11 Nature Holidays In The UK For An Eco-Friendly Escape

From Glamping To Boutique Hotels, Discover The Best UK Nature Breaks And Getaways That Support Conservation.

We independently research all featured brands and products. To avoid waste, we test products on an as needed basis. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission. Learn more about why we do this here.

Dreaming of an eco-friendly escape immersed in nature? 

The UK has some incredible natural beauty but it’s one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. Nature holidays in the UK can help us reconnect with the outdoors and advocate for its protection. 

Natural holidays aren’t just pitching up a tent. They’re easier, more accessible and more luxurious (if you want them to be) than you might think.

The Top Nature Getaways UK For A Breath Of Fresh Air

Stay in the heart of a 23,000-acre protected reserve deep in the Scottish Highlands at Alladale Wilderness Reserve. 

One of the best family nature holidays UK residents have access to, see wild ponies, cattle, deer and beavers in their natural habitat on a glamping trip to Knepp Wildland Safaris in Sussex. 

Book a stay at the boutique Tudor Farmhouse Hotel and discover the beauty of the Forest of Dean through foraging, nature walks and a critically acclaimed restaurant. 

Nature breaks are a form of sustainable tourism that comes at an urgent time for UK conservation. 

According to a report, UK biodiversity loss is nearly at 50% and the country is at risk of ‘an ecological meltdown.’

The UK has lost 97% of wildflower meadows since the 1930s due to agriculture and property development.

The trend in off-grid nature escapes provides farmers and landowners with a new source of revenue that helps them fund their rewilding projects.

Discover stunning countryside and opportunities to get hands-on in this guide to sustainable holidays UK readers can take when the modern world gets a little…much.

1. Kudhva, Cornwall

Nature Holidays UK by Kudhva
Images by Kudhva

Kudhva’s Eco Retreats UK

One of the best nature holidays in the UK for quirky glamping experiences, Kudhva is an eco escape. It’s located in a 45-acre abandoned slate quarry which is now a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Dark Sky Nature Reserve.

Kudhva offers a digital detox immersed in nature with outdoorsy activities including wild swimming, foraging, retreats, and walks along the Cornish coast.

Stay in glamping accommodations such as the raised Kudhva Cabins, Danish Cabin and Shanti Tipis. 

The site is completely off-grid, so it runs off solar power and its natural water supply. 

You can cook your meals in the communal kitchen in the Reception Barn and order a breakfast basket filled with fresh, local produce for a hearty start to the day. 

There are also hot showers and a (sustainably sourced) wood-fired hot tub, which can be booked for one hour.

Children are allowed to stay in the Tips and Danish Cabin.

2. Knepp Wildland Safaris, West Sussex

Nature Holidays UK by Knepp Wildland Safaris
Images by Knepp Wildland Safaris

Knepp Wildland Safaris’ Nature Holidays UK

Approximately one hour and 30 minutes from London, Knepp Wildland Safaris is one of the largest rewilding projects in lowland Britain.

Located across 3,500 acres of Sussex, the estate is a habitat for wild ponies, cattle, deer and pigs. 

Nature rules here and you’re invited to enjoy it through Knepp Estate’s series of guided safari tours. It doesn’t get much better than this if you’re looking for weekend nature breaks in the UK.

Join specific animal-focused tours including butterflies and kingfishers or opt for seasonal safaris. Other guided tours include learning about regenerative farms, rewilding, and biodiversity.

Knepp Safaris also offers its visitors the chance to stay on-site in its holiday cottages and glamping accommodation such as bell tents, shepherd’s huts, treehouses, and yurts.

You can bring along your tent and pitch up in its wildflower meadow for about £20 a night, so it’s ideal for cheap eco holidays. 

Pick up supplies at the on-site campsite shop and order breakfast baskets for two people. There’s also a communal glamping kitchen with pizza ovens, hot showers, bathtubs, and flushing toilets.

3. Alladale Wilderness Reserve, Ardgay

Nature Holidays UK by Alladale Wilderness Reserve
Images by Alladale Wilderness Reserve

Alladale Wilderness Reserves’ Nature Breaks

Named one of National Geographic’s six places to rediscover nature, Alladale Wilderness Reserve is a 23,000-acre reserve in the heart of the Scottish Highlands.

Stay in one of Alladale’s three fully catered lodges, including Alladale Lodge itself—a comfortable Victorian manor. 

Or choose to self-cater in the off-grid Deanich Lodge, one of the most remote buildings in Britain. 

Properties sleep between two and 26 guests so they’re ideal getaways for groups of friends. There’s limited WIFI so you can escape from it all in this wilderness. 

As for what to do on these nature getaways, UK residents and visitors alike can roam to their heart’s content, whether through hiking, mountain biking, foraging, wild swimming, photography classes, or wildlife spotting. 

Alladale is dedicated to conservation from planting trees to wildlife projects and peatland restoration. 

Staying here directly contributes to conservation projects across the UK and Europe through its charity partner The European Nature Trust.

