Anglesey Shepherds Huts

The windows of Anglesey Shepherds Huts frame views of the island’s countryside all the way to the mountains of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park. It’s a stunning vista and just one of the reasons why guests love this pair of bucolic boltholes in North Wales. Others include the fact the nearest beach is only just over a mile away, they're hosted by friendly couple Nick and Suzi, and are deliberately free of modern-day distractions. It’s a prime setting for a digital detox — there’s no TV and WiFi here — just those glorious panoramas and the quiet simplicity of life in the countryside.

These are classically-styled shepherd huts that look right at home in their rural environment. Both are clad in dark wavy tin and offer self-contained, self-catering accommodation for two that’s a lot comfier than the shepherds of yesteryear would have expected. Bed linen, towels and toiletries are all provided; there’s a kitchenette and an en-suite bathroom with a shower and flushing loo. Outside, both have a barbecue, a fire pit and seating, and yet, while the facilities are roughly the same, each has a charm all of its own.

Cae sits at the top of the field and is full of country style. It has cream-painted timber-clad walls, flowers on the curtains and a bed that folds up and down. Bryn, meanwhile, is halfway down a small hill, overlooking a wildlife pond. It’s a little more private, with a slightly longer, grassier walk necessary to reach it from the car. The king-size bed is fixed, but it’s still a flexible space thanks to a folding table. Some of the fixtures and fittings give it a marginally more contemporary look, but overall, it’s still traditional in feel: the walls are painted timber, there’s a similar stable door, and a Belfast sink that matches the one in Cae.

The site has a secure paddock for your dog to run around, and books, games and binoculars for your entertainment, but there are also maps encouraging exploration further afield. It’s less than two miles to reach three of Anglesey’s 40-plus beaches and under five to the birdwatching and boat rides of Cemlyn Bay. The recommended Catch 22 Brasserie is a similar distance, a five-minute drive down the road. In fact, anything you want to visit on Anglesey isn't more than 30 miles away. It’s about the same distance to the edge of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, whose mountains are ever present in the view from this rural retreat.