So you have brought the latest bargains from the hiking stores and are looking for somewhere different to try, why not try out one of these places to stay in the UK, and place a walk around them.

The house in the Clouds in Suffolk: Back in the 1920s this water tower in the village of Thorpness was seen as a bit of a blott on the landscape. Then an idea hit a certain Stuart Ogilivie, the owner, he clad it in wood and made it look like a cottage that is stuck over 40 feet in the air. You are certainly guaranteed clear views, but not to be recommended if you don’t like stairs.

The Old Ferry House, Mull: This occupies a stunning location right on the edge of the sea on the very end of the Grasspoint peninsula, but what makes this unusual I hear you say? Well it was formerly a brothel for the cattle drovers. Enough said!

The Lightkeeper’s Cottage: Loop Head Peninsula, Co Clare Ireland: Perched on the edge of remote sheer cliffs overlooking the Atlantic, this is a location to remember, but if you are looking for 5 star luxury, this isn’t for you. It has been restored to its original condition, with basic amenities but no TV or phone and the nearest shop is over three miles away.

Cley Windmill, Norfolk: A well-known landmark on the north Norfolk coast near Blakeney, this 18th-century windmill has been sensitively converted into a unique self-catering guesthouse. Expect antique furniture, oak-beamed ceilings, a roaring open fire and glorious views across the salt marshes and the sea from the upstairs bedrooms. The nearby Blakeney Point is a good area for a spot of seal-watching.

Yurt Botelet, Cornwall: A slice of Mongolia on the Cornish coast. The Tamblyn family, owners of the Botelet farm since the mid-1800s, now run the place as a very fine B&B, complete with two traditional yurts. The farmhouse, and a delicious organic breakfast is a two-minute stroll away. Book the higher yurt for breathtaking views to Gribben Head and Dodman Point.

The Chantry Cottage, Portmeirion: An overnight stopover at Portmeirion is the only way to escape the 3,000 or so day-trippers and fully appreciate the mad genius of Sir Clough William Ellis's creation, a pastel-hued Italianate confection of neoclassical colonnades, Siamese statues and pottery shops. The hotel has been restored to its 1930s heyday, but we recommend staying at the self-catering Chantry Cottage, where you'll have an appropriately weird view of the village through the fish-eye lens window in the studio.

Hell Bay, Scilly Isles: It takes dedication to get to the Hell Bay Hotel on the tiny island of Bryher - you'll need to catch a helicopter, then a boat, and finally the hotel's Land Rover - but the place is no backwater, with 23 elegant suites in a style described as "New England and the Caribbean meets Cornwall". It's a place to see vast skies, potter around deserted beaches and occasionally shelter from a fearsome Atlantic gale (it didn't get that name for nothing).

Well I hope this has given you some ideas fro the coming months, and if you still require any gear don’t forget to check out your favourite hiking stores for our latest bargains.