Six epic cabins where you can go wild swimming

The container at The Lake effortlessly frames the tranquil, flooded quarry, quietly letting the shifting light on the water and the countryside’s varied seasonal hues take centre stage. The half mile of rough track leading up to The Lake brings home how completely off-grid you are. The only impact you’ll have on the countryside during your stay is when you rent the rowing boat and drift around the lake, use the rod provided for fishing off the pier or shock the wild ponies as you stride back in the nude from the piping hot shower behind the main space after a wild swim.

Ramble through ancient woods on the miles of the Jubilee Trail that crosses at the top of the country lane, then come home to lie on the suntrap deck and slide into the lake whenever you get too hot. The only visitors to this secluded spot, hidden in the depths of Dorset countryside, are a huge array of bird life, maybe deer, wild boar and if you're super lucky, visiting otters.?

Mix up the walks in Hooke Woods and even a visit to the Hooke Park Architecture Centre, with trips to market towns and the cliffs and coves of the Jurassic coast, with beaches at Eype and Seatown overlooked by great pubs. ?

Rustic and deeply romantic, this repurposed fisherman’s cabin will make adventurers’ hearts sing. Everything is centred around the River Dart, which runs straight past the front door. You can jump on a paddleboard straight after breakfast, spend long and lazy afternoons with just a rod and the kingfishers for company, then wrap up in blankets and huddle around the fire pit at sunset watching the bats swoop and skim the water for their dinner. Off season you’ll feel completely alone; in summer the river will be a hive of activity and you’ll join other wild swimmers from the opposite bank.

From the tip of its cool reciprocating roof to the bottom of the bathtub dropped into one of the two decks, this is an architectural wonder nestled into a wildlife oasis that will amaze and delight you even while it totally chills you out. At the cabin itself, discover the steam room, the outdoor fireplace and the spring-fed pond. From the kitchen deck a few yards from the cabin, the long jetty calls to you to take a running jump into the refreshing swimming water. The deck right outside is where you can bathe year-round in hot water thanks to the sunken tub.

Even though you can be here in just over an hour from either Glasgow or Edinburgh, Loch Venachar in the Trossachs National Park is a spectacularly beautiful place. The stars put on a fabulous show here, with minimal exterior lighting preserving the clarity of the Dark Sky Reserve as you sit by the fire bowl outside.

If you can’t tear yourself away from those views, then stock up and settle in. The cabin is completely self-contained, with a full kitchen, en suite bathroom and a cosy log fire making it a lovely little bubble of comfort. The hot tub has views to the loch, and you can choose either the warm confines of the tub, or the cool expanse of the loch for a dip!

Caban Cilfa offers you relaxation or adventure in equal measure. Birds fish on the small pond or hover over the woods looking for prey and at night you can light the wood-burner and watch the stars in the unspoilt sky. Or, grab a good downhill bike, hit the miles of fabulous trails that cross the hillsides and, if you’re feeling brave, take a dip in the pond to cool off when you get back. There are induction hobs for cooking simple meals and the en suite bathroom has a hot shower and a compost loo, all of which are neatly fitted into the cosy cabin.