Cosy UK cabin holidays for food lovers

Nestled in the forest on sprawling Fullerton Farm, four treehouses have been crafted out of local materials to provide a luxuriously wild stay for those wanting to switch off. The structures were designed to minimise impact on the surrounding ecosystem, and rewilding is encouraged, so birds, deer and badgers are abundant. Each of the treehouses is unique – The Perigord is Scandi-chic, The Damselfly more modern-minimalist, The Fallow decked out in earthy tones and The Poppy the most rustic, complete with its own firepit. All have a few things in common: vineyard vistas, wood-burning stoves, snazzy glass showers and terraces with bathtubs that come with sycamore wood champagne flute rests for the complimentary Black Chalk English sparkling wine. Breakfast hampers are curated from Hampshire producers, including small-batch Moon Roast coffee, Nicky’s Kitchen sourdough and Fluffetts Farm free-range eggs. Take a private tour of neighbouring Black Chalk vineyard followed by a Treehouse Tasting with a view of the vines on which the grapes have been grown. On Friday nights, taste street food from local legends such as Son of a Bun fried chicken, Earth to Oven flatbreads and Little Fish sushi. The Mayfly pub is a short walk away for a local ale on the riverside terrace while watching trout jump from the crystal-clear water. wildescapes.com

Stars & Vines, Herefordshire – elegant cabins in Broadfield Court Vineyard Estate

For sweeping, uninterrupted views of rolling Herefordshire countryside, Stars & Vines is uniquely placed. Two elegantly furnished modern cabins are situated at one of the highest points of the Broadfield Court Vineyard Estate which produces a small-batch range of whites – including a crisp and very quaffable take on champagne – plus a zippy rosé. Take in those views while soaking in your outdoor hot tub, or feel free to strike out into 1000 acres of the surrounding farmland where the River Lugg weaves through towering woods, and you might happen upon a small lake by one of the cornfields. It’s a family-run estate with a welcoming feel. Esme, who operates this part of the business, will gladly lay out a picnic of locally sourced goodies to enjoy on the walk, including a bottle of that rosé if you opt for it. Hosted wine-tastings are also available to book in advance (£95, including the opened wines) and, on a clear evening, you can ask for a telescope and kick back by the firepit – with marshmallows and other gourmet treats supplied – to marvel at the stars that give this place its name (£125).

For dinner, you’re only a half hour’s drive away from Native where chef Ivan Tisdall-Downes brilliantly showcases more of the region’s produce, including inventive use of local herbs (read the full review here). The cabins are self-catered, but you can request a hamper for a continental or cooked breakfast, again stocked with fresh, local produce.

Check rates and availability at towanderuk.co.uk

WildLuing, Isle of Luing, Scotland – remote foodie bolthole

WildLuing is situated on the Isle of Luing – a remote, wild isle accessed via tiny car ferry from the island of Seil. Owners Jack and Emily Cadzow have built eight luxe self-catering cabins or ‘Wild Suites’ perched on the coast. These palatial pods overlook Torsa Bay with 'The Observatory' lodge situated at their centre, where guests gather to relax and enjoy cook ups by in-house chef Kitty. Locally sourced food may include fresh-from-the-Atlantic langoustines and chargrilled squat lobster or perfectly roasted beef with creamy horseradish straight from the farm, served with salads of foraged greens and edible flowers from nearby hedgerows.

Each Wild Suite has a private terrace and fire pit for barbecues. Inside the (dog-friendly) cabins, fridges are stocked with freshly baked bread, farm eggs, fruit compote, yogurt, home-made granola and juice for breakfast. The island is a place to switch off and reconnect with nature, meaning there’s no need for a TV: soak up breathtaking sea views from your comfy king-sized bed or freestanding rolltop bathtub instead.

The brave at heart might even take a dip in ‘the briney’ or paddle board in the shallows off the slate beach, where otters paddle belly up, though with bracing Atlantic temperatures, that’s best on summer days. Apart from a few other guests and their dogs (also welcome), wild neighbours include curious seals, myriad sea birds, wild deer and the amiable Luing breed of cow ambling along the shoreline.

