10 of the best winter glampsites
Glamping? In winter? Don’t be put off just yet. A glamping break in the summer all too often involves sitting in snaking traffic en route to a packed-out campsite – not least a sense of disappointment if the weather doesn’t play ball once you get there.
But a getaway in the colder months can offer something entirely different, if you’re prepared to park your hopes of a sun-sure staycation: the peace and quiet of winter mornings, landscapes twinkling with frost or blanketed in mist, cosy evenings around your very own fire pit.
Besides, it’s well and truly out of peak season, which means you’re likely to find a glammed-up cabin or luxury yurt for much less than you would in July or August. Here’s our pick of the best hideaways.
Starry stays in Carmarthenshire
The long winter nights are ideal for star-gazing. And Hafan and Derwen – two off-grid cabins tucked into a remote, conservation-focused Welsh smallholding – are just the spots, as there’s little light pollution here in the Tywi Valley. There’s plenty of wildlife, too: look and listen out for deer, owls and red kites.
The cabins have log-burners (and a free supply of wood), mini kitchens and bad-weather diversions, including a guitar, books and games. Outside there’s a sheltered porch, fire pit and a composting toilet, plus views to the Brecon Beacons’ lauded dark skies.
Cabins (sleeping four) from £150 for two nights.
Rural retreats in Kent
Cuddle up in the Kent Downs in a vintage shepherd’s hut at Greenhill Glamping, home to two handsomely restored 19th-century huts on a family farm in the Alkham Valley. Insulated with sheep’s wool and complete with wood-burning stoves, electric heaters and king-size beds with goose-down duvets, you certainly won’t feel the cold.
Plus, there’s great walking on the doorstep to get the blood flowing – amble to Alkham’s 200-year-old pub or make the 15-minute drive to Dover’s White Cliffs for a hike to blow away the cobwebs.
Shepherds’ huts (sleeping two) from £155 per night.
Crowd-free camping on the Isle of Skye
It might be a wee bit nippy on Skye in winter but the pay-off is empty roads, guaranteed natural drama and – who knows – maybe even the Northern Lights. Plus, the neat wooden pods at the Cowshed Boutique Bunkhouse, located in Uig on the northerly Trotternish peninsula, remain cosy all year.
They’re small but perfectly formed, with proper beds, kitchenettes, heating and en-suite showers, as well as fine views over the sweeping bay. Walk to nearby Fairy Glen, then pick up a tipple from the Isle of Skye Brewing Company, just down the road.
Pods (sleeping two-four) from £95 per night.
A new Herefordshire hideaway
The White House Hideaway is perfect for winter. With solar power and a log-burner, it’s off-grid, toasty and totally private. The simple wooden interior has a compact kitchen and bathroom, while the double bed is by a wall-sized window, so you can drift off and wake up to views of the Wye Valley.
Alternatively, get outside: SUP on site, pick up footpaths, head to the pub (the excellent Crown Inn at Woolhope is five miles away) or soak beneath the stars in the outdoor bath.
Cabin (sleeping two) from £258 for two nights.
The finest fortress in Powys
Oaken Fort really puts the ‘glam’ into ‘glamping’ – it’s no surprise that this fairytale, wood-clad bastion is one of Canopy & Stars’ most-liked Instagram posts. Perched on the Anglo-Welsh border, the unique cabin gazes out at rippling hills and forest, wild in location but five-star in style.
Every fitting, from the eco-timber beams to the high-spec kitchen, is immaculate. And you can luxuriate in the views whatever the weather: inside, from the copper bath, looking through the vast windows, or outside, from the electric hot tub on the deck.
Cabin (sleeping four) from £245 per night.
Hygge havens in Northumberland
Trees at Tughall offers a sprinkle of Scandi-cool in the Northumbrian wilds. There are three contemporary cabins here, each hidden from the others. Ash is hugged by ancient trees; Hawthorn sits by the burbling Tughall burn, overlooking the Cheviot Hills; Willow has its own private glade by the stream.
All are supremely well-insulated, with warming log-burners and heaters hidden under the big window seats. Star-gaze from the covered deck, huddle round the fire pit or head to the cafes and coast at Beadnell Bay, only a 30-minute walk away.
Cabins (sleeping two) from £310 for two nights.
Quirky cabins in Worcestershire
On a crisp winter’s day, you won’t find a comelier spot than the Cotswolds. The utter Englishness of these rolling hills is magical under a sparkle of frost, just as snowdrops begin to pop up in local woodlands.
Bluebell, near the village of Broadway, is a quirky base for exploring the north of the region; it’s constructed from two shipping containers, one creatively converted into an en-suite bedroom, the other into a comfy lounge-kitchen. They’re connected by an open but covered deck, so you can enjoy the bucolic views whatever the weather.
Cabin (sleeping two-three) from £95 per night.
A ski sanctuary in the Cairngorms
Pick a pod by the piste for a snug British ski break. The off-grid shepherds’ huts, pods, spacious cabin and converted railway wagon at Glenshee Glamping are close to Glenshee Snowsports Centre.
You can spend a day swooshing down Scotland’s longest and most extensive ski runs and return to the site to huddle up in your heated retreat – most have wood-burning stoves, and all have good views. There are bookable hot tubs, too, to soothe those ski-sore limbs.
Pods and huts (sleeping two-five) from £95 per night.
Terrific tents in Devon
If you want to kip comfortably under canvas this winter, opt for HARTA. The unique tents at this secluded site on the edge of Exmoor offer the romance of camping with none of the hardships. Each one comprises two linked, double-skinned tipis, complete with king-size beds, shaggy rugs, wood-burning stoves and underfloor heating.
There’s also an en-suite bathroom (with a roll-top bath) and a private outdoor shower if you prefer something more invigorating. Cook a feast at your alfresco kitchen or order a home-cooked curry to be delivered to your tipi door.
Tipi (sleeping two) from £140 per night.
A silent sanctum in Shropshire
Stripped-back luxury done right – that’s the aim of Rest + Wild. Its four Shropshire cabins are stylishly built using reclaimed and natural materials and beautifully designed with brown leather, moody-dark paint and copper accents. But they’re also nestled deep in nature; there’s no wi-fi and no road noise (fear not, there is heating).
Indeed, you’ll need to park up to 250m away and yomp across fields to get there. The reward? Privacy, peace, birdsong, secluded outdoor bathtubs, romantic nights around the fire and fine views out to the Clee Hills.
Cabins (sleeping two) from £550.00 for three nights.
