BY ROYAL APPOINTMENT

The Balmoral Estate, in Royal Deeside, is the Queen’s favourite retreat – and, when Liz isn’t staying, you can. The estate rents out six properties, from the humble Colt Cottages, close to the castle, with more than a whiff of Formica, to the grander Alltnaguibhsaich Lodge, which lies at the head of Glen Muick and where sporrans would blend into the background nicely. Wherever you lay your headscarf, the stunning Caledonian country, teeming with red squirrels, golden eagles and mist-covered munros, is just as nice without a title. For fans of Her Majesty, this beats a Queen Mum commemorative tea towel hands down.

Wow factor: you’re staying in the royal family’s favourite holiday home.

Details: 013397 42534, www.balmoralcastle.com; cottages sleep 5-13; from £63pp for a week.

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BACKGROUND

• A palace for the weekend

• How to stay in a castle in England

• Peak food and lodging in Derbyshire

• Ask our expert: child-friendly cottages

• Give me shelter: hotel outhouses

Related Internet Links

• Hotels, villas, camping, cottages and more in our Where to Stay section

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• Big group holiday? Get separate cottages

CHESHIRE’S BIG CHEESE

Lymm is one of the Britain’s poshest villages, and the Tower House is a suitably stylish address. After an eight-year labour-of-love renovation, this Victorian water tower now has a wraparound glass extension featuring a lounge with a dramatic suspended fireplace, Lefroy Brooks bathrooms, a sophisticated lighting system (the designer also worked on Tate Modern), a Poggenpohl kitchen and a rooftop garden with a hot tub and surround sound – all of which should leave you grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Wow factor: the building was a finalist in the 2006 Grand Designs awards.

Details: 01637 881942, www.uniquehomestays.com; sleeps 10; from £350pp for a week.

FOR ORLA KIELY WELLY-WEARERS

If you want something that deposits a bit more dirt under your french-manicured nails than a country cottage can provide, but draw the line at air beds and communal toilet blocks, Feather Down Farm Days is your glamping option. A cross between a tent and a two-up, two-down, it has equipped kitchens, proper beds and proper sinks, but a canvas roof, so you can feel eco-smug. There are 16 dotted about the UK, each based on a small working farm. Gather eggs from the henhouse, cook food grown on the farm, bake bread in a wood-fired oven. By bedtime, you’ll have earned the right to a chorus of Waltons-style “ ’night, John-Boy”s.

Wow factor: ensuite flushing loos – they may not sound special now... but wait until 3am.

Details: 01420 80804, www.featherdown.co.uk; sleeps 6; from £57pp for a week.

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