If we had to choose our “special place”, Andy and I would always choose Exmoor National Park. It’s a place we often escape to. Straddling the Somerset/Devon border, Exmoor’s coastline is littered with

White waterfalls, friendly cafés, forest trails, a secret castle and the shifting light on Loch Tay are just some of the reasons to visit the Scottish village of Killin. It is also an easy drive from

5 15.6 km / 9.7 miles / 6 hours Ascent 1080m/3543ft

AS hotel names go, this one’s a little unusual. Across Church Street, where I’m standing in the Welsh Border town of Chirk, is the Hand Hotel. Parts of it date back to 1610, during the reign of James

Jim Perrin revisits an old haunt to reveal the real high point of the ‘White Barrier’ via Wales’ highest waterfall, a pair of ponies, pubs and ring ouzels thrown in for good measure

We love the Yorkshire Dales, but in summer it can get quite crowded, with walkers off on adventures up the peaks and the less energetic strolling around the picturesque market towns and villages. In a