Luxury wilderness cottages
If you go down to the woods today you're in for a big surprise. In places where bleating sheep and burbling hot tubs are the only hubbubs to break the silence, our luxury wilderness cottages are a breath of fresh air.
Evenings in the wilderness: between cups of tea and bites of oatcakes, you'll balance on the sofa’s edge to remove Jenga blocks in the lull of a late-night radio show. Later, you'll dash between the hot tub and sauna, wrapped by the winds of a forested valley, and be glad you escaped from the city. Including one that was dubbed ‘possibly the best log cabin in Britain’, our luxury wilderness cottages pack a paradisiacal punch. These are places that carefully balance the great outdoors with the great indoors; meaning, there's swimming pools in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, yoga decks in the Outer Hebrides, and cinema barns among Welsh mountain ranges.
Taking a break from urban living may well calm the mind and soothe the soul, but its greatest accolade is how it helps us return to our most wholesome selves. Hike up high hills with your city-fatigued dogs, take the children blackberry-picking, or gather in the garden to char homemade margheritas in the pizza oven. Now's the time to assemble your coterie and make for the wilds, trying a slice of expeditionary life on home soil. These cosy private homes are made for storytelling by the inglenook fire, morning coffee among 20,000 books, and warm crumble made from backyard apples. Solitude is beckoning; how far will you go for your wilderness escape?
Juneberry
Cubert, Holywell Bay, Cornwall, UK
Tucked away between the trees on Cornwall’s north coast, Juneberry is settled in the quiet idyll of rural bliss.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,095 per week, £850 per short break
Pets: Two small well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Yoga deck with mats and blocks
Firefly
Trebudannon, Newquay, Cornwall, UK
Nomadic types will love unique self-catering cabin Firefly, with its earthy, back-to-nature appeal and proximity to Mawgan Porth. Handcrafted using rough cut timber and complete with a hot tub and wildlife pond, this luxury woodcutter's cottage in North Cornwall is perfect for couples.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,295 per week, £995 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three on prior request
Features: Hot tub
Wishbone
Malvern, Malvern Hills, Worcestershire, UK
Tranquillity and romance unfold in the heart of the Malvern Hills at this rough-luxe self-catering barn conversion set in 16 acres of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Wishbone is perfect for couples wanting to go off the radar into their own little paradisiacal land.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,250 per week, £950 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Fishing lake and fire pit
Hinterland Cabin
Perched on a hill overlooking the Conwy valley, this luxury log cabin sits on the border of Snowdonia, enveloped by big skies and soaring mountains. Whether hill hiking or gorge trekking, the hot tub and sauna will be the perfect remedy to the day's adventures.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £2,150 per week, £1,495 per short break
Pets: Two medium well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub, sauna and yoga deck
Idlewylde
Machynlleth, Snowdonia, Wales, UK
From the sweet seclusion to mountain vistas, hot tub to glittering skies uninterrupted by city lights, Idlewylde is an impossibly romantic escape for couples in North Wales.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,550 per week, £1,150 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three on prior request
Features: Hot tub
Tangle Belle
St Martin, Helford, Cornwall, UK
Situated in acres of private woodland with the pretty stream meandering along beside, this wooden-cladded self-catering cottage near Helford is the epitome of rural charm and exudes oodles of rustic country character.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £1,295 per week, £995 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Little Eden
Loch Lomond, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Perched on the quiet eastern shores of Loch Lomond and with glorious mountain views, this private and romantic self-catering cottage is perfectly romantic and wildly gorgeous.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £2,395 per week, £1,795 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Two fire pits and secluded bay on Loch Lomond, perfect for launching kayaks and SUPs
Eirianfa
Llanbedr-Dyffryn-Clwyd, Ruthin, Wales, UK
Cradled within a peaceful valley near Ruthin, this heart-stirring luxury cottage in Denbighshire boasts a games room with hot tub and a private lake, all set within 17 acres in North Wales.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £1,995 per week, £1,450 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: One medium or two small well-behaved dogs are welcome on prior request
Features: Hot tub, bar, 50" TV, pool table, private lake
