The perfect New Year getaway lets
Want a UK holiday rental to ring in 2022 in style? Emma Beaumont selects the best
Last year’s New Year festivities may have been a little muted, but why not make up for it by seeing in 2022 in a completely different setting? With just under two months to go, many properties across the country are already booked up, but we’ve found a clutch of options that are suitably special for New Year’s Eve, whether you are after a chic couple’s escape, a multi-generational playground or a bells-and-whistles party palace. From old fisherman’s cottages in Cornwall to castles in the Scottish Highlands, here are 10 holiday rentals worthy of a celebration that still have availability.
COSY COTTAGES FOR COUPLES BLAEGROVE BARN Up Nately, Hampshire
This renovated old cart shed with magazine-worthy interiors is a good choice for couples wanting a low-key but luxurious New Year’s Eve. And where better to pop the champagne than the private bar in the beamed open-plan living area? Set on a working farm near Basingstoke, it’s only an hour’s drive from London but feels fantastically remote. When heading out for a wintry stroll, be sure to bring a pair of binoculars to spy hawks, kestrels and owls circling overhead.
Sleeps two. From £280 per night (coolstays.com)
EDEN COTTAGE Newlyn, Cornwall
Get cosy in Cornwall with a stay at a compact end-of-terrace cottage in the fishing port of Newlyn. You’ll find a clutch of great seafood restaurants on your doorstep, including the Tolcarne Inn, where you can kick off 2022 with a lunch of oysters, salt cod fritters and Sancerre. Further afield in Mousehole, the harbour Christmas lights will still be up – the neon boats and sea creatures rising from the water are an upgrade on most displays. Back at the cottage, the top floor bedroom has a roll-top bath and offers great views of the boats coming into port.
Sleeps three. £1,515 for seven nights from December 28 (cornishgems.com)
ROMANY Romney Marsh, Kent
Stepping into this pretty little cabin near Rye and the Kent coast feels like entering a fictional bohemian writer’s abode. Whitewashed walls and stripped wood floors are kept cosy by a woodburner and lush vintage fabrics, while in the bedroom a chandelier and draped muslin curtains on the bed are pure romance. Outside, get the fire pit going and take a dip in the hot tub to watch the fireworks in the distance. A slight upgrade on just switching on Jools Holland’s Hootenanny. Sleeps two. £2,250 for seven nights from December 27 (uniquehomestays.com)
BEST FOR SMALL GROUPS THE ARTIST’S HOUSE AT JUPITER ARTLAND Wilkieston, near Edinburgh
For a quirky way to mark the new year, why not book a couple of nights at this stylish cottage in the grounds of a 100acre woodland sculpture park? As expected, an arty feel abounds, with early drawings by celebrated British artist Phyllida Barlow and African beaded lamps among the most striking pieces. With three en-suite double bedrooms, it suits a small group of friends and has plush touches such as underfloor heating and an outdoor bath. Just a half-hour drive from Edinburgh, it’s easy enough to venture into the city centre for Hogmanay celebrations. Sleeps six. £1,000 for two nights from December 30 (sawdays.co.uk)
BIG SKY LODGES Muir of Ord, Inverness-shire
Hunker down at this collection of log cabins, crafted from sustainable Finnish wood, which feel more Scandinavian than Scottish. Set in 17 acres of private land, the surrounding landscape is all rolling hills and meadows – you might spot roe deer or red squirrels on your rambles. Keen skiers might also want to hit the slopes at Aviemore, 45 minutes’ drive away. Inside, the style is chaletchic, with log burners and checked curtains – a few also have balconies. An ideal spot for families, each cabin has three bedrooms, two or three bathrooms, a large living area and kitchen. Sleeps six. £540 for four nights from December 30 (canopyandstars.co.uk)
BEATRIX COTTAGE Elterwater, Lake District
From the outside, Beatrix Cottage is classic Lake District, with its chocolatebox pretty stone facade and location in the village of Elterwater. Its interiors, however, are more akin to a boutique hotel with wall displays of hats and ceramic flowers, plus a particularly high-spec kitchen. Still, a country feel remains with an outbuilding where you can dry boots and coats. As you’d expect, there are plenty of excellent walks from the doorstep, including a two-mile stroll through open meadows, along Elterwater Lake to Stock Ghyll Force. For more of a challenge, hike up Langdale Pikes or Crinkle Crags. Sleeps four. From £411 per night (luxurycottages.com)
PARTY PALACES MEADOWGATE Welcombe, North Devon
This whitewashed 18th-century farmhouse is owned and designed by property expert Kirstie Allsopp, and was in fact the setting for her Channel 4 crafting series Kirstie’s Homemade Home. Meadowgate is filled with trinkets made on the programme and offers much more than your average rental, including that essential of country living: an Aga. The property is surrounded by the rolling green hills of the National Trustprotected Welcombe Mouth valley, while one of the best beaches on Devon’s north coast, Welcombe Mouth, is only a few minutes’ walk away.
Sleeps 14. £4,529 for seven nights from December 27 (classic.co.uk)
BUTLEY PRIORY Woodbridge, Suffolk
Blow the budget with a stay at Butley Priory, which in a previous life was the gatehouse to an Augustinian monastery. The house dates back to the 14th century, and living spaces are suitably medieval and monkish, with casement windows and arched cathedral-like ceilings. The best bedroom is the Tudor suite, which has a 15ft-high window and four-poster bed – unsurprisingly, it is used as the bridal suite when the house is rented out for weddings. The dining room is suitably atmospheric but if you would rather eat out, nearby foodie spots include the Unruly Pig gastropub at Bromeswell and Pump Street Bakery in Orford, whose orange-scented cinnamon buns will soothe any sore heads.
Sleeps 13. £10,000 for seven nights from December 27 (kateandtoms.com)
EAST HOUSE Cheswick, Northumberland
Up in the wilds of the Northumberland coast, this Grade II-listed Georgian house offers sea views, extensive grounds and plenty of space for a large group of friends or multi-generational family. Expect traditional interiors,
with antique furnishings, a sweeping staircase and a huge inglenook fireplace in the kitchen, while the formal dining room is the place for New Year’s Eve supper. Out and about, one of the quietest and prettiest beaches in the county is at the end of the lane, while day trips can be taken to Bamburgh (with its imposing castle) and the tidal island of Lindisfarne.
Sleeps 11. £2,950 for seven nights from December 27 (crabtreeandcrabtree.com)
OGILVIE CASTLE Glenisla, Perthshire
Go all in on a New Year’s Scottish Highlands party with a stay at Ogilvie Castle in Perthshire. All the trappings of a baronial break are in place, from the Great Hall’s 16-seater dining table and hand-painted ceiling to the swords mounted on the walls and suits of armour lurking in the hallways. There may be a battle for the master bedroom, which has its own turret and roll-top tub, though the other six are still grand – most have four-poster beds. Luxe touches include the Ralph Lauren soft furnishings and Le Creuset cookware in the kitchen.
Sleeps 16. From £1,305 per night (luxurycottages.com)