Check rates and availability at wildluing.com

By Renate Ruge

Inshriach, Cairngorms – log cabins in the woods in Cairngorms National Park

Check rates and availability at inshriachhouse.com

This 200-acre mini Highland estate in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park is home to a rustic gin distillery where owner Walter Micklethwait concocts small-batch Speyside gins in an award-winning shed. The estate’s elegant country house is perfect for a large family gathering (sleeping up to 18, with or without a chef) but, for a back-to-nature experience, there’s a cluster of quirky glamping options peppered throughout the tangled woodland. The long-standing yurt has been replaced by a log cabin which Walter and his family made themselves during lockdown. It’s as popular for holidays as it is with TV and photoshoots. The quaint Swedish-style shepherd’s hut is old-school romantic and cradled by juniper bushes (the key ingredient in gin; most of the botanicals are foraged from the estate) but for those who want something a little more contemporary, there’s the bothy, a little modernist cabin nestled in the birch woods above the Spey. Another cabin is in the pipeline, this one made from wind-blown oak trees. We are promised that this will top them all. inshriachhouse.com

The Yan at Broadrayne – eco pods in the Lake District

Check rates and availability at theyan.co.uk

Nestled in the heart of the Lakes near Grasmere – home of the world-famous gingerbread – you’ll find The Yan. This converted 17th-century sheep farm is situated deep in the Cumbrian landscape, making the surroundings truly epic and a haven for keen walkers. There’s a bistro, bedrooms, cottages and glamping pods onsite. The pods are decked in natural materials and have a minimalist, contemporary feel, with comfy areas to lounge and dine, plus a wood-burning fireplace for instant cosiness. Every consideration has been made to ensure a comfortable stay for self-caterers, plus sustainability is front and centre, including eco-friendly cleaning products and toiletries.

Hearty, seasonal food from the bistro can be ordered to the pods. After a long day hiking, dishes like shepherd’s pie with braised Grasmere Herdwick lamb and cheesy mash, followed by sticky toffee pudding, will fit the bill. The bistro also serves breakfast – expect more of the same warm hospitality, seasonal ingredients and inventive spins on classic dishes. The county’s finest – the mighty Cumberland sausage – takes centre-stage in a full breakfast that’s sure to fuel a busy day exploring the Lakes. theyan.co.uk

The Fish, Broadway – shepherd's huts in Worcestershire

Check rates and availability at booking.com or thefishhotel.co.uk

The 400-acre Farncombe estate is home to a group of luxury boutique hotels, Dormy House, Foxhill Manor and The Fish, all with sweeping views of the Vale of Evesham. Book a Hideaway Hut in the latter for the ultimate glamping experience, where two spacious shepherd’s huts are adjoined in individual secluded woodland plots. Raid the complimentary mini bar for snacks, hand-painted chocolates and Hoogly tea to enjoy in your private outdoor hot tub or snuggled up by the wood burner. Soak in the rolltop bath before plunging into bed and peeking up through the bespoke skylight to watch the trees swish in the breeze. Book the Boaty McBoatface hut to bob around on your own private lake for the ultimate romantic nature weekend.

Clamber up the woodland walk to The Lodge, a succession of Scandi-chic rooms where you can enjoy springy pizzas splodged with pools of 'nduja, lavish tipsy tea or Cotswolds-brewed craft beer by contemporary chimney fires. Dinner at The Hook focusses on seafood, including plump pil-pil prawns mopped up with deep-fried bread, delicate sea bream fillet on a citrussy tartare sauce, and a crisp, chunky cod kiev served with seaweed salt fries and umami-rich miso mayo.

Continental breakfast can be selected from the table of freshly baked pastries, compotes and juices before tucking into the estate’s cooked-to-order full english. Or request a breakfast hamper for a leisurely start to the day in the secluded cosiness of your hut. thefishhotel.co.uk

Artist Residence – garden shepherd's hut in Oxfordshire

Check rates and availability at booking.com

At the bottom of Artist Residence Oxfordshire’s abundant kitchen garden, a wooden trailer nestles in the shade of a gigantic fir tree. Inside, quirky fabrics embellish wood-panelled walls and floors, including foliage-patterned curtains, a burnt-orange velvet window seat, and hand-woven cushions in muted tones. Though compact, the tiny space is kitted out with the venue’s signature luxuries – Bramley toiletries to enjoy in the rainfall shower, a flat-screen TV to watch from the double bed, and individual pouches of infusions from Joe’s Tea Co to sip in front of the diddy, tile-backed log burner.

Potter through the herbs and vegetables growing in the quintessential allotment to dinner in the 16th-century Cotswold-stone farmhouse. Choose between the cosy bar area with a classic pub menu or the more sophisticated dining room, with its up-cycled crystal decanter lamp shades, to enjoy the likes of lamb loin and crisp courgette flower bhajis, followed by peaches with elderflower cream and delicate puff pastry beneath.

