School’s out! 13 amazing UK holiday options to book this August
Summer is drawing to a close so it’s time to book in those last remaining UK holidays. We round-up our favourite UK-based weekends away, from a city break in Bath to a luxury hotel stay at Gleneagles. Whatever you have in mind for the perfect end-of-summer break, we have you covered.
Best UK holidays: our top 13
Gleneagles, Perthshire
Gleneagles is Scotland’s most famous country estate hotel, but its reputation as ‘The Glorious Playground’ leads guests beyond the hotel’s striking Art Deco interiors and opulent restaurant and bar. One of the leading hotels for experiences, Gleneagles has a private loch for fishing and the opportunity to dine up a mountain with Highland cows. They once drove three Land Rovers’ worth of kit up a mountain for a couple to helicopter in, take an Instagram pic and then fly out again. Despite flashy leanings, the hotel is steeped in history and still retains its authenticity as one of the leading destinations for Scots celebrating big birthdays or anniversaries. Fabulousness hums from the floorboards.Read full Morning Wire review.
Avington Estate, Winchester
A short cab ride away from Winchester, you can find the stunning Avington Estate, a historic country pile restored to its former glory by current owners the Roach family. Visitors can stay in the glass-fronted Stillwaters House or one of the lakeside Shepherd’s Huts, super-luxe caravans designed to blend seamlessly into the leafy surrounds. Each hut has its own private jetty, fire-pit and log-burning hot tub. Sitting in the steaming tub, polishing off a bottle of wine while taking in the sounds of the woodland is a singular experience.Read full Morning Wire review.
The Francis Hotel, Bath
The Francis Hotel, located on the south side of Queen Square in one of Bath’s most salubrious areas, consists of seven converted townhouses, whose 98 bedrooms this year completed a £15m renovation. The ground floor is a vast, uninterrupted corridor featuring the highly-rated Emberwood restaurant at one end and a lounge-cum-bar at the other. The rooms are smart and stylish, decorated in the style of a modern country house. It’s cool and comfortable, and feels a million miles from the crowded streets of Bath. Read full Morning Wire review.
Is this the most fun UK holiday?
Mad Swans, South Downs
Gen Z are obsessed with golf and Millennials are obsessed with drinking. Put those things together and you have Mad Swans, a new golfing hotel with beer holders and speakers on the buggies, which, by the way, are decorated in animal print. Everything from the bar and restaurant to accommodation (which is weirdly cheap) is primary coloured, and the activities focus means shuffleboard, mini golf, padel and interactive darts are available too. The driving range blasts noughties indie and serves beers, because of course it does. Read full Morning Wire review.
Soho Farmhouse, Cotswolds
Lighting the fuse for the luxury takeover of the Cotswolds when it opened in 2015, Soho Farmhouse brings Soho House members a village-like utopia an hour or so from London. Everyone cycles around on bikes, and you might be going from the outdoor pool to the al fresco restaurant, or the gym, or the late-night bar. People are surprisingly chatty, many of them are celebs. Accommodation is Texas-style corrugated metal-clad bungalows and the bath is outside, with many overlooking streams. It’s all very whimsical indeed. Read full Morning Wire review.
The Pig, Cotswolds
The ultimate in rustic luxury, The Pig’s nine country boltholes are each like entering a person’s home. Often taking over historic buildings, such as former homes, the shelves are stacked with bits and bobs and the fire’s always on. Expect fresh, seasonal British food, exceptional service and genuinely interersting design choices. We love the new Cotswolds opening, though the prices can be steep. Read full Morning Wire review.
