As I write this, the timing of when we will be able to travel abroad this summer, without having to go into quarantine, is still uncertain. It may be as early as July. It may be August.
Just in case we are unable to go abroad over the coming months and, in an attempt to get away from the place we have all become ever so familiar with - our homes - Julian and I have decided to book a remote and contemporary little bolt hole for two in the Scottish Highlands, overlooking a pristine loch with the Isle of Skye only 15 minutes’ drive away. We are not normally ones to staycate, since we are usually drawn by the more predictable weather abroad. But, with holidays to use up, we are hopeful we will be able to have our staycation and also travel abroad…fingers crossed.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been speaking to a number of properties I love and use a lot in the UK for clients. They are all being super positive about the outlook for opening in July, depending on Governmental advice, and are working hard at changes to ensure guests have an amazing stay, but still observing social distancing and hygiene rules. They are all offering wonderful benefits to their trade partners, like me, to pass on to our lovely clients as well as being as flexible as possible in terms of booking and cancellation policies.
If you are thinking about looking to the UK for a break over the summer and onwards, here are a few of my favourite places. Please do bear in mind that I know of, and work with, many more properties in the UK; I’m not just an overseas specialist.
A Somerset Seat - The Newt Inn
Set on a pretty estate in the majestic rolling countryside of Somerset, The Newt Inn was one of my favourite UK stays of last year. I knew it was going to be good, since it’s owned by Karen Roos and Koos Bekker, the husband-and-wife team behind another of my favourite places, Babylonstoren in the Winelands outside of Cape Town. But this place really did blow me away because it’s something quite different to your usual country house hotel.
At the heart of The Newt is the classic Georgian Hadspen House that was the seat of the Hobhouse family for more than two centuries. The interiors artfully mix old and new, with statement pieces rubbing shoulders (or hooves) with upcycled horseboxes, eye-catching modern lighting and family portraits of the Hobhouse family.
The 23 rooms are spread across the Main House, Stable Yard, Granary, Hayloft and Clock House, which has 4 rooms and a terrace adjoining the outdoor pool, so it’s perfect to take as a whole for a family or friends.
Outside is one of the real highlights of The Newt. Here you’ll find acres of meticulously designed gardens, woodlands and orchards, which are home to over 250 varieties of apples used to make the signature Newt Cyder. We literally spent a day walking around the grounds, having a complimentary visit (and tasting) of the state-of-the-art Cyder Press and Cyder Cellar, bobbing into the Garden Museum and purchasing local produce at the fabulous Farm Shop, before returning for afternoon tea in the drawing room. But the true magic of being a guest at The Newt is that you have access to the heavenly gardens at any time and it was so nice to amble around in privacy after the day visitors had gone home.
The spa, with its indoor / outdoor pool, is a luxury little haven and the perfect place to ease the aching legs after the yomp through the grounds. Whilst the Botanical Rooms restaurant serves food from the estate.
The Newt is perfect for couples, but also for families who can stay in the Clock House. This is a magical place for children to get lost in nature, explore the vast gardens, make regular forays to the ice cream parlour (obviously made with cream from the farm’s own cows), as well as collect eggs and pick fruit and vegetables from the kitchen garden.
A Private Estate - Wilderness
Wilderness Reserve is a glorious 5,000 acre private estate in Suffolk enclosed by woodland, parkland and lakes. Here you’ll find a stunning collection of cottages, country manors, barns and farmhouses to rent all scattered throughout the picturesque countryside, but close to the coast and Suffolk’s crowd-drawing villages of Southwold and Aldeburgh. So that’s around a 4 hours’ drive from Manchester and about 2½ hours’ drive from London.
What sets these rentals apart from others, and what comes as standard across all the properties, is the immaculate quality combined with being immersed in an authentically rural location. Each property is individual in style and décor and ranges from the grand 14 bed Sibton Park, a Grade II-listed Georgian country house with open fires, antique furniture and marble-floored bathrooms to the modest Hex Cottage, an electricity-free, one-bedroomed thatched cottage overlooking its own meadow. Plus many more accommodation options in between.
You can enjoy each of the properties as an exclusive-use home in privacy or with staff, including chefs who offer everything from locally-sourced hearty food to fine dining. This flexibility makes Wilderness Reserve an ideal destination for couples, friends, or families looking for a countryside retreat.