Check availability at booking.com

West Cawthorne – luxury barn conversion in North Yorkshire

Check rates and availability at northyorkshirehideaways.com

West Cawthorne is a lush 26-acre private estate that has two stylishly converted barns and chic A-frame cabins overlooking the rolling hills of the Vale of Pickering. It’s also conveniently situated right in the middle of Yorkshire’s food scene.

As you drive into the farm to be greeted personally by owners Rich and Sophie, the place has a French feel, with its bleached stone buildings and shaded pétanque area. The barns, which sleep four or six, are interior magazine worthy, decorated in neutral colours with exposed beams, poured concrete details and photogenic décor, while still feeling warm and cosy. We headed straight into the wood-fired hot tub.

Accomodation is self-catered and the kitchen in our barn was stocked to a fine detail. Guests get a welcome pack, including macarons from Florian Poirot and Bluebird Bakery sourdough – both at Talbot Yard in nearby foodie Malton – plus Yorkshire crisps, apple juice, butter and eggs. Guests can order a Made in Oldstead recipe box by local food hero Tommy Banks. Our kit was simply named ‘duck, lamb, raspberry’ and was three vibrant, elegant courses that were deceptively intuitive to cook.

Whether you want to lounge at your cabin or barn, taking in deep lungfuls of crisp Yorkshire air from your deck, or use it as a base to explore places like Malton, Pickering, Helmsley, York and Sandsend, this tranquil haven is a perfect spot to go off grid (while also enjoying excellent wifi coverage).

Check availability at northyorkshirehideaways.com

The Artisan Bakehouse – shepherd's hut in West Sussex

Check rates and availability at theartisanbakehouse.com

Surrounded by five acres of woodland and gardens with more lush countryside beyond, this cosy, rural shepherds hut – complete with kingsize bed, log-burner and ensuite – is ideal for peaceful, relaxing escapes, not to mention wildlife spotting. When it comes to mealtimes, guests can make use of the bounties from the herb and vegetable patch and fruit trees, and are welcome to collect eggs from the chickens. There's a fully equipped kitchen in the hut but, if you fancy cooking alfresco, make use of the barbecue and firepit outside. All sorts of lovely homemade bakes will be waiting for you here in a generous welcome hamper, and there are discounts for guests on the baking courses that are held on-site. Learn how to bake bread, make pastries and master sourdough or, if you have a sweeter tooth, check out the chocolate making workshops. If your idea of a holiday is more about kicking back while someone else rustles up your meal, head to the fully licensed Bakehouse (open seasonally) and tuck into homemade lunches and afternoon teas featuring locally grown ingredients.

Check availability at theartisanbakehouse.com

Elmley National Nature Reserve – shepherd's huts and cabins on Isle of Sheppey

Check rates and availability at mrandmrssmith.com or elmleynaturereserve.co.uk

Back-to-nature luxury; privately owned Elmley, on Kent’s Isle of Sheppey, sells itself as the only nature reserve in the UK where you can stay overnight. If seclusion is priority, book vintage-styled Samphire, the most remote hut, with a wood-burner and sweeping vistas across the marsh. Vanellus is plugged into the mains (and comes with an electric radiator) but our favourite is the slightly larger Saltbox, a custom-built cabin whose front wall is fully glazed so you can drool over sunsets while snuggled under Romney Marsh woollen throws. There’s a separate kitchenette with a dining/lounge area too (huts and houses are thoughtfully provided with marshmallows for you to toast over your firepit).

Check availability at mrandmrssmith.com

Kudhva – contemporary treehouse cabins in Cornwall

Check rates and availability at booking.com or kudhva.com

An off-grid glampsite near Trebarwith Strand, Kudhva means ‘hideout’ in Cornish and this former quarry site truly immerses you in the natural world. Among willow groves and dense woodland are tree tents and four kudhva – compact, futuristic cabins on stilts designed by Ben Huggins of New British Design. Each cabin has its own firepit, or you can cook in a shared kitchen. At nearby Hilltop Farm Shop stock up on locally made wines, beers and gins, Davidstow cheddar, clotted cream and sourdough (check out our guide to sourdough here). Slightly further afield, Boscastle Farm Shop sells homemade quiches, pies and cakes, and has a butchery selling meat from its Ruby Red cattle. If you prefer a less DIY approach, there are regular breakfast pop ups, guest chef residencies and long-tables feasts from the likes of Woodfired Canteen.

