The summer is almost here and with the continuing uncertainties about travelling abroad, you may be thinking about parts of the UK you’ve yet to visit and where to stay.
Eco-awareness is on the rise and many places in the UK are doing their bit for green tourism. Whether it’s through using renewables, sourcing local produce or encouraging the use of public transport with free pickups from nearby stations, these environmentally friendly decisions mean there’s plenty of choice for finding a tranquil, green staycation.
From solar panels to eco heaters, discover eco-conscious cottages that don't compromise on style, wool-insulated huts planted in the middle of nature, and remote and magical treehouses surrounded by woodland. If you’re looking for somewhere you can relax while reducing your carbon footprint, read on for some green inspiration.
Somerset – Stay in a shepherd’s hut on a picturesque working sheep farm
Get off-grid and enjoy a healthy dose of fresh country air in the great outdoors.
Secluded in six acres of farmland and surrounded by trees,
Counting Sheep Shepherd's Hut is a perfect escape from the noise and hubbub of everyday life.
The hut is wool-insulated and double-glazed to ensure you'll be warm and snug on cool nights. Or, if you want to get super cosy in your private hideaway, light the wood-burning stove.
Enjoy breakfast with a view over lush green fields. In the evening your hardest decision will be whether to fire up the barbecue or have pizza from your very own pizza oven, before you enjoy a soak in the hot tub under the stars.
There are plenty of suggestions for days out. Visit the local safari park or nearby manor house. Or, if you're feeling more adventurous, hire a quad bike or try a Go Ape experience.
Should you prefer to stay close to your home from home, there are plenty of walks to enjoy on your doorstep. But be sure to pack your wellies and some sturdy walking shoes.
This is a spot from where you can enjoy the English countryside at its quietest. Low light pollution means you can enjoy watching the stars before snuggling down for an uninterrupted, and very dark, night's sleep.
Don’t take our word for it
“Perfect stay with amazing views and the hot tub and pizza oven are fab! The hut itself is super cosy and comfortable. Great location and secluded, so it feels like you’re the only people for miles, a really lovely place.” – Samantha
Scotland – Stay in Fiddle Hill Cottage made from local post and beam Douglas Fir with larch cladding
Escape the chaos of life and get snug in this cute eco dwelling.
Fiddle Hill Cottage sits on a smallholding in the heart of the Scottish Borders, three miles from Hawick. Famous for its cashmere, in the town you'll find traditional butchers, bakeries and a fishmonger, not to mention the all-important selection of restaurants and pubs.
The cottage is made extra cosy with underfloor heating and a wood-burning stove, so inside you'll be warm as toast, whatever the weather.
Your hosts provide you with scones, bread, homemade jam and marmalade and a bottle of wine on arrival. And you can buy meat and eggs and fresh seasonal produce from them too.
Want a casserole or stew in the oven when you arrive? Just ask.
Explore your surroundings on electric bikes, which you can hire nearby, or, for serious walkers, the Borders Abbey Way is only quarter of a mile away from the cottage.
If you’re feeling adventurous, go wild swimming in one of the two lochans just a short walk away.
Sukie and Bill Barber previously ran a restaurant with rooms in the Scottish Highlands. They won awards for their food and continue to cook meals for special occasions. Bill now runs smoking and foraging courses that you can join, or meet Sukie in the kitchen for a cooking lesson.
Don’t take our word for it
“Fiddle Hill Cottage provided the perfect tonic for us – total tranquillity immersed in nature allowing one to reconnect. The accommodation is stunning and the light and warmth in the house comforting in these autumnal days. Sukie and Bill couldn’t have been kinder, and Sukie’s cooking was a pure delight.” – Clare and Dave
Eworthy, Devon – Hide away in this off-grid eco treehouse sitting among the treetops
If you're after a magical private space, look no further.
Yeworthy is somewhere you can disconnect from the rest of the world.
Get back to nature, sleep among the stars and enjoy peace and tranquillity in the Yeworthy Treehouse. Your privacy is assured as you'll stay among the treetops, above a sparkling lake in a quiet Devon hamlet.
Allow yourself to be soothed with sounds of singing birds, distant splashes of wildlife on water and the gentle rustling of leaves.
Dog-friendly, the owners will meet you and take you to your tranquil retreat in a Jeep, which you have complete access to for the whole of your stay.
Truly remote and secluded high in the treetops, your closest neighbours will be birds, geese and wild deer.
The luxuriously furnished treehouse has a downy double bed with soft pillows and plump cushions. You can also use the summerhouse, a perfect spot to curl up with a good book, or take the rowing boat out on the lake.
The retreat is completely unplugged. There's a log-burner to keep you warm, a gas stove for cooking and boiling water. The loo is of the eco-friendly sawdust variety and, although there are no shower facilities, your fresh drinking water comes from a bowser.
If you can drag yourself away from the peace and tranquillity, take the Jeep and you can be in the Dartmoor National Park within 30 minutes.
There's a barbecue at the summer house if you want a cookout, and the owners can recommend local places to eat out.
Don’t take our word for it
“Even more beautiful than the pictures. Such a lovely relaxing time, even with the rain it was beautiful, and the place was warm the entire time and the fire is just incredible. I will be booking again next year. Hosts were wonderful! And the jeep and boat were fun added extras.” – Megan
Mottistone, Isle of Wight – Go off the grid in a rural hideaway set halfway up Mottistone Down
This National Trust cottage offers serenity and simplicity. Accessed by a National Trust track,
Longstone Cottage has an incredible view down the Longstone Valley and is surrounded by rolling green hills and plenty of wildlife.
With three bedrooms, this hideaway can sleep up to six guests and features Edwardian fireplaces and wooden floors throughout. Solar panels power the lighting, but there's no power for appliances, so when we say “off-grid”, we really mean it.
A log burner provides heat in the cosy living room and there are gas-powered wall heaters in the bathroom and dining room. The oven and fridge are also both powered by gas.
The cottage looks out over The Longstone, a rare and ancient Neolithic monument. Sit in the garden and enjoy the peace alongside breathtaking valley views.
Mottistone Estate is on your doorstep and includes cliffs, village and farmland. And you're only a stone’s throw away from the gardens of
Mottistone Manor, where you can indulge with a traditional cream tea.
Or take a drive along the coast to watch the surfers at Compton Bay or see the Needles Headland.
The cottage is perfect for walkers and cyclists, with numerous paths and tracks, or if you simply want to rest, Brook beach is a five-minute drive away for a lazy day by the sea.
Visit
HostUnusual to discover more eco stays or read our article on
UK travel ideas for the climate conscious to get more ideas of places you could go. Or plan a
restorative railway journey instead.
