Carole MCGREGOR's selection of French property for sale

About my area

I am based in Saint Beat in the Haute Garonne department of the Midi Pyrenees, sitting on the border of the Val d’Aran in Spain. This area has pretty villages, spa towns, breath-taking scenery, mountains and lakes, little French markets and the friendliest people - it is a hidden little gem. In the summer months you can spend every weekend at a village fete or vide grenier with great music, food and activities. There are 4 downhill and 2 cross country ski resorts in the region: LE MOURTIS - Situated above Saint Beat , at the start of the Val d’Aran and only 1h 30 mins from Toulouse, Le Mourtis is a family friendly ski resort. Located in the heart of a magnificent forest that is home to brown bears, deer and other small animals. Le Mourtis has 23 km of pistes including 8 green, 5 blue, 5 red and 2 black runs ranging between 1380 m and 1816 m altitude. SUPERBAGNERES - Situated above Bagneres de Luchon, the “Queen of the Pyrenees” with an exceptional concentration of peaks over 3000m. The lift from the centre of Luchon allows you to access the slopes of Superbagneres in just 8 minutes. Divided into 3 sectors, Superbagneres offers a wide variety of slopes and a spacious snowpark. In total, Superbagneres has 32 km of slopes including 4 green, 11 blue, 7 red and 6 black runs. There is a snowpark, cross-country skiing area and places where you can toboggan. Every Wednesday the gondola stays open until 2030 hours. NISTOS - Situated close Valcabrere and St Bertrand de Comminge, Nistos is known as the “Domain of the Gods” and is a magnificent cross-country skiing area at an altitude of between 1600m and 1800m. The resort offers 8 cross country and skating routes and 50 km of snow show trails (1 green, 2 blue, 4 red and 1 black). PEYRAGUDES - Situated just 15 minutes from Bagneres de Luchon, Peyragudes ski resort is split into two areas – Agudes and Peyresourde. Together they have 60 km of pistes (5 green, 20 blue, 20 red and 4 black slopes) that cover an area of 1500 hectares at an altitude of between 1600m and 2400m. There are 3 circuits for snow shoe walking, ideal for discovering the scenery, wildlife and the magnificent mountains. The resort also has the Vallee Blanche, a fabulous off-piste route consisting of 6km of groomed pistes. BOURG D’OUEIL - Situated just 15 km from Luchon, Bourg d'Oueil welcomes you in a beautiful mountain valley dominated by Mont Ne. Offering slopes for all levels, the resort is ideal for families (1 green, 2 blue, 2 red and 1 black piste). Ideal for snow shoe walking and cross country skiing. BAQUEIRA/BERET (SPAIN) – The best skiing in Europe according to my husband!! Located in the Val d'Aran the station is 1500 meters and the top of the slopes are 2500m above sea level. There are 4 Valleys: Baqueira, Beret, Bonaigua and Pallars. The resort has 33 lifts (1 cable car, 20 chair lifts, 5 ski lifts and 7 belts) and 69 runs cover 108 km. There is also 7 km of cross-country trails. The ski season lasts from December to April.

About me

We bought our first property in France in Morzine, a pretty little village in the Alps. After a couple of years, we got married in the local Mairie and Ron worked as a chalet host for a season. After 7 years we decided it was time to make our move and come out to France and open a B&B. We looked at property in the Alps but quickly realised that our budget would not stretch as far as we wanted so spent 6 days one Easter crossing the Pyrenees looking at different properties. On day 4, we arrived in Saint Beat and fell in love with the people, the quirky little village oozing with history and the proximity to Spain (we love tapas!). That was in 2004 and we have never looked back. We meet fabulous people from all over the world and our neighbours are so genuine, friendly and supportive. The mountains and scenery are breath- taking and the climate is great. Summers are hot and sunny, winters crisp with clear blue skies, spring wakes us up with fresh colours and showers and autumn, our favourite, is usually dry with warm sunny days. The region is perfect for anyone who loves the outdoors and wants to experience the French way of life. Over the last couple of years, I have helped five friends and guests find property in the area and, when I saw that Leggett were looking for agents in the region, I could not wait to start. It is such a pleasure to share this beautiful region and what it offers. So don’t wait, get in touch and let me know what you want and either I will already have it waiting for you or, I will search the region to find it for you.