Solitude by the sea

[Tavia123]

Hi all,

I have two children and I’m a carer for my parents who both have dementia. I’m stressed and exhausted.

For my 40th DH has offered to take me away somewhere. We’ll get carers in for my parents and the in laws will look after DC.

Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I had a moment to myself and all I want is to go somewhere where I can switch off and be alone.

We can’t go far as I wouldn’t want to leave my parents and DC for too long. Probably 3 nights.

In my mind, I’m picturing a cabin perched on the edge of a lake surrounded by mountains and trees in Norway somewhere. Or a lone house on a remote Scottish island by the sea. The kind of place where an eccentric writer might disappear to for months to overcome writer’s block and create a masterpiece.

In reality, it would ideally be somewhere with wifi to keep DH entertained so he leaves me in peace while I curl up with a book 😂.

The main criteria is somewhere with scenic views from the windows and somewhere I can step outside for walks without ever having to see another soul.

Does a place like this exist (reachable from Manchester)? I’ve spent ages trawling through Airbnb but just get cabins with hot tubs in a holiday park (I’m exaggerating but not far off) and don’t know where else to look. We don’t mind a longish drive (within 8 hours say).

Thanks in advance!

You’ll spend a long time driving to these places for 3 days away. I’d look closer to home, there are isolated places in Northumberland, Dumfries and Galloway, arran…

https://www.cottages-and-castles.co.uk/cottage/89157-dunnfin

It’s possibly too far for three nights, depending on your appetite for train journeys but I would definitely recommend Finse in Norway. It’s only accessible by train so you can fly to Bergen or Olso then get straight on the train, one of the most scenic journeys in the world so it’s a treat in itself. Views over mountains, lakes and a glacier. There will be other people in the hotel so it’s not quite total solitude but it’s pretty close. We absolutely loved it.

https://www.dehistoriske.com/destinations-in-norway/finse/hotels/finse-1222/

The Landmark Trust has some lovely properties. Only drawback is no Wi-Fi 😂

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/1162281336258402524?source_impression_id=p3_1718743752_P3Z59qn1EXynumXx

we stayed here a few years back. It might’ve changed hands since then. But it was glorious - there are other cabins on site - but you can’t see or hear them. You can walk along the estuary without seeing a soul. The stars at night were epic. We took loads of nice food, wine and sat by a fire. I want to go back!

I have stayed at the lodge on the beach another poster mentioned.

It's lovely. The beach is pebbles mostly. The house is at the end of a road. There's a pub about 5 mins walk along the beach that does good food.

It has WiFi, (I wrote a lot of my masters essays there).

There's Wigtown a few miles away which has second hand bookshops.

It was about a 7 hour drive from Lancashire.

Betty hill cottage
in berry hill highlands of Scotland

fly from London to Inverness and drive .

A tiny village called Crovie (NE Scotland, on the Moray Firth).
Google it!!!

I’d recommend Loch Rannoch, it’s right by the loch side, lots of walks up hills or in the woods and very very quiet. It does have a small hotel nearby with a pool you can use but it’s not normally busy. Depending in the time of year you can go without seeing anybody! https://www.lochrannochhighlandclub.co.uk/

Have a look at Kilchoan Holiday rentals, particularly their cottages at stunning Portuairk, Ardnamurchan peninsular Scotland

Oh we stayed there last year, it was lovely. There’s also a hotel by the station that is meant to have amazing food (and nothing else for miles). I haven’t stayed there but know others who did and really enjoyed it: https://www.moorofrannoch.co.uk/

Even more remote but accessible by train you could do corrour - Scottish estate, middle of nowhere, stunning, if you are near London you can go up on the Caledonian sleeper and wake up having arrived. Properly magical:
https://www.corrour.co.uk/

Off topic but have you looked into assisted living for your parents OP? It's a game changer, it would take a lot of the pressure off you, your life sounds v hard.

No lakes but https://www.thehideawayexperience.co.uk/ is lovely

its just outside Dundee but close enough that you can get a takeaway delivered or a shop delivered.

it’s a working farm that have about 5 fancy lodges dotted around the property far away from each other so you feel alone with a view of fields past the garden sometimes with crops but could be sheep or cows.
they all have hot tubs and saunas and with the exception of once a day in the morning when a staff member comes to test the water in the hottub (if you asked them not to come they’d probably be ok with that) you never see another person (occasionally a tractor in one of the fields) but there are staff if you need anything although you’d never know unless you were leaving the entrance to the farm to go into to town.

this is a blurb from the website
We wanted to incoporate the privacy features of a remote shearer's hut with the interiors and facilities of a modern boutique hotel. When we got home, we decided to set up a Hideaway of our own.

iv gone a few times as a solo trip to rest and like you switch off. For different reasons to you but same idea.