UK coolcations: best places to escape the heat

Why everyone is searching for a coolcation right now

The "coolcation" trend has been steadily increasing in popularity over the past few years, driven by rising temperatures and uncomfortable heatwaves which leave Brits seeking respite in destinations with cooler climates. The word, which merges "cool" and "vacation", officially entered the Collins English Dictionary at the end of 2025, defined as "a holiday in a place with a cool climate".

In summer 2026, the coolcation trend is hotter than ever, with searches for "coolcations" up 420% over the past three months according to data from cottages.com. Searches for "escape the heat" have risen 300% in the same period, as holidaymakers look beyond traditional summer hotspots in favour of milder climates. Cottages.com data reveals Scotland as a top UK coolcation destination: the most-viewed location across our entire UK portfolio.

Our CEO Matthew Price comments: "Rising temperatures are creating a whole new category of holidays. More people are seeking out “coolcations” as they look for an escape from the summer heat. Coastal holidays have kept their appeal, we're increasingly seeing holidaymakers look further afield to destinations known for their cooler climate, like Scotland, Yorkshire and the North of England.”

Why the UK is the perfect coolcation destination

Brits have long been flocking to both Mediterranean hotspots and classic British resorts in summer in search of sunshine, but with regular heatwaves and temperatures climbing to record highs at home and abroad, the search for somewhere genuinely cool to unwind has never been more real. And, if you're wanting to get out and about or stay active during your holiday, it becomes even more important to be able to escape the heat. Coolcations - holidays chosen specifically for their cooler climate - are on the rise even within the UK itself, as holidaymakers seek out Scotland's dramatic glens, Northumberland's breezy coastline and the Lake District's high fells in place of sweltering city breaks or overcrowded southern beaches.

The case for staying in the UK for your summer holiday goes beyond the weather, though, as staycations often bring added flexibility, affordability and convenience compared to an overseas holiday. No baggage restrictions, airport queues, delayed flights, hotel transfers. And choosing a self-catering cottage can make things even easier. Simply pack up the car with everything you need and make your way there at your own pace. Bring the dog, stock the fridge and make yourself at home as soon as you arrive. For families especially, a UK staycation can save a huge amount of time, money and stress.

So, the question is - which UK destinations offer the best coolcations? Read on to find out more, or skip straight to booking your coolcation cottage.

The best UK destinations to escape the heat

Scotland: the UK's #1 coolcation destination

As the most-viewed destination on cottages.com in summer 2026, Scotland has emerged as our top coolcation destination, with its dramatic glens, alluring lochs and wild coastline offering plenty of places to escape the heat.

According to Met Office data, Scotland has remained closer to seasonal norms in 2026, running 0.9°C above average, which is significantly lower than England's 2.4°C above average. So while the rest of the UK has had a record-breaking hot summer, Scotland has stayed relatively close to its usual temperatures. North Scotland's mean temperature in June 2026 was 12.4°C, 1.3°C above average: warm for Scotland but still considerably cooler than southern England's record-breaking figures.

Here are some of Scotland's coolest corners:

Scottish Highlands

Perhaps the UK's most dramatic coolcation destination, the Highlands are vast, sparsely populated and reliably cool. Met Office data shows long-term average temperatures in Aviemore at around 17-19°C in summer. The altitude here helps, with the highest point being Ben Nevis at 1,343 metres - although no one is expecting you to climb it just to escape the heat! As a rule of thumb, temperature drops roughly 1°C for every 100 metres gained. So even at moderate Highland elevations of 400-600 metres - the kind of height you'd be walking at on a typical glen hike rather than climbing a Munro - you'd expect temperatures around 4-6°C cooler than at sea level. That can certainly help you feel the benefits on a hot day.

Browse Highlands cottages for your coolcation.

Scottish Islands

For the ultimate coolcation, look to Scotland's islands. Swept by Atlantic breezes and surrounded by cold northern seas, they sit several degrees cooler than mainland Britain throughout the summer. The Isle of Skye is perhaps the best-known of Scotland's islands, with its jagged mountain ridges, sea lochs, white sand beaches and waterfalls attracting visitors from around the world. According to Met Office climate averages, July maximum temperatures on Skye sit around 17°C, noticeably cooler than the record-breaking temperatures seen in southern England this year. Other popular Scottish Islands for a coolcation include Orkney, which has some of the lowest summer temperatures of any inhabited place in the UK, and the Outer Hebrides, famed for vast white sand beaches like Luskentyre which rival the Caribbean.

