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HIDE & CHIC

Enjoy an award winning chill out at the luxurious Sykes Cottages in Berwickshire

The wooden lodge-style, one-bedroom hideaway is right on the border of Scotland and England, with Duns in Berwickshire the closest village

WHEN it comes to holidays, I like to be lazy.

But I also like the option to get out and explore if the mood takes me.

 The lodge is secluded
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The lodge is secludedCredit: T Bloxham Inside Story

The award-winning Kidcleugh Hide, from Sykes Cottages, is the perfect place for indulging in both these things.

The wooden lodge-style, one-bedroom hideaway is right on the border of Scotland and England, with Duns in Berwickshire the closest village.

The Hide itself is stunning. Downstairs there’s a compact kitchen and luxury bathroom, while upstairs is an open-plan bedroom and living area complete with panoramic windows and a wood-burning stove.

 The interior is stylish
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The interior is stylishCredit: T Bloxham Inside Story

We arrived in the dark and nodded off to the sounds of owls hooting so it was wonderful to wake the next day to breathtaking scenery all around.

After a lazy breakfast we ventured out, driving less than an hour into England to the causeway that takes you to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne.

This is a tidal isle, cut off for hours at a time by the North Sea. But a quick check online tells visitors when it’s safe to cross. Driving over, you’re immediately struck by the beauty of the area, part of which is a nature reserve.

The rugged surroundings are ideal for an amateur twitcher like me to spot a variety of birds.

 Take in the views on the patio
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Take in the views on the patioCredit: T Bloxham Inside Story

It’s a great tip to take along some binoculars for a closer look at the wildlife — we spotted curlews, eider ducks and oyster catchers, as well as a family of seals flopping around on the shore.

The island’s priory ruins are worth a look, as is the castle. It’s a fair hike to get there, but the views are lovely and the castle itself — a National Trust property — has recently undergone a major renovation. After a bracing walk along the coast, filling our lungs with fresh country air, we headed back to the Hide for steak and tatties, and to curl up in front of the fire.


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It was so nice to have so much space and comfort to stretch out and relax — and relax we did!

The next day, after a long lie and another late brekkie in the beautiful lodge, we headed for St Abbs, around a half-hour drive away on the Scottish coast.

 Lynn enjoyed the trip to Lindisfarne
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Lynn enjoyed the trip to Lindisfarne

Cliffs are dream spot for bird-watchers

Signs easily direct you to the National Trust for Scotland car park, where you can ditch the motor and start off on a brilliant cliff walk.

This was another bird-watcher’s dream with a huge colony of nesting guillemots to ogle and cormorants drying their wings on the rocks.

The walk is steep in places, but worth the effort.

And once you’re puffed out from the hike, it’s a short five-minute walk to the harbour where fresh seafood and homemade cakes await at Ebbcarr’s Cafe. We decided to venture out for dinner on one of our evenings at the Hide, and drove the quick ten minutes into Duns to the recommended Black Bull Hotel.

The bar and dining room look like a typical Scottish inn, but the food is anything but ordinary.

We had a fantastic meal with crispy local whitebait to share as a starter, then steak for my hubby Ryan and chicken and haggis for me — it really is traditional fare done to perfection.

GO: KIDCLEUGH HIDE

STAYING THERE: Seven nights at Kidcleugh Hide start from £459.

Sykes Holiday Cottages have more than 13,500 holiday homes across the UK and Ireland — from cosy cottages for two to larger properties.


For more information or to book, please visit sykescottages. co.uk

Back in our PJs and in front of the fire once again, our last night consisted of hot chocolate and a jigsaw puzzle — not terribly rock and roll, but as relaxing as you can imagine.

It was so homely we just couldn’t birng ourselves to leave.

Who needs a pub when you have Kidcleugh Hide?

After three nights at our little home-away-from-home, we packed up and headed off feeling we’d had a holiday that was the best of both worlds — super chilled and packed with adventure.

It’s so easy to see why the Hide picks up awards — it’s certainly won ours for top holiday of 2019.

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