If you’ve been following us here at Host Unusual you’ll know by now we are all about embracing the spirit of individualism and adventure, and these three latest arrivals to the family, whilst all very different, are kindred followers of this mantra!
We start our journey in Scotland with an active adventure; spend your day rafting, tubing or canyoning and your night in a cosy woodland retreat. Still in Scotland, we step inside the extraordinary world of Callander Castle, an artist’s project and playground that provides both THE ultimate party venue and a holiday in history. We end in Cambridgeshire, in a unique farmland glamping escape where you can sojourn in either a VW camper van or incredible Hobbit Hole (main picture)!
Glamping and adventure: the two naturally go hand-in-hand, but nowhere more so than at ACE Hideaways, where the ACE stands, rather appropriately, for Adventure, Condition and Essence. By day you can experience high adrenaline thrills such as paint balling, canyoning, white water rafting, tubing and cliff jumping. By night you can retreat to your woodland bell tent, shepherd’s hut or even a spot of woodland camping to connect with your environment in the Scottish Findhorn glen – a delightfully remote and natural setting, yet just eight miles from the town of Forres and a short drive to the majestic Cairngorn Mountains that just yearn to be explored.
We guarantee you’ll never have seen anything like Callander Castle before! Step inside and discover a historic home that oozes grandeur from the outside and artistic glamour on the inside. Belonging to Scottish artist Stuart McAlpine Miller and wife Nikki, the twists and turns of jaw-dropping interior design are as quirky you would expect, and the castle’s rooms are adorned with lavish silks, rare limited edition prints and bold artworks – a true feast for the senses! Sleeping up to 26 guests (who can even arrive by helicopter), this is the place for a celebration par excellence; make use of the private chef, concierge service and state-of-the-art facilities (including cinema, games room and whisky bar!) for a party that will be nigh on impossible to top.
Where can you find an authentic VW Camper Van glamping experience set within a Coppice Woodland, or a Secret Garden with its very own Hobbit Hole (main picture)? Guilden Gate in Cambridgeshire of course! A delightfully colourful world of wild flower meadows, fruit orchards and vegetable fields, this is the perfect off-grid farmland retreat in which to recharge your batteries and reconnect with nature. The 1973 camper van is equipped with a full-size double bed and an extra bell tent gives more space for relaxing and sleeping, whilst the Hobbit with its twinkling fairy lights has a spacious king-sized bedroom space. You can even relax in your very own woodland spa and wood-fired hot tub. Sheer bliss.