Tincture
Llanwrtyd Wells, Cambrian Mountains, Powys, Wales, UK
A fairytale, off-grid cottage riding on the tides of nature in the heart of Wales' wild and little-discovered Cambrian Mountains.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £1,650 per week, £1,250 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Lost Cottage
Glenbeigh, County Kerry, Republic of Ireland
Lost Cottage was once a winter refuge to a herd of mountain goats but now invites guests to stay in one of the most unique self-catering cottages in Kerry, Ireland. Pared-back interiors offer a stylishly simple shelter from which to admire Glenbeigh's emerald green farmland and soaring mountains.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £1,695 per week, £1,250 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
The Cinders
Lyndhurst, New Forest, Hampshire, UK
Offering a peaceful escape in the wilds of the New Forest, spend days wandering beneath the trees, spotting wildlife and fully relaxing into the sound of nature.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £2,195 per week, £1,695 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 & Up to 2 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Morwell
Calstock, Tamar Valley, Cornwall, UK
Tenderly cosseted by the arms of the Tamar Valley AONB, this stylish luxury self-catering farmhouse with natural outdoor swimming pool enjoys 1.5 miles of private river frontage.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £1,795 per week, £1,650 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 8 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Table tennis, natural outdoor swimming pool (available July - September)
Skyros
Schull, County Cork, Republic of Ireland
Lose yourself amidst the magic of the Emerald Isle by escaping to this unique coastal self-catering home at the foothills of Mount Gabriel in Schull.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £2,095 per week, £1,750 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 & Up to 2 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Solas
Luskentyre Beach, The Isle of Harris, Scotland, UK
Settled above the paradisiacal shores of Luskentyre Beach on the Isle of Harris, Solas is a modern self-catering home seemingly perched on the edge of the world.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
From: £3,295 per week
Pets: One well-behaved dog will be considered on prior request
Features: Wood-fired hot tub, spa area with sauna, shower and yoga deck
The Artist’s Retreat
Michaelstow, Wadebridge, Cornwall, UK
Between the moors and sea in mystical North Cornwall, where folklore and truth twist to forge history, a bohemian country home with an outdoor heated pool awaits.
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
From: £2,895 per week, £2,095 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Outdoor swimming pool (heated June - September), outdoor ping pong table, fire pit, croquet lawn, badminton
Figtree House
Farleton, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, UK
This exquisitely interior designed luxury self-catering home stay is set within 17 acres of rolling Cumbrian countryside, not far from the historic town of Kirkby Lonsdale and the Lake District.
Sleeps: Up to 10
From: £2,495 per week, £1,995 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 & Up to 4 guests
Pets: One well-behaved dog is welcome on prior request
Features: TV snug
Winterfell
Windermere, The Lake District, Cumbria, UK
In a land far, far away, nestled between the majestic mountains and forested hills of the Lake District, lies this luxury private lake home near Lake Windermere in Ulverton.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
From: £3,995 per week, £2,995 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Fire pit
Charity
Black Mountains, Herefordshire, UK
Modern rusticity, clever artistry and divine seclusion combine to make Charity the ultimate wild retreat for friends and family gatherings; set down a winding mountain road in the Olchon Valley near the Brecon Beacons.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
From: £3,395 per week, £2,550 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Wood-fired hot tub, sauna, outdoor shower, outdoor pizza oven, table tennis, snooker room, cinema barn
The Wilds
Crickhowell, Brecon Beacons, Wales, UK
This family home sat beneath the peaks of the Brecon Beacons has been sympathetically renovated into a countrified yet stylish abode, complete with a hot tub on the private sun terrace.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
From: £3,595 per week, £2,695 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 8 guests
Pets: One well-behaved dog is welcome
Features: Hot tub
Northcott Beach House
Northcott Mouth, Bude, Cornwall, UK
A breathtaking cliff-top large self-catering beach house in north Cornwall offering large luxury accommodation near Bude in north Cornwall for up to 16 guests.
Sleeps: Up to 14 guests
From: £3,295 per week, £2,450 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
