Log cabin fever: Embrace Britain’s natural beauty in a cosy wooden retreat… with a pinch of luxury (think hot tubs and wine fridges)

• Countryside cabins can also come equipped with log-burning stoves and modern kitchens
• For uninterrupted views in the Lake District, head to the Sunny Beck retreat – it’s ideal for small families  
• Falkner Watersedge Lodge in Surrey is an ideal base for hikers hoping to explore the nearby Bourne Wood

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 

Room to roam: Eagle Brae’s Loxia lodge is camouflaged with a grass roof and set on an 8,000-acre estate in Inverness-shire

Loxia in Inverness-shire, Scotland, 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 log-burning 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 100 ft 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

Sunny Beck by the Lake District’s Esthwaite Water, pictured, offers seclusion and uninterrupted views

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 

Falkner Watersedge Lodge (pictured) is one of several pet-friendly log cabins at the Tilford Woods Lodge Retreat

The one-bedroom lodge is nestled in the idyllic Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Inside the lodge, there’s an enormous four-poster bed to help soothe post-hike aches and pains

Prices at the lodge – which is a great base for hikers – start from £475 for a seven-night stay 

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 (english-heritage.org.uk).

DETAILS: From £475 for a seven-night stay (hoseasons.co.uk).

SNOWDON SUNDOWN

The Cabin on the Lake, pictured, is a cosy retreat in the middle of a willow tree-fringed glade

Cabin on the Lake in Machynlleth, Wales, is an off-grid property and a great base from which to explore Snowdonia. This one-bedroom, cosy retreat has a wood-fired 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

The Lakeside Lodge, pictured, sits on the banks of a lily pad-dotted lake. Prices start from £335 for seven nights

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, englishwhisky.co.uk).

DETAILS: From £335 for seven nights (sykescottages.co.uk, 01244 356666).

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