun. Plan to pack a picnic to spend the day on this rather long beach, doing nothing much other than relaxing to the sight of the shimmering crystal waters of the Mediterranean.

Plage de Bonporteau, Cavalaire-sur-Mer

Another nice option not far from Saint Tropez, the charming fishing village of Cavalaire-sur-Mer, has a beautiful, long sandy beach, but if you drift a little further you can discover this scenic cove. Hidden by pines and lined with a layer of fine sand, sit back and enjoy the gentle breeze, minus the boisterous beach mobs found on the crowded beaches.

Plage de Léoube. Photo Phileole / Flickr

 

Plage de Léoube, Bormes les Mimosas

Spectacular aquamarine waters drawn many to the half-moon Plage de l’Estagnol, however, it’s hard to savor its beauty due to the swarms of other sunseekers packed on the beach. Experience the same stunning scenery at this lovely beach hidden down a small footpath about a twenty minute walk or five minute drive away from Estagnol. Sip on some crisp local rosé and gaze out at the small Léoube Island, floating off the coast.

 

Plage de l’espiguette. Photo Guah / Flickr

Plage de l’Espiguette, Hérault

The western side of the South of France isn’t as much on the radar of foreign visitors to the country, therefore, it’s lovely beaches tend to be frequented mainly by locals and inevitably fewer people. There are several lovely beaches on this rather unspoilt stretch, this particular beach, located near the Camargue National Park, east of Montpellier, makes for a pleasant choice thanks to its large size extending almost 10 kilometers as well as its sand dunes, both of which ensure more space and privacy.

If you’re looking for the best luxury accommodation in the South of France, the perfect oases away from the tourist masses, contact one of our local villa experts here.