Check availability at booking.com

The Old Apple Shed – rural chic cabin in Kent

Check rates and availability at booking.com

Used to store apples and cherries up to the 1970s when the land was a working orchard, then left to slump into its surrounding meadow, this little black clapperboard shed has now been transformed into a shabby-chic cabin for two. A woodburner, board-games, flower-flecked curtains and an iron-framed bedstead strung with fairy lights all help create the cosiest of atmospheres. Expect to find a home-baked cake waiting on the apple-crate coffee table too. Outside you might find Toast, the New Forest pony, grazing on your doorstep while two beehives are hidden across the field – you can buy a jar of their honey if you like. Bethersden village is a five-minute walk, with its two country pubs, village shop, artisan butchers and deli; Biddenden, England’s oldest commercial cider producers and vineyard, is only five miles away.

Check availability at booking.com

Inverlona – luxury bothies in Loch Nell

Check rates and availability at inverlonan.com

Designed for visitors looking to disconnect from the day-to-day Inverlonan’s “rough luxe” bothies are only accessible by boat, on foot or (the slightly less cool option) by buggy. Overlooking Loch Nell, on the west coast of Scotland near Oban, the bothies are surrounded by ancient oaks, inky waters and wild moorland. Each comes with an outdoor wood-fired pizza oven and open fire pit, plus a breakfast hamper stuffed with the likes of Isle of Seil eggs and Inverlonan Farm jams. For an additional charge, everything from a pizza kit to ingredients for a seafood BBQ (think whole bream, langoustines and rustic rolls) can be delivered to the door.

Check availability at inverlonan.com

Log Jam – hand-crafted log cabins in Cornwall

From £125 per night, check availability at littlemenherion.com

A stylish log cabin built with locally-sourced wood and lit by old miners’ lamps, to reach Log Jam involves locating Little Menherion smallholding, near Redruth in Cornwall, then bumping over half a mile of unmade track and walking a little way along a lane bordered by fern-thick hedges. Perched at its handmade breakfast bar, guests can listen to woodland birds chirrup outside while warming up saffron buns, or apple and cinnamon Cornish pasties (bought from Portreath Bakery in nearby Lanner), in the wood-burning stove.

Check availability at littlemenherion.com

Tinwood Vineyard Lodge – vineyard cabins in West Sussex

Check rates and availability at tinwoodestate.com

Simply standing on the decking of the cabins on tranquil Tinwood Estate might be enough to make you feel tipsy. Tucked on the edge of the South Downs National Park, Tinwood is renowned for its fine sparkling wines, and the estate’s three neat wooden hideaways gaze out across the serried rows of vines. The cabins are crisp and contemporary in design – think wooden floors, white walls, big sliding patio doors. They’re also comprehensively kitted out, with king-size beds, Jacuzzi baths, barrel saunas and, naturally, a fully stocked wine fridge. If you want to know more about the estate’s brut, blanc de blancs and rosé, you can book vineyard tours, where the winegrowers themselves will walk you around the grounds before talking you through a tasting.

Check availability at tinwoodestate.com

The Woodshack – log cabins in the woods in Monmouthshire

Check rates and availability at sugarandloaf.com

In the middle of a private woodland outside Abergavenny, in deepest Monmouthshire, the Woodshack sits in such a tranquil setting that it comes as no surprise to learn it used to be a writer’s cabin. Sugar Loaf mountain is just over the lane if you fancy a hike – or, for less strenuous ways to while away the days, there’s a hammock to swing on, and The Crown at Pantygelli is a gentle 20-minute walk away – worth it for a plate of locally-made venison sausages and mash. Play board games, browse the cabin’s mini library, and enjoy the views from huge portrait windows.

Check availability at sugarandloaf.com

The Blue Cabin by the Sea – secluded coastal cabin in Berwickshire

Check rates and availability at bluecabinbythesea.co.uk

The first task here is finding the place: drive an hour south of Edinburgh (check out the best places to eat and drink in Edinburgh to stop off at en route), park up, chuck your bags in a wheelbarrow and walk, via a tunnel, to reach the beach. There sits this cute cornflower-blue bolthole, tucked into the grasses above a tiny traditional harbour – which the cabin raises funds to maintain. It’s the sort of place to spend days rockpooling, shore-strolling, bird-spotting and, if you dare, wild swimming. Owned by an architect-sculptor couple, the cabin itself is small but thoughtfully designed and creatively decorated, from the vivid-green boxed beds and Orkney chairs to the iron-seaweed cupboard handles and extensive library. Outside a small veranda looks over the sea, the ideal vantage for watching the fishermen who go out every weekday, and who’ll sell you crabs and lobsters direct from their pots for a couldn’t-be-fresher seafood barbecue.

