CHECK OUT THESE AUTUMN ESCAPES CLOSE TO HOME, SAYS LAUREN TAYLOR

THE weather has officially turned but beach visits can be replaced with inland boltholes and cosy cabin stays in rural nature spots.

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Embrace autumn with rural peace and solitude, watch the misty mornings from a private deck, take wild walks through crunchy leaves and wind away evenings in a hot tub.

NORTH EAST SCOTLAND

North Lodge and River Cabin, Aberdeenshire

Escape to the wilds of Scotland during the colder months and stay at the private estate of Glen Dye.

The Lodge - built in the 1890s for the caretakers of the main house - sleeps six and sits on the banks of the River Dye. Rustle up meals in the large kitchen with ingredients grown on the estate or relax in the cosy sitting room with a wood burner.

Guests also have exclusive access to the River Cabin, from which you can wild swim, cook on the wood-burning stove or cosy up with cake and coffee. Aside from the collection of holiday cottages, there’s also a Discovery and Adventure centre and thousands of acres of forests, moorland and mountains to explore.