Discover Scottish Island coolcations with our Isle of Skye cottages, Orkney cottages or Outer Hebrides cottages.

Dumfries and Galloway

One of Scotland's quieter regions, known for its forest walks, dramatic coastline and some of the best dark sky viewing in the UK. The coolcation appeal here is less about temperature and more about space and shade. On a hot day, the ancient woodland of the Galloway Forest Park offers shade beneath the trees and cool air, and the sense of space here is hard to match anywhere in Britain. And if you do want to head to the coast, the Atlantic Gulf Stream along the Solway Firth helps to keep the coastal areas milder, with frequent cloud cover and cooling sea breezes.

Book a cottage in Dumfries and Galloway for your coolcation.

Scottish Borders

Often overlooked in favour of other parts of Scotland, the Borders is perhaps the most underrated coolcation destination in this guide. Characterised by shady valleys along the River Tweed and the River Teviot; rolling green hills like the Cheviots; and historic abbey ruins at Melrose, Jedburgh and Kelso, the Scottish Borders offers exactly the kind of unhurried, restorative escape the coolcation holiday trend is all about. This is a region of vast green space and very few people, and easier to reach from England than most of Scotland.

Escape the heat with one of these cottages in the Scottish Borders.

Northumberland

Devon and Cornwall will always draw summer crowds, but the rise of coolcations is putting coastal destinations in the North of England firmly in the spotlight, as temperatures are often several degrees cooler compared to the South of England. Northumberland is a prime destination for a coolcation that doesn't skimp on scenery. The North Sea keeps the coast surprisingly cool, and the miles of uncrowded beaches offer the perfect respite in the heat. Top attractions here include Bamburgh Castle, which rises directly from the dunes of Bamburgh Beach, and Northumberland National Park, a designated International Dark Sky Park known for its exceptional stargazing opportunities and incredible walking trails. According to Met Office climate averages for inland Northumberland, July maximum temperatures average around 19°C, and on the coast itself, the cold North Sea brings that down further still.

Explore Northumberland cottages for your coolcation.

Yorkshire

Yorkshire has a strong claim as England's most varied coolcation county, from the pretty fishing villages that line the coast to the deep wooded valleys that carve through the Yorkshire Dales, and of course the expansive heather moorland of the North York Moors.

Along the Yorkshire coast, the North Sea keeps temperatures down, with Met Office climate averages for Scarborough showing a high of around 19°C in summer. Whitby, with its clifftop abbey ruins and tangle of old streets above the harbour, is perhaps the most characterful town on the English coast, while Robin Hood's Bay and Staithes offer the kind of unspoiled fishing village atmosphere that's increasingly rare in England.

Inland, the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales reward coolcation seekers in a different way. The high moorland plateau stays windswept even in peak summer, while the deep wooded dales like Eskdale, Wensleydale and Swaledale offer shade and cold-running rivers. At the highest points of the Dales, temperatures drop sharply: Met Office climate data for Malham Tarn, the highest marl lake in the UK, records a yearly average of just 10.8°C - one of the lowest of any inhabited site in England, with summer temperatures peaking at 17.4°C.

Find your coolcation cottage in Yorkshire.

Lake District

As one of England's most celebrated walking destinations, the Lake District is well known for its distinctive landscape of rising fells, deep valleys and wide open lakes, which help cement the national park's coolcation credentials. The key is altitude, with the highest fells running 6-8°C cooler than the towns and villages in the valleys below, and the lakes themselves having a cooling effect on the surrounding air. Getting out on the water by hiring a paddleboard or jumping aboard a classic Windermere boat cruise is a sure-fire way to cool down in any weather. A coolcation in the Lake District is certainly no consolation prize: these are some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country. The region is also one of the wettest in England, which, for a coolcation, is arguably a plus. It's why the landscapes stay so lush and green, and why the waterfalls and rivers run so dramatically even in summer. Average summer temperatures in Keswick, the top-booked destination in the Lake District on cottages.com, peak at 19.8°C, compared to 21.2°C across England.

