20 Christmas holiday rentals for 2021: Stay in a magical five-bedroom treehouse in the middle of the woods - iNews

West End Muse, Edinburgh

You will be in prime position for Hogmanay celebrations here. The apartment is on a quiet road in a converted 19th-century stable block close to the West End. The welcome hamper is a treat, with Edinburgh Gin liqueur and shortbread, and there is a log burner. The charcoal-grey walls are offset by colourful soft furnishings.

Sleeps four, five nights for £1,650 from 28 December, sandandstoneescapes.com/property/west-end-muse

Fairnilee House, Scottish Borders

With 380 acres of gardens and woodland above the River Tweed, this Edwardian mansion near Galashiels is a grand place to gather loved ones. Inside are wood-panelled walls, chandeliers, open fires, a library, a grand dining room and a cinema room.

Sleeps 16, children and dogs welcome, one week for £5,400 from 20 December, crabtreeandcrabtree.com

Clovelly House, Northumberland

With coastal walks to blow away the cobwebs after a big festive lunch, Clovelly is a hotel-quality base in Berwick-upon-Tweed. Inside, there is a roll-top bath, high-spec kitchen, log burner and courtyard garden, as well as a bright dining room. The Scottish Borders, Northumberland National Park and coastline are all within reach.

Sleeps 11, children welcome, one week for £2,225 from 21 December, cottages.com

High Hallgarth, Cumbria

Keep Christmas simple at this stone cottage overlooking Little Langdale Tarn. Original features including beams and slate floors speak of its 17th-century history, while the open fire is the focal point after a bracing walk to Blea Tarn or Coniston. There's no TV or wi-fi, so come armed with games and books.

Sleeps seven, children welcome, three nights for £539 from Christmas Eve, nationaltrust.org.uk

Three Roods, Yorkshire Dales

A Grade II listed stone cottage, dating to the 17th century, Three Roods is packed with character, from its wooden beams to its inglenook fireplace. There is also underfloor heating, a modern kitchen and cosy bedrooms. The Dales Way and pubs of Dent village are all less than a mile away, but many will be happy to hole up and celebrate in the cottage, with stirring views just outside.

Sleeps four, children welcome, one week for £1,038 from 22 and 29 December, holidaycottages.co.uk

1 Riverside Cottages, Yorkshire Dales

Christmas lunch at this elegantly decorated cottage comes with views of the fells and Dales from its riverside perch in Burnsall, near Grassington and Hebden Bridge on the River Wharfe. There is a cosy sitting room with stove and DVD player. Guests arrive to a luxury hamper with local produce. Midnight mass is celebrated at St Wilfrid, which was used for filming of Darrowby Church in last year's Christmas special of All Creatures Great and Small.

Sleeps four, children welcome, weekly rental for £1,232 from 23 December, yorkshirehideaways.co.uk

The White Willow Premium Cabin at Delamere Forest (Photo: Paul Box)

Forest Holidays, Delamere Cheshire

The newest Forest Holidays site opened this year, so all woodland cabins and treehouses will still have that fresh feeling. Options range from a five-bedroom treehouse
to a one-bedroom hideaway, which will be decorated festively. Woodland walks – including Sandstone Ridge – start at the door.

Sleeping two to 10, children and dogs welcome, with accessible options, three nights from £1,665 from Christmas Eve, forestholidays.co.uk

Owl Cottage, Shropshire

This cottage is in the grounds of a Georgian country estate around 10 miles from Market Drayton (stock up on the local gingerbread). Against a backdrop of sage green walls are green velvet armchairs and beds, a wood burner and roll-top bath. There is a private garden, with access to the estate's landscaped grounds and walks nearby along the Shropshire Union Canal.

Sleeps four, children welcome, one week for £2,364 from 20 December, luxurycottages.com/cottages/owl-cottage

The Hop Kiln in Herefordshire (Photo: Rural Retreats)

The Hop Kiln, Herefordshire

As the name suggests, this was a working kiln on a working farm near Leominster on the Shropshire/Herefordshire borders, with walks and pubs within easy reach. Foodies will want to stock up in Ludlow, which is also nearby. Contrasting with the building's historic fabric, the interiors are bright and contemporary, with garden views.

Sleeps four, children and dogs welcome, four nights for £965 from Christmas Eve, ruralretreats.co.uk

Outshot Barn, Herefordshire

Stock up on last-minute Christmas gifts in the book shops of Hay, which is close to this character-packed property. The barn conversion sports a double-height living space, also stocked with dozens of books, a log burner and stylish kitchen. There is also an enclosed garden and guests can collect eggs from the farm, as well as meet the other residents (ponies and pigs). A pub is a mile away.