4. Tudor Farmhouse Hotel, Gloucestershire

Nature Holidays UK by Tudor Farmhouse Hotel
Images by Tudor Farmhouse Hotel

Tudor Farmhouse Hotel’s Eco-Friendly Holidays UK

One of the top sustainable holidays in the UK for a luxury rural escape, Tudor Farmhouse Hotel is a boutique hotel in the Forest of Dean.

It was once a 13th-century farmhouse but now it features 20 luxurious ensuite guestrooms. 

All beds have sumptuous pocket spring mattresses and duck feather pillows. The rooms also have Nespresso machines and some have roll-top bathtubs for a truly decadent stay. 

Come here to relax and enjoy the critically acclaimed restaurant which has been named a ‘culinary oasis.’ Head chef Gavin Roberts serves up vegetables from the hotel’s Kitchen Garden combined with locally sourced produce. 

The rest of the time, guests can enjoy hiking, wild swimming, paddle boarding, wildlife safaris, e-bike safaris, and guided stargazing.

You can also book expert-led experiences such as foraging, forest bathing, and guided forest walks.

5. Sheepdrove Organic Farm, Berkshire

Nature Holidays UK by Sheepdrove Organic Farm
Images by Sheepdrove Organic Farm

Sheepdrove Organic Farm’s Nature Breaks UK

Award-winning, family-run Sheepdrove is a Soil Association-certified organic farm committed to sustainability.

You can find everything here from three gorgeous Green Tourism Gold-winning accommodations to an eco-events venue which can host weddings, office spaces and funerals.

Enjoy a relaxing holiday at Woodend, a large former farm building that sleeps up to 18 guests with nine ensuite bedrooms—perfect for big family nature holidays. 

Nutwood Lodge sleeps up to 12 guests in its five bedrooms. There’s a spacious kitchen and dining area, log-burning stove, and private garden. 

If something cosy is more your scene, the Boat House sleeps four and is located on the shores of a tranquil lake.

These eco-stays are 100% carbon neutral, run on renewable energy, and are located on organic farmland which is part of the North Wessex Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

6. Trees for Life, Scottish Highlands

Nature Holidays UK by Trees for Life
Images by Trees for Life

Trees for Life’s Conservation Holidays UK

Trees for Life is on a mission to restore Scotland’s Caledonian Forest which once covered much of the Highlands. To date, they’ve planted nearly two million trees.

The organisation is also involved in conservation initiatives such as returning the lynx to Scotland, red squirrel reintroduction and rewilding the Affric Highlands along with Rewilding Europe.

If you’re keen to spend some time in nature and do some good for the environment, Trees for Life runs volunteer conservation holidays called Rewilding Weeks.

You and up to ten other volunteers will be led through a series of conservation tasks by two expert guides. The week starts with an introductory walk and days last from 9am to 5pm. 

All accommodation and meals are provided at Dundreggan Lodge with vegetarian and vegan options available. 

Trees for Life also offers transport to and from Inverness. 

Participants must be 18 years old and over to join the Rewilding Weeks. There’s no maximum age limit but be advised that the work can be quite physically demanding.

7. Wildwood Hideaway, Cornwall

Nature Holidays UK by Wildwood Hideaway
Images by Wildwood Hideaway

Wildwood Hideaway’s Eco Holidays UK

Enjoy life in the slow lane with fairytale woodcutter-inspired Wildwood Hideaway deep in the woods in Cornwall.

The dog-friendly eco-retreat in the UK is surrounded by 200 acres of pasturelands, fields and trees and looks out onto stunning countryside. Inside, it’s hand-built with a fully-equipped kitchen, shower room, and cosy double bedroom.

The living space is the perfect space to while away the evening with its squashy sofa and log-burning stove. There’s no WIFI here, giving you the chance to fully switch off and immerse yourself in nature. 

Wildwood Hideaway invites you to be as relaxed or as active as you like. Lie in the hammock and listen to birds flitting around in the trees or explore your local Cornish surroundings. 

Wadebridge, Polzeath and Daymer Bay are reachable by car. You could also take the ferry over to Padstow or walk the South West Coast Path for beautiful coastal views.

8. Coombeshead Farm, Devon

Nature Holidays UK by Coombeshead Farm
Images by Coombeshead Farm

Coombeshead Farm’s Wildlife Retreats UK 

Located just 30 minutes from Devon’s surfing beaches, Coombeshead Farm is the ultimate place for wildlife retreats in the UK.

On its 300-acre rewilding area, animals roam free, and you can see them via ecologist-led wildlife encounters and learn about Coombeshead’s work introducing lost species such as wildcats to the UK.

White storks, water voles, wildcats, owls, and beavers are just some of the magnificent creatures you may encounter.

Stay on-site in one of the farm’s cosy shepherd’s huts. Located on the edge of the farm’s rewilding area, each hut has a double bed, a wood burner and a separate basic kitchen. 

You can also camp in the meadow. Each spacious pitch can accommodate a maximum of four people and it has its own firepit. 

