Suffolk has long been a place of retreat, somewhere to escape to, far from everyday life. It may have its busier town centres, but in the main Suffolk remains a rural area of enormous variety , from heather covered heathland to softly rolling hills, long shingle spits to genteel coastal enclaves and kiss-me-quick seaside resorts.

The three Dumfriesshire dales of Nithsdale, Annandale and Eskdale are a rural playground of heatherclad hills, linns with tumbling waterfalls, babbling rivers and evershifting merse and firth. Despite being bisected by the main road into England, these dales were known more intimately by the discerning Victorians than they are today. Time, then, to rediscover the charms of this peaceful corner of Scotland. Whether it's a morning exploring the country's highest village, an afternoon paddling the shores of the Solway or an evening gazing at star-filled skies, Darren Flint and Donald Greig;'s...