Melissa Corkhill

By Melissa Corkhill

06th February 2017

Why not try a digital detox for the health of your relationship?

Melissa Corkhill

By Melissa Corkhill

06th February 2017

Melissa Corkhill

By Melissa Corkhill

06th February 2017

Get away from your email and Twitter alerts, and spend time enjoying your holiday in Britain instead of Instagramming it. Here are some perfect spots to help you switch off.

Go off grid

If all you need is your connection to the internet to be severed and you can do the rest, simply stay somewhere that removes the temptation.

All of the Landmark Trust’s unique historic properties come without televisions, radios and telephones - and as a rule they’re so remote that wifi is practically unheard of. They do still have the basics though: comfy furniture in keeping with the spirit of the accommodation, modern kitchens and bathrooms, and top-quality bed linen and blankets. Plus there’s usually at least one open fire or stove, so you can swap social media for the simple pleasures of tending the fire.

The Irish Landmark Trust works on the same premise of delicious disconnection. Try one of Blackhead Cutter’s Lightkeepers’ Houses; you’ll find them on a precipitous rocky cliff with
spectacular views over Belfast Lough, 20 miles (32 km) north of Belfast in Northern Ireland.

If the thought of no roads, no electricity and no mobile signal appeals, check into Skiary Guesthouse, labelled ‘Scotland’s wildest guesthouse’, on the shores of Loch Hourn in the Scottish Highlands. To get there, walk for 35 minutes from the end of the road, or organise a lift in the owners’ motorboat. Your efforts will be rewarded with home-cooked meals, whisky and a driftwood-burning stove. And the real world will feel a long, long way away.

In the same mould, Penryhn, a traditional Welsh split-level stone cottage packed full of timeless character, has oil lamps, candles, colourful woollen Welsh blankets, bags of personality and absolutely no electricity. Heating is provided by real fires and oil-powered Rayburn cooker. Books, games, coastal walks, ponies, seals, porpoises and a piano rather than computer games and apps provide the entertainment. You’ll find it on the coast of west Wales, just over two hours by road from Cardiff.

Go on retreat

For a serious digital detox, book a package that’s designed to help you turn off, tune in and drop out.

If you know you’re going to find it hard to go cold turkey on all things digital, try Chewton Glen’s Digital Detox Retreat; if you need them to, they’ll put your techy bits and pieces under lock and key. It shouldn’t be too much of a hardship though, with Nordic walking, yoga, meditation and an adult colouring book to keep you blissfully busy in the surroundings of a five-star hotel and glorious countryside. The hotel is in Hampshire, around two hours 30 minutes by road or train from London.

Meanwhile, in Essex, the Lifehouse has a no phone and mobile devices policy in its award-winning spa - elsewhere guests are actively encouraged to leave their technological accessories in their room. The hotel offers a range of wellness retreats aiming to rejuvenate bodies and minds, and is around two hours on the train from London.

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