Check availability at bluecabinbythesea.co.uk

The Arc – luxury cabins in Cambridgeshire

Check rates and availability at thearccabin.co.uk

A wood-burning oven, an alfresco firepit, antique saucepans, jars of spices, a whole library of cookbooks and every utensil you could name... The Arc may be compact, but keen chefs will want for nothing here. Owner Lotte, a trained nutritional therapist (and bookable for cooking courses if you like), will even leave a selection of local goodies – bread, jams, a lemon drizzle – to start you off. Or you can pop to one of the nearby farm shops or farmers’ markets for supplies. The cabin itself is bright and cheery, with pale walls and wooden beams enlivened by colourful crocheted throws, vibrant textiles and twinkling fairy lights. The latter lace the veranda too, adding extra magic to an evening meal eaten outside looking over the fields and the lazy River Nene.

Check availability at thearccabin.co.uk

Tinhouse – contemporary cabins on Isle of Skye

Check rates and availability at tinhouse.net

This lonesome shack does what it says on the, er, tin, but in the most stylish fashion. Winner of many architectural awards, its simple tin-clad exterior hides a cool, modernist inside, with white wooden walls, cement floors and, best of all, generous windows so the wild Skye coast seeps in. It’s well placed for windswept walks, dolphin-spotting boat trips and visits to ruined castles. It’s also well placed for foodies. Two of Scotland’s best restaurants are close by: Michelin-starred Loch Bay (read our restaurant review here) is less than 20 miles away while The Three Chimneys, voted number 28 in the Top 100 UK Restaurants Outside London in 2018, is only five. If you’d prefer to eat in, make the short walk downhill from the Tinhouse to Meanish Pier, where fresh seafood can be bought direct from the fishermen.

Check availability at tinhouse.net

For some of the best places to eat and drink on Isle of Skye, click here

One Cat Farm grass-roofed cabins in Ceredigion

Check rates and availability at onecatfarm.com

Just south of Aberaeron, One Cat Farm is home to four cosy cabins. These heated, grass-roofed ‘dens’ blend seamlessly into a buttercup-dotted field. Inside, comfy double beds are topped with woollen blankets, and hammocks swing outside in the sun-dappled shade. Showers and toilets sit at the top of the field, as does a communal kitchen, home to a mini honesty shop offering marshmallows, Fentimans ginger beer and bars of NOMNOM chocolate. Stop off at Watson and Pratt farm shop, in Lampeter, to stock up on tubs of creamy Neal’s Yard Dairy yogurt, and country loaves and croissants from Lampeter Bakehouse (and at Aberaeron for scoops of honey ice cream from Hive). In the evening, watch the sunset from an outdoor wood-fired bath, then sit by the fire pit with mugs of fresh mint tea as the sea mist gently engulfs each den in a mystical haze.

Check availability at onecatfarm.com

Babington House – luxury lodges in Somerset

Check rates and availability at mrandmrssmith.com or babingtonhouse.co.uk

If you’re seeking a rustic hideaway but don’t want to rough it, The Cabin at Babington House is a neat solution. A two-bedroom wooden lodge (adults only), set overlooking a lake, it may have a wood-burning stove and a kitchen that’s a lotta Little House on the Prairie but, beneath the country styling, it’s every bit as pampering as the hotel’s other rooms. There are two bathrooms, a kitchen supplied with grocery basics and the best hotel drinks tray we’ve seen (including craft mixers). Guests can also wallow in the hotel’s spa, outdoor and indoor pools, fill up on (free) afternoon tea pastries, or book in for dinner in the restaurant – think charcoal-grilled meats, or Cornish plaice served with sweet little shrimp and a buttery lemon sauce.

Check availability at babingtonhouse.co.uk

Glen Dye Cabins and Cottages – woodland cabins in Kincardineshire

Check rates and availability at glendyecabinsandcottages.com

Glen Dye Cabins and Cottages sits within a 30,000-acre estate in Kincardineshire. Choose from Steading Cottage, with its own woodland hot tub, North Lodge, with a romantic riverside summerhouse, or The Sawmill, with its converted Airstream trailer and private outdoor shower. With interiors designed by the estate’s owners, Pedlars founders Charlie and Caroline Gladstone, and Big Green Eggs to cook on, this is seriously decadent glamping. For eating out there’s Spider on a Bicycle café in Aboyne or Buchanan Bistro in Banchory.

Check rates and availability at glendyecabinsandcottages.com

Words by Clare Hargreaves, Alex Crossley, Sarah Baxter, Ellie Edwards, Rhiannon Batten, Charlotte Morgan and Hannah Guinness

Images by Clare Hargreaves, Alex Crossley, George Fielding, Rhiannon Batten