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Whether you're travelling solo, as a couple or a group, these are the best forest getaways to escape the crowds

With the hot summer in the UK and coastal retreats selling out fast, it’s time to turn our sights to our forests and woodlands and forest getaways are the perfect way to escape the crowds and immerse yourself in nature right now.

Accounting for just over 13% of the total land area in the UK, these gorgeous swathes of trees and other greenery provide tranquillity, fresh air and the opportunity to see fantastic British wildlife in its native habitat.

From country house hotels with pampering spas and high-end cuisine to log cabins, huts and glamping tents affording splendid isolation in secluded spots, there’s something here for all tastes and moods.

Some of our suggestions for forest getaways in England, Scotland and Wales are perfect for couples or solo travellers seeking a little slice of solitude far from the madding crowds, while others offer larger accommodation for families or other groups.

Browse the best forest getaways to book now.

Forest-inspired menus using local woodland produce are a big part of the draw of boutique B&B, restaurant and shop Spot in the Woods in a tranquil spot perfect for exploring this expansive heathland with ancient trees, creeks and coastline.

Don’t miss the giant redwoods of the Rhinefield Ornamental Drive, the Bolderwood Fallow Deer Viewing Platform or the free-roaming New Forest ponies while here. As well as simply elegant rooms, some with roll-top baths and patio or roof terrace, the hotel offers cosy shepherds’ huts.

This luxurious country pile lies at the heart of Winnie the Pooh, Piglet and Eeyore’s 'Hundred Acre Wood', on hand for the iconic locations of AA Milne’s beloved stories including Pooh Bridge (where Poohsticks was invented), The Enchanted Place, the Heffalump Trap and Eeyore’s Sad & Gloomy Place.

Family- and dog-friendly to boot, it also has its own 18-hole, par-3 golf course and the sleek Forest Spa with treatments including The Ultimate Forest of Dreams Ritual using wild lavender. Suites are all named for species of tree found in the surrounding forest.

Near the Becky Falls Ancient Woodland Park and East Dartmoor Woods & Heaths National Nature Reserve in a unique area comprising wild moorlands and deep river valleys, the iconic, Bovey Castle was opened by Great Western Railways in 1930 and oozes heritage and character.

It’s very much a place where all ages can get active, with everything from horse-drawn carriage rides and horse-riding to clay-pigeon shooting, falconry and off-road driving. It also has its own 18-hole championship golf course. As well as fresh and pretty rooms and suites, the lovely grounds are dotted with self-catering lodges.

Set in native woodland within the UK’s largest forest, which also has Dark Sky Park status, this bespoke and stylish eco dwelling for two has vast panoramic windows ensuring sunset views of Wigtown Bay from the double bed, plus a log-burning stove and a handy kitchenette.

Part of a working farm, it’s within strolling distance of Mossyard Beach and Carsluith Castle and handy for Kirroughtree Mountain Biking Centre.

Set amid canopies of mature trees just north of the sprawling Thetford Forest Park with its red, roe and muntjac deer, hares and foxes, Thompson Hall Retreat's luxurious hideaways embrace shepherds’ huts with double-ended baths (one dog- and horse-friendly), cabins and, in a wooded dell, the Giraffe Enclosure safari tent for six.

Star of the show is the Lotus Spa with its swimming pool, swim spa, hot tut, barrel sauna and wood-burner shower, plus treatments designed to restore you after long walks in the surrounds.

The perfect couples’ retreat, these enchanting micro cabins squirrelled away in the woods on the private Dragon’s Tooth Estate in the Glencoe Valley have outdoor hot tubs on private decks overhanging a rushing river.

Inside, everything has been cannily crafted to maximise the tiny space with its bedroom, shower room and kitchenette complete with superb coffee machine. The beds are supremely comfortable and bed linen and towels are top notch, so there’s no compromising on luxury. As well as woodland, mountain paths and riverside walks to roam, there’s an on-site golf course and Segway tours.

Embedded in some of the most spectacular scenery in Wales' largest national park with its forest parks and trails, this divine manor house is now a family-run B&B retaining many of its Regency features, including foliated balusters, reeded doorframes and original cornicing.

The drawing room is a popular spot for the estuary views from its floor-to-ceiling windows and its open log fire, while the breakfast room has a vast fish tank including surgeon fish, yellow tangs and clownfish. As well as rooms, there’s a self-contained suite with an Aga in the older servants' quarters.

Wynchnor Park Country Club is close to the woodlands of the National Memorial Arboretum and the Conkers family discovery centre. Within an area of the Midlands being transformed back into forest after being scarred over the centuries by coal mining and other heavy industry, the Queen Anne era country house hotel sits in 55 acres of grounds with a nine-hole golf course, a tennis court and a play area.

Inside the main house, coachhouse and courtyard buildings, you’ll find a heated indoor pool, a sauna and spacious apartments with up to three bedrooms. There also individual log cabins in the grounds and the local activities include horse riding and fishing.

Overlooking the mighty Sherwood Forest of Robin Hood and Major Oak fame, this snug cedar cabin has an away-from-it-all feel enhanced by rustic yet stylish interiors including bedheads fashioned from pine offcuts, vintage farmhouse touches and a wood-burner for chillier months (or even just cooler summer evenings).

The owners lived for a time in the Rocky Mountains and it shows in beguiling details such as the rocking chair out on the decking, inviting contemplation.

In the Kielder Forest Park, this cosy hotel has awards for its green initiatives, which include kitchen gardens and a wild mushroom farm, as well as having its very own observatory. Battleheads includes family rooms and luxury dog-friendly wooden eco-lodges with super-sized spa baths.

Light-pollution-free Kielder Forest Park is part of the Northumberland Dark Sky Park with its amazing Milky Way views, and the observatory hosts regular events ranging from astronomy for beginners to star-themed storytelling and aurora-hunting.