From Submarines to Sky Huts: The UK’s Quirkiest Stays

The UK is awash with lovely holiday rentals, from cosy country cottages to sunny seaside apartments. However, for travellers seeking something totally different, quirky UK stays offer unique options. Here are a few ideas.

If there’s two of you, then you may want to check out Airship 2. In the Highlands of Scotland, with stunning coastal views on a secluded four-acre site in Drimnin, this architect-designed accommodation is a gleaming, cosy, light-filled aluminium pod. Fully insulated from the elements, it provides the ultimate in scenic escapes. You can enjoy lovely views across the Sound of Mull towards Tobermory and the windswept Ardnamurchan Point. The village of Lochaline is thirty minutes’ drive away, from where you can take a ferry to the Isle of Mull and from there to Oban. Despite its slightly remote setting, the pod offers a full-size shower room with WC, basin and towel rail. Wi-Fi is also provided. This is the Highlands at its very best. hostunusual.com

On the edge of Snowdonia National Park in North Wales is The Bryn At Capel. A former inn, it has been transformed into an amazing holiday retreat. Its twelve bedrooms and bathrooms provide comfortable accommodation for up to 24 people. Set in an enclosed garden, it has access to the river to launch canoes, wild swim and fish. Inside, there’s plenty of room to relax and enjoy the entertainment facilities, which include a games room, cinema room and working bar. Budding Gordon Ramsays will love the commercial-style kitchen, equipped with everything needed to whip up a family feast. The nearby village of Betws-y-Coed has a great range of independent pubs and restaurants, as well as delightful shops and galleries. You may not want to leave. walescottageholidays.co.uk

If you want to go more off-grid, then how about the Sky Hut? On a farm in a lakeside setting near the village of Mydroilyn, West Wales, this delightful solar-powered cabin offers a unique opportunity to fully disconnect, as it is free from TV and Wi-Fi. However, its ‘star’ attraction is the opening roof, allowing guests to lie in bed and gaze up at the night sky. The cabin also has shared access to a boating lake, hot tub, pizza oven and games room. Shops are just five miles away, and it’s six miles to the nearest pub. walescottageholidays.co.uk

Keeping the off-grid theme, Hush resembles a huge panelled rugby ball or truffle. It sleeps four and is situated in a 15-acre oak woodland a few miles outside Okehampton in Devon. It comes complete with an open-fire wood burner, BBQ and pizza oven. You can dine outside by the firepit and enjoy total peace in your own hammock. Nearby Dartmoor National Park is ideal for days out. uniquehideaways.com

Once a working vehicle that transported injured people to safety, the Samaritan Tank is situated in a lakeside setting in Lincolnshire. Painted in NATO green on the outside, the inside has underfloor heating, LED lighting, and comfy bench seating that converts to a double bed when it’s time to turn in. Along with Wi-Fi there’s a Smart TV with built-in DVD player and a small worktop housing a kettle, toaster and electric hob. There’s also an original frame attached to the back of the tank which pulls out to become an awning with seating and lakeside views. You can enjoy them with a glass of wine, since the tank door contains both a fridge and a wine rack. hostunusual.com

Treehouses are fun and transport some of us back to our childhood days. In the Dorset village of Blandford Forum, the former Downwood Vineyard is home to the Honeycombe Treehouse. Whilst on the ground rather than perched in a tree, perhaps a good idea for those of us who are now a little less agile, the property combines its unique style with a touch of luxury. Offering central heating, electricity and Wi-Fi, there is also a sitting-out area, garden furniture, BBQ and hot tub for two. It’s within easy reach of towns such as Shaftesbury, Wimborne, Poole, Bournemouth, Dorchester, Weymouth and Portland, and the beaches of Sandbanks, Bournemouth, Weymouth and Poole. cottages.com

If sea views are your thing, then it doesn’t come much better than The Little Lookout on the promenade at Littlehampton. Originally a coastguard lookout tower, the four-storey building was constructed in 1931. The ground floor hosts a lovely kitchen, whilst on the first floor you will find a marble-floored bathroom with tub and shower. Above that is a double bedroom and balcony, and on the top floor a living space with a larger balcony and those stunning sea views. The beach, cafés and restaurants are on your doorstep, with Brighton and the South Downs not far away. hostunusual.com

Staying on the nautical theme, lighthouses are always a favourite for locations with a difference, and none more so than The Old Lighthouse in Old Hunstanton, Norfolk. There are four luxury en-suite bedrooms across two floors, so it’s ideal for families and small groups looking for a unique self-catering property with spectacular views. The seaside town of Hunstanton is one of Norfolk’s most distinctive resorts. Away from the seafront, Hunstanton’s historic and quiet town centre has a village feel with cottages, traditional pubs, tea rooms and independent shops. premiercottages.co.uk

James Bond fans should pack their vodka martinis and head to the Isle of Wight to enjoy a stay in HMS Bond, a movie prop used in the 1999 Bond film The World is Not Enough. Based on a replica Soviet Victor III class nuclear-powered sub, it was rescued and renovated to include two comfy double beds and a single bunk. It features trap doors, ladders, a periscope and an interactive dashboard. The adjacent dock contains a well-equipped canteen kitchen, shower and toilet. Famous Carisbrooke Castle, with its royal links going back to Charles I, is a short walk away. hostunusual.com

From off-grid hideaways for couples to family fun locations, the UK has loads of quirky places for people looking for something totally different.

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[Feature Image Credit | Airship 2 | Nigel Rigden]

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