I don't care where it is in the UK, but I want to open my holiday cottage door straight onto the beach...

[WilfSell]

And it must have sand, and not be only pebbles. I know you won't WANT to recommend such places you have stayed because you're probably about to book again, but you must. It is a moral responsibility to tell others about them, not keep them to yourself, please.

It mustn't be a caravan park. And ideally it is all on its own, away from the crowds. I do not care a hoot about ice cream shops, or discos, or evening entertainment, or supermarkets nearby. In fact, such things would put me off. The more wild the neighbours, the better. If it has the word 'luxury' in its description, even better, but we can rough it too.

Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Cornwall, Suffolk, Northumberland, wherever: really, I don't care. But my children's happiness this summer is depending on YOU... No pressure or anything.

What, ML is your mate?
I love him (and his completely not getting music.Hilarious.)

Nooooooooooooooo. MONKEY saving... Wot just posted here on MN.

I love Martin Lewis too. He's a Man City fan. But I've never met him.

Ha ha, I've got you.
Very slow todaY.

Avada, I have CAT'd you too. thanks

I have bookmarked ALL your lovely recommendations and emailed a couple or three to enquire. But do keep 'em coming. The Scilly isles ones look blardy lovely but gosh some of them are expensive. When you're beachfront you can pretty much charge what you want?

I'm loving the really remote ones. I guess you just pack everything including the bucket and spade and milk and the kids moan about being in the middle of nowhere until they get to build sandcastles ALL day right? We have always gone somewhere relatively near to villages, towns. We will need a bad weather plan: not least because I seem to attract bad weather, even in hot places.

And tell me about midges in Scotland? I don't ever remember getting bitten as a kid on a few holidays but perhaps I'm forgetting...

some more in a lovely area just north of Inverness.

not quite on the beach but a 3 min walk

www.holidaylettings.co.uk/rentals/inverness,-highlands/96512

slightly further north

oh and no need to worry about midges in this part of the world - west coast of scotland is generally the worst area.

Some holiday cottages at Saundersfoot (Pembrokeshire) are on the beach. for example
It's not really remote though.

avada just got your CAT - thanks - looks lovely

Any more evening offers? Gwan you know you want to help lovely Wilf and her three Wilverines...

here. It is gorgeous. White sandy beach approx 2 mins down the track from the house. Big white sandy beach about 10 mins drive. Wild scenery, boat trips to Iona, Ulva, Staffa, whale and seal watching, eagles. Ferry rides. Mull relatively accessible for the islands - a couple of hours' drive from Glasgow to Oban for the ferry.

Havent read whole thread because I am a lazy cow.

Has anyone mentioned Saunton Sands in North Devon?

They have a lot of chalet type thingies on a lovely beach.

They are basic (everywhere I have ever stayed in UK is basic regardless of the cost). Not cheap in peak season etheir.

But beach is beautiful and lots of stuff nearby. Surf beach with dunes and nice countryside etc.

Wilf - you need the fishing cottages at Mothecombe Bay, South Devon (near Yealmpton and Modbury). They are on the beach. The beach is stunning and very quiet. Its on a small estuary that completely covers over when the tide is in. The beach and cottages are part of the Flete Estate who do direct lettings iirc.

Not sure if this will help or not. My Aunt and Uncle have just bought this place and have totally done it up luxury style (so it is not as it looks in the link). They are about to start renting it out. We are going there in April. They just came back from there over christmas and said it is fab. Total luxury and just a few miinutes walk to the beach without having to cross any roads. I looked into Croyde and it is a small place (surfers paradise apparantly) with small shop, pub etc, but not much else. Ideal!

here if you don't mind crossing a road. Perfect for boys.

IlanaK - do you have any new photos of your Aunt and Uncles property in Croyde? Love Croyde and are hoping to return in September this year - just looking for somewhere now. Any inside info on availability and cost would be lovely too. Thanks

ooh, was just gonna mention Croyde

most of the holiday lets there are just a couple mins walk to wonderful beach, some right there

had the best holiday of my life there a couple of years ago < wistful >

Croyde looks wonderful, Llanbedrog looks wonderful, Flete looks wonderful and midnightexpress, I think you must be inside my head because that is exactly the kind of place I had in mind. If only it were available!

For what it is worth, the wonderful looking beach house in Llanbedrog is apparently available today for the last two weeks of the school hols . I know this because I just emailed the owner, asked him to reserve it for me, [which he did, earning him a brownie point] but DH wants to go somewhere a bit more remote...

That isn't dissing any of the other lovely recommendations of course: they all look marvellous. I shall be ahead of the game for next year, useless mother than I am . You all know to book these things in September for next summer don't you? And I am only just learning. Because we just don't go on holiday enough.

Hang on then. We looked at another place before we booked that one, which looked equally wonderful. I'll see if I can dig it up...

Here - how about this?

My fave www.beachcottagenorfolk.co.uk/1.html

We have rented houses on the front of Alnmouth village in Northumberland -we used to take our dinner plate out of the house annd sit in the dunes.They have Balamory style houses and lots of good walks. No idea who we rented from.

To me it's not remote because I'm from around there, but friends have complained you had to drive a long way to find a deli when they holidayed around there!

Newton by the sea is along a lovely beach from Dunstanborough castle, is a very small village with one lovely pub-I spent my childhood looking for newts in the dunes there.

I couldn't really understand the fuss about Cornwall and I think it's because people don't get as far as Northumberland so they don't know it's just as nice.

An ecocroft?! DH will wet his pants with excitement.