The best of the season to inspire and admire

For some, having extra space to keep animals is one of the drivers for moving to France – Gillian Harvey meets three such people

Diana is finding a different rhythm to life in her new home, a 150-year-old cottage in the Scottish borders. And she’s welcoming this fresh start

From the Apennine Mountains to ‘the end of the land’ at Cape Finisterre, Louis D Hall and his horse Sasha trekked untrodden partisan paths across four mountain ranges. Guided by strangers and nature’s clues, it was fulfilment of a childhood dream inspired by Don Quixote . Here, the author shares two extracts that give a glimpse into this wilder way of life

Do you daydream about swapping the rat race for an outdoor-centric existence The trailblazers here have all taken dramatic steps to change their lives their stories might just inspire you to do the same

A s I write this, just a week before Christmas, it’s a wonderfully frantic time in the office as we sign off magazines and race to meet deadlines, all in the hope of enjoying a well-deserved rest over