Cabü by the Lakes
Co Cavan
There’s an all-seasons wilderness vibe at this Cabü outpost (the first is on the Kent coast), which gazes out over Lough Oughter on the edge of Killykeen Forest Park. Ireland’s lesser-visited County Cavan, with its mosaic of lakes, canals and waterways, provides the scenic backdrop. Choose between modern, Canadian-style lakeside cabins and the more traditional log version set among the trees.
Two-bedroom cabins from €550 (£476) for two nights, holidays.cabu.co.uk
Elmley Nature Reserve
Kent
Set on the Isle of Sheppey in North Kent, Elmley is one of few places where you can overnight in a nature reserve. This unique estate spans 3,300 acres that positively teem with wildlife thanks to the conservation efforts of its owners, who have lived there for generations. Accommodation includes shepherd’s huts and stylish cabins with huge picture windows. There are also nature safaris by foot and 4×4 dusk tours among wildlife-related activities. Hampers can be delivered for breakfast and dinner.
Cabins from £130 a night for four, elmleynaturereserve.co.uk
Looking Glass Lodge
East Sussex
This is something a bit special. Already a star of the small screen having featured in the Channel 4 series George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, this lodge was designed along biophilic principals (to interact with nature), making the most of its tranquil setting in a clearing of the High Weald outside the village of Fairlight near Hastings. Suspended above the forest floor, this cutting-edge cabin is equipped with state-of-the-art electrochromatic glass on both sides that responds to the sunlight and gives you the sense that you are completely surrounded by nature.
Two nights from £590 for two, lookingglasslodge.co.uk
Unyoked
Black Mountains
Immerse yourself in the wilderness of the Welsh Valleys and the Black Mountains with a stay in one of three off-grid, contemporary and cosy cabins from Unyoked. It’s all about the simple things here – cooking dinner under the stars on the fire pit and getting back to nature.
Cabins from £154 a night for two, minimum two nights, unyoked.co
Hindterlandes
Lake District
A more luxurious riff on off-grid living is possible at Hinterlandes. It debuted its latest cabin, the romantic, oak shingle The Hütte, this summer. Coming with its own pizza oven and hot tub, the cabin is set in a spot surrounded by ancient woodland in one of the Lake District’s quieter pockets near Loweswater.
£145 a night for two, minimum two nights, hinterlandes.com
Forest Garden
West Sussex
There’s a touch of whimsy at this secluded retreat near East Grinstead. As well as yurts, this self-styled wilderness retreat has four American frontier-style wooden cabins with individually styled interiors. Guests can also participate in a range of outdoorsy activities such as beekeeping, woodworking, forest bathing, yoga classes and a sauna.
From £335 a night for four, forestgarden.info
Inverlonan
Argyll & Bute
Six miles from Oban on the west coast of Scotland, Inverlonan has reimagined the aesthetic of the traditional Scottish bothy with three eye-catching cabins on the shores of Loch Nell that are accessible only by foot, boat or buggy. There are wood-fired showers and a sauna by the lakeside, while produce from the surrounding farms is delivered direct to cook over the fire pit and in the pizza oven – or you can opt to have an eight-course tasting menu by the resident chef.
Bothies sleeping two from £350 for two nights, inverlonan.com
Leeds Castle Lodges
Kent
You will have the 500-acre expanse of gardens and parkland of the storied 900-year-old Leeds Castle almost to yourself with a stay at one of its new cabins being unveiled this winter. With head-on views of the castle’s Great Water from their private decks, the four cabins have been sustainably designed by Koto and clad in environmentally friendly larch.
Lodges from £325 a night for four, leeds-castle.com/stay/lakeside-lodges
Cynefin Retreats
Herefordshire
The rolling countryside of Herefordshire and the bucolic Wye Valley form the backdrop for Cynefin Retreats. Its four luxe pods have a stylish Scandi-chic aesthetic and all the mod cons, but built with sustainability in mind. There are also barbecues, fire pits, and outdoor hot tubs. The charming book town of Hay-on-Wye is just three miles away.
Pods from £175 a night for four, cynefinretreats.com
Blyth Rise Stays
Suffolk
Blyth Rise Stays occupies a tranquil spot in the Suffolk countryside close to the pretty village of Laxfield. Its six Igluhuts have a quirky, fairy tale-like quality, set in carefully planted gardens with views out over the surrounding countryside. There are yoga classes and an on-site honesty shop for locally sourced provisions. The coastal towns of Southwold, Walberswick and Aldeburgh are easy day trips.