Harbour Beach Club & Hotel, Salcombe
It’s always Devon over Cornwall, don’t you know? Tres chic. Closer to London and with (ironically) fewer Londoners, the waterside village of Salcombe epitomises the county’s charm. Walk along the waterfront, take a boat out on the harbour, go to the eponymous gin distillery, a sign of the area’s modernity (it’s not all old fishermen’s pubs, though there are plenty of those). The controversial Harbour Beach Club is a seismic new property on a small beach – some locals protested against it – but nonetheless it is a fabulous place for a weekend, with a lovely terrace for sunning on. Don’t miss the seafood, nor the strange amphibious vehicle carrying hotel guests around to the main Salcombe bay. Read full Morning Wire review.
UK holidays: the Brecon Beacons
The Angel, Abergavenny
Some locals grumble that Abergavenny has turned English, what with all the posh Londoners who’ve moved there. Whether or not you agree with that, there is certainly a wave of gentrification. Against the backdrop of the Brecon Beacons are hipster bakeries and artists’ galleries in the town’s winding streets. The historic Angel hotel is the flagship. Situated in the centre of town, the cocktails are punchy, the rooms opulent and the service old school. It’s an ideal luxury base for a UK holiday exploring the vineyards and hiking trails nearby. Read full Morning Wire review.
Broughton Sanctuary, Yorkshire
There are the type of landowners who don’t like the limelight and then there is Roger Tempest with his screechingly loud collection of shirts who calls himself the “custodian”. He’s a charming fellow, with an incredible country estate where the biggest pulls are the retreats covering everything from samurai history to telepathy. But if that sounds a bit left-field, you can just rock up and enjoy the restaurant and walk through the beautiful grounds, which are the focus of myriad rewilding initiatives. There is a lovely spa, with a pool that has been chlorinated to the lowest possible level. Stay in the stunning main house or in one of the estate’s cottages. Read full Morning Wire review.
Treehouse Hotel, Manchester
If you’re opting for a city break in the height of summer (you glutton for punishment!) make it a playful one. The Treehouse Hotel, recently opened, has decked out its rooms like treehouses (hence the name), with fun little notes thanking you for “climbing on up”. Multicoloured patchwork bedding and wooden birdbox-inspired bathrooms induce joy, and the restaurant – complete with hourly-changing soundtrack – is designed like a rainforest, and there’s decent food and drink to boot. Manchester, which is booming with new openings, such as the new Co-op Live, is just outside the front door. Read full Morning Wire review.
The Torridon, Highlands
Now officially located within a nature reserve, The Torridon hotel occupies a handsome position on the fringes of the titular loch, which Queen Victoria once called the prettiest place on earth. This is Gleneagles but without the hordes or the fuss.
It’s an exquisite historical house, once a shooting lodge, with shelves piled to the ceilings with whisky bottles and seafood so fresh it practically quivers. It invites long, lazy afternoons playing board games in the lounge: try to grab one of the sofas with loch views. If you fancy popping out, the hotel has bikes and there are myriad trails near the property, or brave a dip in the Loch.
The Langley, Buckinghamshire
A 30-minute glide west up the Elizabeth Line you will find The Langley. It’s a short distance from popular weekending spot Coworth Park, but grander and more under-the-radar.
A country estate given an impressively modern renovation, traditional white columns flanking the door contrast with floor-to-ceiling windows that create the illusion of bringing the outside in. They’re a sight to behold. Do very little: walk the gardens, take tea on the lawn, and just generally enjoy this stunning properly without the crowds that turn up down the road. Read full Morning Wire review.
L’Enclume, Cartmel
Simon Rogan’s three Michelin starred countryside restaurant set the template for the modern restaurant with rooms. Featuring a working farm and a series of rooms dotted throughout the village of Cartmel, arriving here feels like entering the mind of Rogan, a place where every detail has been pored over, every possible vista scrutinised.
The highlight is the “L’Enclume Experience” (£275), a sprawling, multi-hour, 20-course tasting menu showcasing some of the best cooking in the world. There is also the Aulis development kitchen, a six-guest chef’s table where visitors can glimpse behind the L’Enclume curtain. Read full Morning Wire review.
For more UK holiday inspiration visit Morning Wire’s Travel section