For the active there’s a naturally-filtered pool, decadent hot tubs and a hard tennis court open year-round, as well as rowing boats and Pashley bicycles, fishing, clay pigeon shooting and wine tasting. You can even dabble in some more unusual countryside activities, like exploring the lake on a paddle-board or a personally tailored yoga session.
A Hampshire Hideaway - Farleigh Wallop
Farleigh Wallop is an exclusive-use property where the house and extensive grounds are entirely yours. No other guests; just you, your family and friends where you can get away from the everyday. The estate is family owned and has travelled through the generations either by marriage or inheritance since the Domesday Book, never being bought or sold in recorded history.
Only an hour from London and around 3½ hours from Manchester, it’s easy to reach by road, helicopter and private jet into Farnborough airport, just 30 minutes away. It makes a super base for exploring the surrounding area and taking advantage of quality family time spent together. There’s 11 bedrooms (albeit not all have private bathrooms so a few of you might have to share), each unique in design with views over the estate and filled with flowers handpicked from the grounds or exotic plants from the greenhouse.
From the minute you arrive at Farleigh Wallop, you know you’re in good hands, as the House Manager offers the warmest of welcomes (socially distanced of course) and with afternoon tea on arrival, it’s time to close the door to the outside world and relax. A housekeeping team is available for cleaning and turndown, if you want, and the concierge service can be on hand to arrange whatever you need. The Michelin trained chefs create bespoke menus to suit every taste, and if required, all meals and drinks (within reason) are included and prepared at timings to suit you. But a completely self-catered option is also available.
There is certainly plenty to do at Farleigh Wallop to keep everyone entertained. Inside there’s a billiards room and cinema room. Whilst outside, you can swim in the pool (heated May to September) and boat or paddle-board on the lake. There is a tennis court and a croquet lawn as well as e-biking and running routes, all within the 4,000 acres. Foraging with the children around the estate is a must, as the team can show you how to pick your own vegetables from the kitchen garden for dinner. Picnics in the grounds, BBQs around the pool and lunch on the terrace help to create those unforgettable Farleigh Wallop memories.
Monarch of the Glen - Alladale Reserve
Nestled in the Scottish Highlands, just north of Inverness, the beautiful Alladale Wilderness Reserve is a remote 23,000 acre expanse of glens, rivers and hill lochs. It’s a place where you can find stillness and tranquillity in a strikingly stunning part of Scotland, with conservation at its heart and an aim to restore the local ecosystem to its former glory, bursting with flora, fauna and wildlife.
But a stay here doesn’t mean roughing it. There’s the main house, Alladale Lodge, which was built in 1887 and reflects the traditional stalking lodge style whilst remaining tasteful and contemporary. The six double bedrooms are warm and welcoming and the majority offer fantastic views of the surrounding hills. Perfect for family gatherings, there is ample living space, from the cosy drawing room and dining room to the billiards room, which invites plenty of friendly competition!
Further into the reserve sit two pretty cottages, Ghillie’s Rest and Eagle’s Crag. These sleep four and eight respectively, and are perfect for those looking to get completely off the beaten track and get away from it all. With a contemporary take on tradition, both cottages are cosy and inviting thanks to wood-burning stoves and plush furnishings with tartan touches.
Marvel at the deer wandering around on your doorstep or do some stargazing at night as there’s no light pollution at all. But for the active you can get to know the reserve with a 4x4 tour, a ranger-guided hike in the mountains or head to one of Alladale’s ten hill lochs to try your hand at brown trout fishing. Alternatively play a round of golf at the world class Royal Dornoch Golf Course, which is nearby. Alladale can even organise helicopter journeys to various locations around the Highlands for the ultimate luxury excursion.
If you are looking to book a holiday in the UK, please do get in touch. I realise you know the UK well in terms of special places to stay and assume booking direct is the best and easiest route. But I’ve either been to the properties I work with, and so can give a first-hand real review, or have a trusted partner who knows the properties inside out. I can usually obtain better rates and also, with my relationships, I can ensure your trip is amazing by getting little extras like upgrades and VIP treatment.