Best UK cottage holidays
Enjoy a longed-for holiday this summer with a cottage stay. Prima’s Jane Anderson seeks out the best
Wiltshire FAERIE DOOR COTTAGE, WEST OVERTON
It’s easy to believe there are fairies inhabiting this pretty 17th-century cottage, which looks like it’s been lifted from the pages of a storybook. The beautiful white interior is tempered with muted colours and features a country kitchen with a cute back door to the garden, and everything you need for a picnic on the lawn.
STANDOUT FEATURE: The wheat-straw thatch. BOOK IT: Unique Homestays offers seven nights from £1,095 (sleeps four); uniquehomestays.com
Lake District THE QUIET SITE COTTAGES, ULLSWATER
These two cottages, one an old smithy, the other a farmhouse, are full of character, with exposed beams, oak flooring, Aga cookers and slate worktops.
STANDOUT FEATURE: Each has a sunken trampoline and playhouse.
BOOK IT: The Quiet Site offers Ivy Cottage (sleeps six) and Watermillock Cottage (sleeps nine) from £1,120 each a week; thequietsite.co.uk
Kent SPICE COTTAGE, KINGSDOWN
This smartly restored fisherman’s cottage, along a pretty seaside terrace, is a breath of fresh air, with its subtle nautical themes, cool furnishings, raised terrace for sunbathing and garden for summertime alfresco meals.
STANDOUT FEATURE: It’s just minutes from the pebbly beach.
BOOK IT: Cottages offers seven nights from £799 (sleeps four); cottages.com
Worcestershire FIELD COTTAGE & GARDEN ROOM
Nestled in the slope of Bredon Hill in the Vale of Evesham, this impressive thatched cottage and its additional Garden Room are perfect for a family of four, and grandparents, or a large family with older teens who want their own space. The main house has a cosy kitchen and dining area, and there’s a roomy bathroom with a roll-top bath.
STANDOUT FEATURE: The vast garden, perfect for summer games and relaxing in the sun.
BOOK IT: Cool Stays offers a week from £921 (sleeps six); coolstays.com
The Cotswolds INKWELL COTTAGE, BURFORD
Inkwell Cottage ticks all the boxes with its honeyed Cotswold stone, mullion-windows and take on shabby chic, with handcrafted beds and a pale blue wood-burning stove.
STANDOUT FEATURE: The ready-made artist’s studio and its chaise-longue, paints and canvases.
BOOK IT: Unique Homestays offers seven nights from £995 (sleeps two); uniquehomestays.com
OLD SCHOOLHOUSE, EILEAN SHONA
This schoolhouse on the island of Eilean Shona has been lovingly converted by Vanessa Branson into an adult-only escape, with interiors combining paredback chic with Moroccan influences.
STANDOUT FEATURE: The setting was the inspiration for Neverland in JM Barrie’s Peter Pan. Kate Winslet is a fan.
BOOK IT: Seven nights from £1,800, including boat transfers to the mainland (sleeps four); eileanshona.com/thecottages/the-old-schoolhouse
THE WOODLAND COTTAGES, CAIRNGORMS
This pair of three-bedroom cottages – with stylish interiors that nod to Nordic trends – is set on a forested estate in the Cairngorms National Park. An epic wilderness is right on the doorstep.
STANDOUT FEATURE: In summer, hammocks and lanterns are strung between the trees for lazy forest bathing.
BOOK IT: Kip Hideaways offers seven nights from £840 (sleeps six per cottage); kiphideaways.com.
Kip Hideaways is a membership site that costs £14 a year
MILOVAIG HOUSE, ISLE OF SKYE
This newly renovated crofter’s cottage has an enviable perch on the cliffs of Skye, with panoramic views of Loch Pooltiel and the Outer Hebrides on the horizon. Minimalist interiors complement the feeling of tranquillity. When the weather allows, enjoy the hot tub, fire pit and decking.
STANDOUT FEATURE: The chance to spot whales, dolphins, seals and sea eagles from the sunroom, with its floor-to-ceiling glass doors and log burner.
BOOK IT: Sand & Stone Escapes offers seven nights from £1,050 (sleeps six); sandandstoneescapes.com