Huts sleeping two from £370 for two-night minimum stay, blythrisestays.co.uk
Glen Glack Cabins
Perthshire
You can linger in the wood-fired al fresco bath and soak up the serenity at Juniper, the smallest of the five Glen Glack cabins that perch on the edge of Cally Loch. These are in midst of the vast Atholl Estate in the Highlands near Dunkeld, Perthshire. Elegant decorcomes courtesy of the smart interior design firm Turner Pocock.
One-bed cabin sleeping two from £175 a night, atholl-estate.co.uk
The Tawny
Staffordshire
You might be lucky enough to glimpse one of the majestic nocturnal birds from which The Tawny takes its name. Set in the restored historic gardens of the 19th-century Consall Hall Estate near Stoke-on-Trent, this “deconstructed hotel” gives guests the chance to stay in low-impact cabins of a sophisticated bent scattered all around the 70-acre grounds. The central Plumicorn serves as the estate’s main dining room, with views out over a lake, and there is also a heated outdoor swimming pool, spa, activities and picnics served in wicker baskets.
Rates from £225 a night for a Wildwood Hut sleeping two, thetawny.co.uk
Tahuna Bothies
Aberdeenshire
This trio of striking, architect-designed cabins overlooks the spectacular sands of the north-eastern Scottish coast near Newburgh. Each bothy sleeps four and days can be spent swimming, riding, hiking and visiting the local seal colony of this picturesque area.
Bothies from £100 a night for four, tahunabothies.co.uk
Fritton Lake
Norfolk
Roamed by deer, buffalo, ponies, cattle and sheep, Fritton Lake is part hotel, part holiday club, part conservation project. Forming a chunk of the grand and gracious Somerleyton estate, at the heart of the project is regenerative agriculture. The estate is also dotted with differently styled rooms, including modern-style cabins. The large lake is perfect for an invigorating swim, paddleboarding and canoeing, while a swimming pool is warmed by a ground source heat pump. Much of the produce that goes on the menu in the Clubhouse Restaurant is either grown on the estate or sourced locally.
Cabins sleeping four from £440 for three nights, frittonlake.co.uk
A Place in the Pines
Yorkshire
It is all about remote relaxation at this forest retreat on the edge of the windswept North York Moors. Lark, its stylishly done-out cabin, sleeps four and has some rustic-luxe touches, such as a show-stopping pair of freestanding baths. There are eggs to be collected from the hens, meals to be cooked over the open fire and the owner’s homemade sloe gin for sunsets[.
Two nights from £450 for four, aplaceinthepines.co.uk
Cove Valley
Devon
Just three cabins share 300 acres of untamed wilderness at Cove Valley in the Exe Valley in the heart of the rolling Devon countryside. You are likely to encounter an array of wild animals including deer, fox, badger and more than 50 bird species as you hike the network of trails around this rewilding project and explore further in nearby Exmoor National Park. Each of the three cabins say more hotel than hut, with elevated interiors done by sought-after design company HÁM.
Cabins from £250 a night for two, covevalley.co.uk
Slow Cabins
Co Galway
Founded in Belgium, Slow Cabins is a gentle introduction to the concept of slow travel. Get back to basics at one of its five off-grid cabins set in the gentle landscape of the Burren Lowlands near the coastal town of Kinvara. Strike out to the extraordinary terrain of the Unesco Global Geopark of The Burren just over the border in neighbouring County Clare.
Cabins sleeping two from €290 (£251) for two nights, slowcabins.ie
Three Choirs Vineyard
Gloucestershire
As one of England’s oldest vineyards celebrates the 50th anniversary of its first vines, views are available from three luxurious oak and cedar cabins with glass walls set on the estate. Guests can take a self-guided wine tour and tasting each afternoon and dine in the vineyard’s brasserie at night.
Cabins for two from £235 a night, three-choirs-vineyards.co.uk
Firefly
Cornwall
Firefly is as stylish a shack as you are ever likely to find, tucked away in the hamlet of Trebudannon between Newquay and Mawgan Porth on the north coast of Cornwall. With a rustic, beachy aesthetic that has been meticulously created from wood, using lots of upcycled furniture and thoughtful touches, this romantic little cabin sleeps two people and has a hot tub and wildlife pond outside. Cornwall’s stunning beaches, some with the best surfing breaks in the country, are just a 15-minute drive away.
Three-night stays from £950 for two, uniquehomestays.com
Newtown Cabin
Isle of Wight
Built in the 1930s to process the local oyster catch, Newtown Cabin has been restored by the National Trust in charmingly simple style. It now affords guests far-reaching views across the Hamstead Heritage Coast on the northern shore of the Isle of Wight and the opportunity to spend the night surrounded by the untamed landscape of the Newtown National Nature Reserve.
Cabin sleeping four from £330 for two-night stay, nationaltrust.org.uk