Sleeps four, children and dogs welcome, ground floor access to all rooms, one week for £930 from 21 and 28 December, mulberrycottages.com

Drover's Bough, Herefordshire

For a romantic escape, consider this treehouse for two on a historic drover's path in the foothills of the Black Mountains. Opened earlier this year, it has underfloor heating, a wood burner, solar lighting and water from its own spring. There are games, books and speakers, but forget switching on for the Queen's Speech. Instead, enjoy the stars from the deck, or curl up by the fire. The Bridge Inn pub, five miles away, will be open on Christmas Day.

Sleeps two, three nights for £825 from Christmas Eve, canopyandstars.co.uk/droversbough

Plas Bach, Powys

In the market town of Crickhowell, this town house is a homely base for festive walks in the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons, with Table Mountain close by. The cosy but spacious kitchen-diner-sitting room is the focal point, with a log burner, and there are bunks and brass beds upstairs in the bright bedrooms. Crickhowell High Street is crammed with local producers and businesses, from a grocer to a smokery, butcher and farm shop.

Sleeps eight, children and dogs welcome, three nights for £2,026 from 23 December, sugarandloaf.com

Windmill Hill, Wiltshire

Part of the new Farm at Avebury complex, Windmill Hill is a converted stable that is now decorated with bright colours and accomodates a spacious kitchen. As part of a farm that raises Hereford and Angus cattle, beef is available to buy on site, as are bacon and sausages. The Neolithic Avebury henge is within sight of the farm, too.

Sleeps four, children welcome, five nights for £1,845 from 23 December, thefarmatavebury.co.uk

Jack's Barn in Somerset (Photo: Premier Cottages)

Jack's Barn, Somerset

The ideal celebration house, Jack's Barn is part of a farm in the Mendip Hills, north of Wells. There is a shared cinema room and 15m indoor heated pool, while the barn has a sumptuous sitting room with velvet sofas and a log burner, as well as a long dining table with Pop Art-inspired wallpaper.

Sleeps 10, children welcome, two ground-floor accessible bedrooms, three nights for £3,995 from Christmas Eve, premiercottages.co.uk/cottages/lilycombe-farm

The Strawberry Thief, Dorset

A pretty cottage near Sherborne, The Strawberry Thief is bright and contemporary inside, with a small garden. The cosy kitchen has everything you need to prepare a festive lunch (there is also a dining room), while the sitting room has a log burner, DVDs and board games. You can walk to the village of Corton Denham and The Queens Arms pub in 10 minutes or drive to Sherborne in the same time.

Sleeps five, pets and children welcome, five nights from 28 December for £1,225, sawdays.co.uk/britain/england/dorset/the-strawberry-thief

Kingsbridge Hideaway, Devon

Once part of a brewery, this stone cottage has been renovated by its architect owner and now sports polished concrete, Le Corbusier light fittings, a hand-made dining table and contemporary design. Children will love the blackboard wall and play tepee, and there are beaches all around on the South Hams coast.

Sleeps four, children welcome, one week for £1,741 from 23 December, shorter breaks available, kiphideaways.com/hideaways/kingsbridge-hideaway

Henry's, Cornwall

Guests at this former net loft are within eyesight of Port Isaac's sandy beach and harbour. Named after the former resident, who ran the shop beneath, it has been redesigned by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. There are patterned fabrics, pink-starred wallpaper, sisal carpets and graphic prints of the local area, as well as a fire.

Sleeps six, children and dogs welcome, one week for £1,790 from 20 December, latitude50.co.uk

Beneath the Branches, West Sussex

Close to the South Downs, this rustic cabin is offered by dog-friendly self-catering portal Paws and Stay. The timber cladding keeps things cosy, and there is a roll-top bath to sink into after long walks in the woods, or to local pub The Fountain Inn in Ashurst. The kitchen is dinky, with a deep sofa, books, board games and TV to enjoy in the open-plan living space.

Sleeps two, dogs welcome, four nights for £705 from Christmas Eve, pawsandstay.co.uk

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Micawbers, Suffolk

Inside this black weatherboard and brick house are a big sitting room with log burner and grand piano, kitchen with range cooker and dining table, and two bedrooms, with another in an annexe. There is an enclosed garden and the beach is a short walk away. Aldeburgh is nearby.

Sleeps six, children welcome, one ground-floor bedroom and bathroom, one week for £1,452 from 23 December, bestofsuffolk.co.uk

2 The School House, Cotswolds

On the fringes of Dorsington village near Stratford-upon-Avon, there are National Trust properties, country walks and cosy pubs galore close to this semi-detached house from which to welcome in the New Year. Inside is a colourful palette, with open-plan kitchen and dining room and fireplace in the sitting room. There is a well-kept enclosed garden outside.

Sleeps four, children over 10 welcome, four nights for £994 from 30 December, cotswoldshideaways.co.uk