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Eco-staycations conjure up images of damp, uncomfortable accommodation, lacking in installations. However, today you can get some wonderfully eco-friendly properties, complete with all the mod-cons, and sometimes quite a a couple of luxuries thrown in for good measure! Here is our pick of eco-pads in the UK.

Straw Bale Cottage, England
The fantastic two-bedroom straw bale cottage is nestled behind a majestic oak tree at a farm in Yorkshire. Completed in late summer 2009, the cottage has an environmentally-friendly yet contemporary feel.

It is the UK’s first holiday home made from straw bales. Using a combination of natural paints, vintage and integrated fabrics, restored and handmade solid wood furniture the cottage is a sustainable holiday at its best!

What better means to unwind? Plainly relax in the normal surroundings or explore the quiet lanes and paths on foot or with the bicycles which are given.

Price: From £130 per night; £375 per week

Hebhide, Scotland
Enjoy a luxury self-catering break on South Uist in this really stylish and sophisticated ‘earth shelter’, built into the hillside on the shore of a beautiful fresh water loch; the perfect location for you and your partner to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday living.

This fully equipped ‘subterranean’ self-catering cottage enjoys the most extraordinary views from its lounge windows: a stream running through the garden, the loch itself, and an island of trees that houses otters, swans and a host of other birds.

The style of the property is a modern version of a Stone Age building. The house is an extremely singular build which combines very conventional features – ledge and brace doors that are a feature of the house, as well as the convenience of a high spec modern detached house.

Price: From £600 per week

The Dome Garden, England
The Dome Garden is a singular collection of geodesic domes – situated in the middle of the ancient forest of Dean – nourishing luxurious accommodation for sets of up to six group. Nestled within a peaceful garden, with a magnificent backdrop of towering trees, The Dome Garden is a haven of peace and tranquillity.

The domes are insulated, and excess heat is stored in boxes of recycled glass under the floor by a solar fan. Water for the bathrooms are heated via a boiler in the back of the wood hot stove (the logs for that are harvested on the same piece of land). The paths are made of recycled glass, and all rainwater is harvested.

What is more, the Forest of Dean is a hub of activity: cycling, hiking, canoeing and llama trekking, to first name but a few.

Price: From £375 (4 nights); £620 (7 nights) per week

Eco Barns, Wales
These 5 conventional stone barns in Pembrokeshire are situated in a peaceful rural setting, just a mile from the shores of Newgale beach and with the majestic Preseli Mountains to the north.

Everyone Of barn sleeps four to seven people; master for a get-together. The barns have been developed to harness the bounty of renewable energy that is generated through solar and geo-thermal activity. Your stay will have a minimal environmental impact. All barns are furnished with antique furniture, fittings and traditional log hot stoves for those cosy nights in by the fire. All barns have geo-thermal under floor heating devising them invariably warm and a pleasure to walk on. Walk-in wet room showers and bathrooms are fed by fast high tech solar panels and ample hot water tanks.

Price: From £400 (sleeps 4); £700 (sleeps 7)

Buckshead Eco-Cottage, England
This traditional stone eco-cottage is situated within its own grounds on an integrated hill farm in the Clun Valley, in gorgeous South Shropshire. With two bedrooms, the cottage has been carefully renovated to accommodate modern eco-friendly design principles as fine as ensuring the long-term sustainable use of the building.

There is a wind turbine that provides all electricity, solar hot water panels and a Clearview wood hot stove that uses wood from the farm. The sourcing of local and recycled materials and products as fine as the use of local craftsmen has been incorporated.

Buckshead Eco-Cottage is the ideal place to get back from the hustle and bustle of life and explore the stunning surrounding landscape.

Price: From £240 per week