The communal area has barbecue facilities and a pizza oven and there are hot showers and composting eco toilets.

9. SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, Scottish Highlands

Nature Holidays UK by SCOTLAND: The Big Picture
Images by SCOTLAND: The Big Picture

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture’s Nature Getaways

Deep in the Cairngorms National Park, rewilding charity SCOTLAND: The Big Picture offers nature lovers the chance to immerse themselves in the natural beauty of the Scottish Highlands on a small group tour. 

Choose from three-to-five-night UK nature holidays which take you to pioneering rewilding projects in the Cairngorms and the Great Glen. Each itinerary includes picnics alongside cascading waterfalls, wildlife spotting, and learning about exciting nature recovery initiatives.

As for where you’ll stay, Ballintean Mountain Lodge is a cosy, family-owned converted farmstead with ensuite bathrooms in each of its rooms. 

All meals are provided and you can expect hearty Scottish dishes made with locally sourced ingredients. They can also accommodate dietary requirements. 

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture is a member of the European Rewilding Network and the Scottish Rewilding Alliance. 

10. Wheatland Farm, Devon

Nature Holidays UK by Wheatland Farm
Images by Wheatland Farm

Wheatland Farm’s UK Nature Holidays 

Award-winning Wheatland Farm is a long-term conservation project in Devon that’s financed and sustained by its collection of three beautiful wooden eco-lodges, a holiday cottage and a straw bale insulation lodge.

Balebarn Eco Lodge is the biggest accommodation, sleeping up to weight people. The wheel-chair accessible, low-carbon renovated cowshed features straw bale insulation, a wood burner, hot tub, and campfire spot outside with views of the pond. 

Beech Eco Lodge sleeps up to six guests and has a private veranda with views of the meadow, while Nuthatch, Honeysuckle, and Otter sleep up to four. 

All holiday rentals have solar hot water and run on 100% renewable energy.

You can spend your eco holidays cycling, sailing on the pond, soaking in hot tubs, doing free guided nature walks, cooking up BBQs, and listening to birdsong from the veranda.

Wheatland Farm has won many regional and national sustainable tourism awards over the years. It has pledged for nature through the North Devon Biosphere Reserve. 

11. Room With A View, Dartmoor

Nature Holidays UK by Room With A View
Images by Room With A View

Room With A View’s Weekend Nature Breaks UK

This dog-friendly cabin in Dartmoor is nestled on a quiet corner of a working farm.

Positioned at the foot of the famous Haytor, Room with a View offers stunning panoramic views of Dartmoor National Park and it’s the perfect base for walks and exploring.

The cabin features an open-plan living space with a cosy wood-burning stove, fully-equipped kitchen, double bed and ensuite shower room. It’s completely powered by solar panels so you can enjoy off-grid nature weekend getaways here. 

Room with a View sits in an enclosed garden, making it ideal for dogs. There’s a picnic bench and firepit outside for dining al fresco. 

Stay here for a rural retreat. Widecombe in the Moor with its cafes and shops less than two miles away. You also have Dartmoor at your fingertips with Fenwothy Reservoir and picturesque country pubs nearby.

Our Considerations For Choosing The Best Eco Holidays In The UK

How do we know which nature breaks truly benefit the environment and how can we ensure they value sustainable tourism over profits?

We’ve created a set of criteria which helps us find businesses that are a force for good as it takes a look at all aspects of their operation.

Certifications: 

Soil Association, Green Tourism

Carbon Goals & Achievements: 

It’s good to see hospitality businesses take steps to reduce their overall carbon footprint through building off-grid accommodation that runs on renewable energy. 

Many of the glamping experiences have eco-friendly bathroom facilities with hot water and flushing toilets so guests can still enjoy those little luxuries while outdoors. 

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: 

Access to nature and sustainable getaways shouldn’t be reserved for the few. We love to see eco-lodges with accessibility features for those with less mobility. 

Cheap nature getaways, family-friendly rooms and car-free glamping all get a big thumbs up from us too. 

Pay It Forward: 

Donating to charity isn’t a requirement of a sustainable business, but we still like to see them take an active interest in their environment. 

Many of them in this list do this already by using accommodation to fund their own rewilding initiatives and using their platforms to educate their guests about the environment. 

Closing Thoughts On Nature Getaways & Eco Holidays UK

Restoring nature-depleted landscapes isn’t about removing people. 

Rewilding and conservation are about creating harmony between people and natural ecosystems. After all, we are a part of the natural world no matter how far removed from it we feel. 

Nature is at its best when we go out and enjoy it. It’s good for our health and our appreciation of it in turn helps us protect it. Nature lovers are nature’s biggest advocates. 

Nature breaks can take different forms whether it’s planting trees in the Scottish Highlands or glamping in Cornwall. 

The one similarity which connects them is that your money goes directly into protecting the environment. These eco holidays help make conservation happen. 

This summer, get outdoors and reconnect with nature on an eco-friendly UK holiday—and be sure to share this article with friends and family to encourage them to tag along.