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2 years ago
From castles to cottages, here are some quirky places to rent for New Year's Eve
It’s never too early to find the perfect New Year’s Eve getaway. Avoid samey NYE parties and events, and make an escape to these quirky and bizarre getaways. From cosy country cottages to chic city apartments, here’s the C&TH pick of unusual holiday rentals for New Year’s Eve 2023. (And, if you’ve been pipped to the post on your favourite, why not book now for 2024?)
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How does a New Year’s Eve in the heart of whisky country in the Scottish Highlands sound? With on-site fishing, eight acres of walled garden and grounds worthy of very long New Year’s Day walks, this is the perfect place to start 2021 with a handful of your favourite people and nobody else for miles around. Gordon Castle is one of Scotland’s largest houses, a beautiful Scottish retreat.
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Who wouldn’t want to spend New Year’s Eve in a castle? Go shooting on New Year’s Day and cook your spoils in the large country kitchen. If you’re feeling brave (or need to cut through a hangover) take a dip in the outdoor solar heated swimming pool or you could just enjoy generally wafting around like the Lord of the Manor and book in the caterers to take care of the rest. The staff can also arrange river boat trips, horse-riding on the moors and golf on nearby, internationally renowned courses.
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This spectacular Georgian manor house is located on the Graythwaite Estate right on the edge of Lake Windermere. With juxtaposed contemporary and traditional designs, Silverholme provides everything you need for an elegant alternative New Year’s celebration. With floor to ceiling windows overlooking the lake, it’s superbly equipped for making a celebration dinner to remember; what a view! After dinner, the drawing room offers a sumptuous retreat where you can gather in front of the roaring open fire with a glass of bubbly ready to toast in the New Year. Silverholme also benefits from shared use of the Graythwaite Estate grounds and facilities which includes an indoor heated swimming pool, table tennis room, children’s play area, fitness suite and 2.5-acre trout fishing lake.
Minutes from Baby Bay, Endymion is right on the edge of National Trust land and a great place from which to explore Polzeath and a network of stunning coastal paths. With white walls, stone and brick exterior this striking modern property boasts eco-travel credentials with solar panels and an air source heat pump.
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Why not ring in 2023 on your own personal safari? Port Lympne is a must-visit for animal-lovers; this Kent-based conservation charity is not your average UK wildlife experience. Opt for a short stay over New Year and you’ll come face to face with big cats, gorillas, giraffes and many more. If you really want to push the boat out, book in for the new Tiger Lodge, where tigers play right outside your (very sturdy) windows.
Luxury hotel Coworth Park’s standalone private cottage features three spacious bedrooms, lobby, dining room, kitchen, private outdoor dining area and garden, with private chef and butler available on request. A pretty idyllic way to start 2023, no?
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This hidden gem in Wales‘ Snowdonia region is perfect for celebrating New Year’s Eve as a group. Set over three floors and sleeping up to 16, Tan Llan has been carefully renovated to offer luxurious and spacious accommodation. Stylish interiors, a blend of bright and contemporary furnishings make for a comfortable stay: large sash windows and shutters, cast iron radiators, a bespoke fireplace with locally sourced slate, a large fully-kitted kitchen area, a spacious garden with outdoor seating, as well as a delightful sunroom to soak up the gorgeous surrounds on brisker days.
Escape to the Cotswolds this New Year’s Eve – Ivy Cottage, with its two ensuite rooms, is ready and waiting for a small group of friends or two couples to settle down ready to ring in the New Year. Situated on the Oxfordshire-Warwickshire border, this boutique retreat is well-equipped for country lovers and luxury lovers alike, with a roll top bathtub, Bamford bathroom products, and soft robes to settle down in.
Image (c) Nick Isden.
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One of three family-owned Caradog Cottages, this Welsh cottage is a short walk through a garden adjoining to Ivy Cottage, a great place to explore the Brecon Beacons and the Black Mountains. Abergavenny is packed with independent shops and top-quality restaurants including the Michelin-starred The Walnut Tree Inn. One-night bookings are also available.
Call 150 acres of tranquil countryside home at Castlemorton Barns, a series of four private but adjoining properties in the heart of rural England. Incredible views stretch out from every bedroom window, with immaculate interiors throughout. Plus, there’s a gorgeous indoor swimming pool, perfect for New Year dips.