Discover Lake District cottages.

Wales

Wales is one of the UK's most mountainous countries, and that is exactly its coolcation superpower. While temperatures vary across different parts of Wales, the North and West Coast - along with Waterfall Country in the Brecon Beacons - are consistently cooler than the South.

Here are our top picks for a Welsh coolcation:

Snowdonia

Snowdonia is famed for its high peaks, with Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) rising to 1,085 metres and dozens of other peaks above 600 metres. The result is a landscape that stays cool even when other parts of the country are sweltering. Met Office climate averages for Capel Curig, in the heart of Snowdonia, show an average July maximum of just 18.2°C, more than 1°C cooler than the Wales average and nearly 3°C below the England average. The constant Atlantic winds and high rainfall keep the landscape a vivid, saturated green throughout the summer, with waterfalls running off the mountains and cold clear rivers threading through the valleys.

Plan your coolcation to a holiday cottage in Snowdonia.

Brecon Beacons

The Brecon Beacons - officially Bannau Brycheiniog - offer a different kind of Welsh coolcation. The moorland plateau of the central Beacons sits at 500-800 metres, with vast open skies, hidden waterfalls and the cool, peaty air of high upland. The so-called Waterfall Country around Ystradfellte, where a series of dramatic falls cut through ancient sandstone gorges, is one of Wales's best-kept secrets - and on a warm day, the cool air rising off the water is exactly the kind of coolcation experience you don't happen upon every day.

Discover our cottages in the Brecon Beacons for your next coolcation.

Pembrokeshire Coast

The Pembrokeshire Coast offers something different again: less about altitude and more about the raw, Atlantic energy of one of Britain's most dramatic shorelines. Sea stacks, sandy coves, clifftop walking and constant sea breezes make this one of the coolest corners of southwest Wales in summer, and the Pembrokeshire Coast Path - one of the finest coastal walks in Europe - means there's no shortage of ways to make the most of it.

Find coolcation cottages on the Pembrokeshire Coast.

How to choose your UK coolcation

So, now you know what a coolcation is and the best UK destinations to go to enjoy one, how do you actually decide where to go? If the recent heatwaves have taught us anything, it's that, even in the UK, the hot weather is becoming increasingly unpredictable. Destinations that have previously delivered below-average temperatures are still seeing record-breaking highs, which means there's no guarantee. So, if you're serious about escaping the heat, here are our top things to look for when deciding where to go.

Altitude is the single most reliable coolcation factor. Temperature drops by roughly 1°C for every 100 metres of elevation, so the fells and mountains of the Scottish Highlands, Snowdonia and the Lake District will always feel cooler than the valleys and lowlands below. If you're booking somewhere in a hilly area, check the elevation of the village or town rather than just the region.

A north-facing or exposed coast tends to run significantly cooler than sheltered beaches in the south. The North Sea coast along Northumberland and Yorkshire is kept cool by cold offshore waters, while Atlantic-facing coastlines like Pembrokeshire and the Scottish islands benefit from constant sea breezes. Coastal temperatures on these stretches regularly run several degrees below what you'd find on England's south coast on the same day.

Proximity to water matters inland too. River valleys, lake shores and woodland streams all have a measurable cooling effect on the surrounding air, and the sound of running water has a restorative quality that's hard to replicate anywhere else. The Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the Scottish Borders all deliver this in abundance.

Tree cover and shade are underrated coolcation factors, particularly for families. Ancient woodland like Galloway Forest Park or the river valleys of the Borders stay naturally cool even on the hottest days, and dappled shade on a long walk is a quick win when it comes to escaping the heat.

As for where to base yourself, a self-catering cottage is the ideal option for a coolcation. You get the space and freedom to explore and relax at your own pace, perhaps with a pool to cool down in, a garden to sit out in or even a direct route to the sea! Taking things slow is our final tip for enjoying a coolcation, and a UK cottage break can certainly help you do just that.

Browse our full range of coolcation cottages to find your perfect escape from the heat.