Scotland's top cottage "gems" for a staycation have been named. Holiday homes from across the country were singled out. Sykes Holiday Cottages recently shared its shortlist for the annual Sykes Gems ...

Rolling fields, patchwork woodland and a gently meandering river. Distant mountains. A winding path leading down to a nearby beach. And a little thatched cottage with a garden bursting with flowers.

A cottage escape is synonymous with many things – privacy, seclusion, comfort, luxury. In the perfect holiday cottage all these elements are packed into a house that is often no bigger than our homes, ...