LOG CABIN FEVER
By TAMARA HINSON
DeSPeRATe to get away from it all, but don’t fancy a night in a flimsy yurt? A short stay in a (not so) rustic countryside cabin might be the perfect solution. enjoy the best of the uK’s natural beauty without forgoing any of those holiday ‘necessities’: the hot tub, log-burning stove, top-of-the-range kitchen or the all-important wine fridge. Here’s our pick of five spectacular lakeside log cabins.
HANDCRAFTED BEAUTY
LOXIA in Inverness-shire overlooks a large pond and is camouflaged with a grass roof. Sleeping six, it’s everything a log cabin should be: handmade and kitted out with cedar wood, thick rugs and a logburning stove.
On the ground floor you’ll find one of two double bedrooms, along with an open-plan kitchen and dining area. There’s a large double on the first floor, too, along with a mezzanine area with two single beds. DON’T MISS: Take a guided kayak or canoe trip between 100ft cliffs along the River Beauly (two to three hours, £210 for two people). DETAILS: Seven nights from £1,804 (eaglebrae.co.uk, 01463 761301).
SLEEK RETREAT
IF yOu’Re after seclusion and uninterrupted views in the Lake District, book a night or two at Sunny Beck, a two-bedroom wooden retreat ideal for small families by esthwaite Water.
Highlights include a beautiful open-plan lounge and dining area complete with a wood burner, and a tech-filled kitchen with a wine fridge. The huge veranda has a hot tub and sprawling lake views.
DON’T MISS: Try the 3.5-mile Carron Crag loop at Grizedale, with views of Coniston Water.
DETAILS: From £495 for a three-night stay (lakeslodges.com, 01539 436544).
SAUNA IN SURREY
THe one-bedroom Falkner Watersedge Lodge is one of several pet-friendly log cabins at the Tilford Woods Lodge Retreat, in the idyllic Surrey Hills Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty. It’s a great base for hikers — take a ramble through the nearby Bourne Wood.
Plus, there’s a sauna and an enormous four-poster bed to help soothe those post-hike aches and pains. DON’T MISS: The ruins of 12th-century Waverley Abbey are a ten-minute drive away (englishheritage.org.uk). DETAILS: From £475 for a sevennight stay (hoseasons.co.uk).
SNOWDON SUNDOWN
CABIN on the Lake in Machynlleth, Wales, is an off-grid property and a great base from which to explore Snowdonia. This onebedroom, cosy retreat has a woodfired hot-tub, a compost toilet and a pump shower in the middle of a willow tree-fringed glade.
The front decking is the perfect spot for a sundowner and there’s a little jetty, too. DON’T MISS: Visit the underground and mythical world of dragons and giants at King Arthur’s Labyrinth in Corris, half an hour away (kingarthurslabyrinth.co.uk). DETAILS: From £124 per night (coolstays.com, 01273 692300).
RETREAT TO NORFOLK
yOu’LL find the beautifully compact Lakeside Lodge in east Harling, Norfolk, on the banks of a lily pad-dotted lake best admired from the large patio or, if needs be, from the living room — thanks to bi-fold doors. Situated on the owners’ estate, you can picnic beneath the riverside thatched gazebo. DON’T MISS: Have a tipple on one of three whisky tours and tastings at St George’s Distillery in nearby Roudham (from £20, english whisky.co.uk). DETAILS: From £335 for seven nights ( sykescottages.co.uk, 01244 356666).