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Create a celebration in the heart of Edinburgh at Cheval The Edinburgh Grand, with 50 apartments, including a spectacular three bedroom penthouse apartment situated on the seventh floor, with a wraparound roof terrace, right on St Andrew Square. Enjoy New Year’s Eve celebrations in the comfort of the penthouse with views across the city to Arthur’s Seat, the Firth of Forth and beyond.
Fancy ringing in the New Year from the comfort of your own sauna? Or why not start the year right with an invigorating swim in a natural outdoor pool? Book Three Hills Farm, which overlooks gently rolling Cotswolds hills, to unwind and begin 2024 in style. Sleeping up to 14 guests, it’s perfect for big groups, with a wood-fired pizza oven and BBQ, a spacious dining room and a plethora of living spaces for games and catch ups.
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Enjoy The Gainsborough Bath Spa’s Townhouse Experience for New Year’s Eve, a stay at the hotel’s elegant Georgian property that combines the space of a private home with the luxury services of the five-star hotel. The package also includes exclusive access to The Cross Bath, an intimate, open-air bath where guests can bathe in the city’s famed natural thermal waters in complete privacy. The Townhouse offers private accommodation over four floors with three bedrooms, one king, one queen and one single, sleeping up to five.
Holkham is a Norfolk estate on the beautiful North Norfolk Coast enjoyed by residents, visitors and royalty since 1609. Each lodge on the estate sleeps two, so you can choose from a woodland hideaway that is Palmers Folly, the Grade II listed gatehouse Palmers Lodge, S. S. Teulon-designed South Lodge East and South Lodge West, and Grade I listed Triumphal Arch, designed by William Kent.
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Whisky lovers should set to hiring out Linn House – aka the House of Whisky – for a New Year celebration of unparalleled grandeur. Visitors can delve into the world of whisky with private tastings, cocktail masterclasses and guided tours of three distilleries. Plus, enjoy horse riding, shooting and foraging for a fully fledged country retreat.
New Year’s Eve is, at long last, returning to London‘s Southbank in 2022. The English capital city is a glorious, stylish place to ring in the New Year, whether you’re celebrating in a sleek bar or gathered on the Southbank with millions of others, ready to see the world-famous fireworks first-hand. Romanticise your life at Anthenaeum Hotel & Residences in Mayfair, where the luxurious rental townhouses offer a luxurious base from which to explore the city, or just to hunker down in ready to celebrate the New Year.
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Fancy ringing in the New Year with a house party, all of your family (and/or friends) in one place? Head to The Willows, a beautiful dog-friendly barn conversion that sleeps 10 across five bedrooms. With exclusive use for seven days, make the most of the idyllic south Cornwall location and explore all of the stunning sights the region has to offer.
Fancy seeing in the New Year in a private hot tub or plunge pool right on the beach? And then waking up in your sea-room view to a breakfast hamper of delicious Cornish treats? Check in to Carbis Bay Hotel’s brand-new Beach Lodges, situated directly on the beach and all boasting rooftop or beach gardens, with open-plan lounges and floor-to-ceiling windows leading out to private sun decks, and private access routes directly onto beautiful Carbis Bay beach. Extend your stay by a day so you can take the coastal train to St Ives for a day of exploring. Extend it by another for a private surf lesson to kick-start that New Year’s resolution to try something new. Hell, extend it forever because honestly, you won’t want to leave.
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Set in the centre of Conderton, a delightful Cotswolds hamlet, Manor Farmhouse is a recently-renovated, eight bedroom, eight bathroom property, with a dining room seating up to 18 guests – ideal for a big family New Year’s Eve staycation. Book with your New Year’s Day walk in mind: there are hundreds of miles of footpaths straight from the backdoor, across the orchard and into AONB of Bredon Hill. Or, just mosey down to the nearby dining pub for a New Year’s Eve tipple, or hair of the dog after the fact.
Perched on the edge of the harbour in the village of Port Isaac, Cornwall, Henry’s features exposed beams, glistening chandeliers and sash windows that frame stunning coastal scenes. Start the New Year exploring the miles of scenic footpaths, watch fishing boats bob on the water and take refuge by the crackling fire as storms rage against the harbour wall out to sea.
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Featured Image (c) Cottonbro via Pexels.
