Earlier this year I released Slow Travel Britain with Hoxton Mini Press, a book that shines a light on 22 of the most inspiring ways to explore England, Scotland and Wales and encourages a deeper connection with their landscapes, people and culture. While making it, the photographers and I got to stay in some fabulous hotels and cabins, and I’ve shared a round up of a few I adored below (although I am very much in love with everything in the book). Don’t go far, go slow!
You can order the book here.
Opened by the duo behind Hauser & Worth global gallery, this boutique five-star hotel is the beating heart of Bramear and an art-filled oasis (there are around 16,000 pieces in its collection). A Pieter Brueghel the Younger hangs in the Clunie Dining Room, contrasted by a room-sized mural from Argentinian artist Guillermo Kuitca, its sharp angles and dark hues a homage to the River Dee. There are photos from Man Ray, a painted ceiling in the drawing room that’s part abstract topographic map, part homage to Cairngorms crystal, an antique chimneypiece inspired by the poetry of Robert Burns and an original drawing by Queen Victoria. The Fife is devoted to showcasing the wonders of the Cairngorms, with every room designed to reflect local nature, poetry and personalities. There are activities aplenty, from drawing in nature to fishing and foraging, and a team of dapper ghillies are on hand to curate experiences. But there are plenty of reasons to stay in, too – like Elsa’s cocktail bar, named for Surrealist fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, a regular visitor to nearby Braemar Castle.
Cocooned within 35 acres of meadows, landscaped gardens and lupin-filled woodland at the southern edge of the National Park, this hotel celebrates the natural world – which can be admired from rooms in the fabulously decorated Hall (a revamped Victorian country house) or from one of Wildhive’s treehouses. Decor across the property is the work of interior designer Isabella Worsley and is an elegantly eccentric explosion of Pop Art prints, pressed flowers and English objects d’art. And while the interiors may be artistically vibrant, the atmosphere remains remarkably peaceful. Things feel even more sedate when suspended amongst the foliage in a one-bedroom hive or two-bedroom treehouse, where textured timber is embellished with painted floral motifs and breakfast hampers are delivered to your door. Enjoy cocktails in the Hall’s library snug and dinner in the glass-walled Garden Room restaurant, or (if you’re feeling active) hire a bike from the Coach House and tackle one of the walking and cycling trails that begin at Wildhive’s door.
Photograph by Liz Schaffer
Enveloped by 30 acres of parkland, Settle is made up of a collection of converted railway carriages, cabins and safari tents that pop up in summer. Building materials hail from the owner’s nearby Morways Reclamation, and the spaces are filled with handmade furnishings, vintage embellishments and custom pieces from English artisans. Round off your stay with a visit to the on-site shop, which brims with everything from Norfolk pottery to carved wooden platters.
Photograph by Tom Bunning
Blending original Georgian features with a soothing colour palette and conversation-starting contemporary artworks, this Edinburgh bank-turned-hotel mixes past and present beautifully. Bedrooms tip their debonaire hats to the past and come with king-size beds, ornate cornicing and lashings of art. In the spa, facilities include a gym, cryotherapy chamber and infrared saunas, while the changing rooms are tucked within the former bank vaults. The Art Deco tree-topped bar is the hotel’s centrepiece, positioned beneath a glass dome (another architectural detail left over from the building’s time as a bank).
Photograph by Daisy Wingate-Saul
Kip Hideaways’ Fairwinds Cabin
This grass-roofed cabin is filled with charm- ing details, from Ross Ryan’s almost abstract canvases (which he paints from the deck of his fishing boat) to floorboards salvaged from a Glasgow church and an old high school desk repurposed as a kitchen countertop. The bed is even inspired by a traditional Hebridean box bed, once shared by an entire family (although here you have it all to yourself). Make sure to throw open the curtains every now and then to check if the Northern Lights are putting on a show.
Photograph by Chiara Dalla Rosa
A sleek and welcoming Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms 5 miles from Grassington, The Angel’s design is elegantly refined: a creative mix of timber, stone and earthy hues, paired with a statement moss-covered wall which ensures the Dales are never far from your mind. Chef patron Michael Wignall’s menu is influenced by flavours from across the globe, and while the dishes are rilliantly complex (they all arrived looking like sculptural works of art), this is balanced by the sheer freshness of every ingredient, flavours changing with each bite. Stay the night to experience the spacious Scandi-esque bedrooms and the sensational, multi-course breakfast.
Photograph by Orlando Gili
Made up of site-specific architectural hideouts nested in deciduous woodland, Kudhva (which is Cornish for hideout) also includes a wood-burning-hot tub, waterfall, restored engine house and abandoned slate quarry. Design enthusiasts will be charmed by the Kudhva cabins themselves – contemporary, tree-house-like structures with a mezzanine sleeping area made for stargazing. This is raw-luxe at its finest and exists because of owner Louise’s desire to ‘make friends with the land’, which she transformed from a wild and forgotten space into this off-grid event- and festival-hosting bolthole.
Photograph by Daisy Wingate-Saul
This history-packed, dog-friendly hotel, found in the heart of honey-hued Blanchard, is as atmospheric as they come. Once the abbot’s lodge of a 12th-century priory, many of the original building’s architectural details remain, from arched stone doorways to flagstone floors. The Lord Crewe hosts a range of seasonal activities including star gazing (Northumberland National Park has been a Dark Sky Park since 2013). Year round you can enjoy afternoon tea by the fire in the original banqueting hall, watched over by armour and shields. It’s also worth whiling away an evening in the Crypt Bar, a vaulted chamber illuminated by candlelight, before you head upstairs to feast in the rustic Bishop’s Dining Room.
Photograph by Liz Schaffer
This family-run country-retreat-meets-sea-side-hideaway is dog-friendly and comes with the ruins of a 12th-century chapel in its sprawling gardens. It’s also only a short drive from Tenby, a pastel-hued beachside town famed for its Georgian architecture and iconic lifeboat station. Each room in the hotel has a different shape and design, honouring the layout of the original house, with many featuring canopied beds, custom wallpapers and views across Carmarthen Bay. While seasonal sundowners in the art-filled terrace and drawing room are divine (the cocktails are finished with flowers and herbs from the garden), the jewel in the Penally Abbey crown is the 2 AA Rhosyn Restaurant and its multi-course, sustainable menu.
Photograph by Daisy Wingate-Saul
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