Cambridge House - Cottage Number One

Island stays are exciting enough as it is, but this isn’t any old island. Oh no: it’s mystical, castle-crowned Holy Island, or Lindisfarne, the tiny place from which Celtic Christianity spread like fire across Europe. And you can stay right on it.

Twice a day, this two-square-mile speck is cut off from mainland Northumberland as sea water floods its sandy causeway. Yet that only adds to the magic of Holy Island, which has just 180 permanent residents.

A ground-floor property accessed via two steps, Cottage Number One is part of a row of stone buildings amid Lindisfarne village. Inside, all is stylishly contemporary, beginning with an open-plan living and dining space. To one side, the kitchen includes bold, dark navy cabinetry; opposite, a sitting room area sees a light grey chaise longue sofa top a stripey blue rug beside garden doors.

The smart interiors continue in the adjacent bedroom. Cushions and lampshades feature matching, attractive patterns in different shades as floral window blinds and small coastal watercolours establish a calm atmosphere. That’s also true of a white-tiled en-suite bathroom, arranged around its capacious walk-in shower cubicle.

Enclosed by six-foot-high wooden fences, that private back garden allows for al-fresco dining, reading and relaxing away from the gaze of curious passers-by. Additionally, there’s room to securely store two bicycles by the gravelled front drive.

Bikes might come in handy, with so much to see. One of Holy Island’s undoubted headline attractions is its ruined 11th-century priory, built after Vikings attacked an original building where the likes of Saint Cuthbert were based. Then there’s the renovated castle, hosting 1900s-style society rooms and visible from miles away thanks to its raised position.

Also here is the award-winning Gertrude Jekyll Garden and a pretty harbour around which characteristic upside-down herring boats form sheds. You might also sip some Lindisfarne Mead, concocted from a secret recipe, plus walk across to Hobthrush, a smaller tidal isle supposedly frequented by Cuthbert and popular with seals.

While the priory and castle can swarm with tourists, other parts of Holy Island tend to lie empty. That includes some starkly beautiful white-sand beaches to explore on foot or by horseback, and two obelisk-style lighthouses. Back in Lindisfarne village there are one or two enticing cafes, pubs and shops.

Shadowed by a pilgrim’s footpath, the causeway road is safe to cross long enough to easily enable drives to Bamburgh Castle or Coast Path pub walks on days out – do keep an eye on the changing tides though to ensure you have ample time to return!

Additional Accommodation

Cambridge House Cottage Number One (sleeps 2) can be let in conjunction with Cambridge House (sleeps 8) and Cambridge House Cottage Number Two (sleeps 4).