Eilean Sionnach Lighthouse Cottage, off the Isle of Skye
Guests at this lighthouse keeper’s cottage have not only the property but the whole 1.6-hectare (four-acre) island to themselves. Eilean Sionnach is an islet off Skye that is accessible by boat or on foot at low tide. Like the lighthouse, the cottage was built in 1857 and has four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a kitchen and a lounge with a wood burner, and incredible sea views.
As well as a patio and garden, which has a fire circle, the cottage has its own private beach. It is possible to time a lunchtime walk to the nearest pubs and restaurants over on Skye. Or, for the true castaway experience, stock up at the village shop by the pier before embarking on your island adventure.
From £650 a night (two night-minimum), sleeps eight, coolstays.com
Borradill house and cottage, Scottish Highlands
This house and cottage, set 100 metres apart, are the only buildings in 10 hectares of private oak woodland on the rugged and remote Ardnamurchan peninsula, the most westerly point of mainland Britain. They can be rented separately or together: the cottage sleeps four in two bedrooms; the house sleeps six in two bedrooms and a snug with a double sofa bed. Both have kitchens with range ovens, lounges with lots of books and games, and outdoor fire bowls.
Outside, there’s adventure to be had in the woods, walks to waterfalls and natural plunge pools, and berries and mushrooms to forage. Hardy guests can snorkel and free dive for scallops on nearby Loch Sunart, or hire kayaks and boats. The nearest shop is a 15-minute drive away, but there is a whisky distillery just over a mile down the road.
Cottage from £171 a night, house from £214, both together (sleeps 10) from £357, four-night minimum, kiphideaways.com
The Blue Hemmel, Northumberland
Guests have to cross two fords to reach this contemporary barn conversion, which is a mile from the nearest neighbour (the owner). Set in moorland on the edge of Kielder Forest, close to Hadrian’s Wall, the barn is spacious yet cosy, and the open-plan living area has original beams, a vaulted ceiling, underfloor heating and windows overlooking the garden and forest.
There’s a wood burner to keep you warm in winter, a curved sofa, armchairs and a games table, and the three bedrooms have doors on to the patio. The barn is in Northumberland’s International Dark Sky Park and there’s a stargazing platform with a telescope in the garden; keen astronomers can also visit the Battlesteads Dark Sky Observatory in Wark, the nearest village.
From £907 for a week, sleeps six, classic.co.uk
Bull Hollow Cottage, Shropshire
This charming cottage for two, set in a clearing in four hectares of private woodland, looks like it’s straight out of a fairytale. The ground-floor lounge has a wood burner and a bay window seat for wildlife watching, while up the steep, narrow stairs is the bedroom, bathroom and snug-cum-study.
The large garden has a stream running through it, with a little stone bridge leading to woodland walks and Acton Burnell Castle beyond. It is six miles south-east to the market town of Much Wenlock and the ruins of Wenlock Priory, or a little farther north to Shrewsbury.
From £952 a week or £575 for three nights, sleeps two, ruralretreats.co.uk
Boulder Field Cabin, Peak District
It is a 250-metre walk up a steep path to this wooden cabin on Eagle Tor in the Peak District. The compact cabin has a futon sofa bed, a fold-down table and a wood burner. There is plenty of space outside, including a covered outdoor kitchen, an outdoor shower and a composting toilet. Best of all is the wood-fired hot tub, on a platform perched on a boulder and with views across the valley.
There’s no danger of being overlooked while bathing – the cabin is set in six hectares of private land. Still, it is only a 10-minute walk to the Druid Inn or the Red Lion in the ancient village of Birchover. Easily reached attractions include the Nine Ladies stone circle on Stanton Moor, Chatsworth House and the market town of Bakewell.
From £198 a night (two-night minimum), sleeps two, coolstays.com
Bird How, Lake District
This tiny cottage is on a fellside at the end of a rough farm track in the Eskdale valley. It was once a cow barn, and is still very simple: there is a sitting room with a wood burner, a small kitchen, a twin bedroom and a room with a bunkbed. Unusually, there is no bathroom – guests wash at the kitchen sink and use a caravan-style toilet under the cottage, in the old shippon (cattle shed).
It’s not for everyone, but it’s perfect for serious hikers who want to explore a lesser-known part of the Lake District. Hardknott Pass, among the steepest roads in England, is on the doorstep, and walkers can also take a quieter route up Scafell Pike.
From £449 a week or £292 for three nights, sleeps four, nationaltrust.org.uk
The Boat House Cabin, Cornwall
Follow a gravel path, over a small bridge, through lush gardens to a lake, where the Boat House Cabin sits on the shore. On the Pengelly farm, outside the village of Leedstown, this tranquil hideaway is surrounded by woodland and meadow with deck and outdoor bath overlooking the water. Inside it’s a tasteful wood and white-walled haven, with a stylish bedroom and French doors opening onto a balcony.
Take a rowing boat out on the lake (or swim) and warm up in front of the wood-burner in the living room, watching a film on the pull-down screen. Spa treatments and yoga sessions can be arranged, and there’s lots to explore locally – the fishing village of Porthleven and coastal walks are a short drive away.
From £124 a night (two-night minimum), sleeps two, canopyandstars.co.uk
Garth Gell Farmhouse, Snowdonia
Guests have to drive up a steep track to reach this beautiful old stone farmhouse in Snowdonia, which is in 10 hectares of land. The four-bedroom property has been carefully restored by conservation architects, keeping the original flagged floors, beams and other period features, and it is still off-grid. Solar panels provide electricity for a few lamps and a small fridge-freezer; there is limited hot water from the oil-fired Aga for the main bathroom.
Forget watching TV or scrolling – this is a place to read, relax, play games and go for walks. Guests can cycle to the nearest pub, the George III in Penmaenpool, and along the Mawddach estuary. It is 15 minutes to the seaside town of Barmouth.
From £240 a night (four-night minimum), sleeps six, garthgellfarmhouse.co.uk
Tincture, Powys
Unless you have a 4×4, it is a steep 15-minute walk up to this thoughtfully renovated 17th-century farmhouse – a wheelbarrow is provided for luggage. The house runs off-grid via a solid-fuel Rayburn, solar panels and spring water. Surrounded by untouched National Trust land in the Cambrian mountains, there’s not a neighbour in sight. There are two bedrooms, one en suite, and a family bathroom upstairs and a kitchen, sitting room and dining room downstairs.
Furniture is repurposed from farming days: the dining table was recovered from the stable and a cabinet was made from part of the pigsty. A wood burner in the sitting room adds to the cosy vibe, and there’s a brook and natural plunge pool in the garden for cold-water dippers. It is seven miles to the spa town of Llanwrtyd Wells and about two hours’ drive to Cardiff.
From £1,995 a week, short breaks £1,495, sleeps four, uniquehomestays.com
Drumskinny Farm, County Fermanagh
This simple Grade II-listed farmhouse is at the end of a private lane in rolling hills on the Fermanagh/Donegal border. Whitewashed and with a wildflower meadow on the roof of the original cattle sheds, it’s as pretty outside as it is cosy in. Most of the rooms are on the ground floor, with traditional flagstone floors, a living room with a wood burner, kitchen and master bedroom, plus there’s a twin bedroom and toilet upstairs.
Outside are big front and back gardens (two dogs welcome), and unspoilt countryside to explore. It’s a 40-minute walk to the Drumskinny stone circle and a 15-minute drive to Lower Lough Erne. The towns of Enniskillen, Omagh and Donegal are almost equidistant – but are a good 20 miles away.
From £250 for two nights, sleeps four, underthethatch.co.uk
Accommodation prices correct at time of going to press. These are low-season rates