Hobby and craft holidays UK: 10 creative escapes for 2021

Escaping on a craft holiday in the UK is the perfect way to enjoy a new (or old) hobby while spending time in a beautiful place. If the pandemic got your creative juices flowing at home, you'll want to keep practicing your new skills.

From becoming a master baker, to quilting or learning a musical instrument, there’s a whole host of new hobbies we’ve developed in the past year thanks to the lockdowns.

And with staycations in the UK now underway again, we spoke to our friends at online booking platform, eviivo, to find out some of the best craft holidays in the UK.

These wonderful trips around Britain allow you to indulge in your favourite pastimes while soaking up a beauty spot. Whether pampering a new pup in Devon, satisfying sourdough ‘kneads’ in East Yorkshire or stargazing in Scotland, there are a wide variety of experiences to accommodate your interests.

Check out some of the best craft holidays in the UK for 2021.

Looking to take your knitting skills to the next level? Head for Scotland with Prima, where you can indulge in your favourite hobby while exploring the breathtaking Shetlands. Over six days, you'll learn how Shetland wool is farmed, delve into the history of the Fair Isle technique and enjoy four half-day knitting workshops with experts Hazel Tindall and Kathleen Anderson.

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These high-quality glamping pods near York offer great cycle-friendly facilities for roadies who enjoy life on two wheels. Only 1.5 miles from the Way of the Roses cycle route, York Holiday & Cycle Stop offers a great night’s sleep in the landscaped grounds, where you can take advantage of secure cycle storage and a bike wash area.

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For those bitten by the bread-making bug over the past year, Highfield Farm is a great choice, where you can ‘prove’ your skills at the Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School. Situated in the charming market town of Driffield in East Yorkshire, this B&B offers a peaceful stay in a luxury property, as well as sourdough and cookery courses for all tastes.

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Situated just five miles from the RSPB’s Minsmere and Dingle Marshes coastal nature reserves, Trustans Barn is a superb barn conversion in Darsham surrounded by meadows. It's a treat for wildlife watchers and birders, and you can book a stay in The Swallow or The Nest rooms.

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Called The Music House in English, those that enjoy the art of music will like the sound of this holiday experience. Guests at Teach an Cheoil can enjoy music courses playing traditional Irish music with the banjo, mandolin, flute, whistle and accordion at the bilingual B&B set in the scenic Glens of Antrim, close to Ballycastle.

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Located in the heart of the North Norfolk countryside, embroidery enthusiasts will be impressed by the Old Bakery B&B. This property boasts a quilt studio where visitors can sew to their heart’s content. Winners of eviivo’s ‘Bed, Breakfast and Beyond’ award in 2019, the B&B also offers a self-catering holiday cottage.

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In a quiet corner of Cornwall, this boutique B&B in Kingsand offers the perfect escape and is just 20 metres from the scenic beach. It has its own private art gallery where guests are given exclusive access and are encouraged to choose their favourite Cornish artwork to hang in their room and inspire their own seascape masterpiece during their stay.

Located in the Scottish Borders on the edge of an International Dark Sky Park, Black Burn Lodge is a modern design boutique B&B offers guests use of their very own 200 mm telescope. Night owls can feast their eyes on up to 2,000 stars at a time and look up at the Milky Way, Andromeda Galaxy, meteor showers and Saturn’s rings.

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Run by the local community, this restored pub, reopened after nine years of closure, extends a warm welcome to staycationers exploring Shropshire’s glorious countryside. A community hub where both locals and visitors meet to socialise, The Pheasant is a thriving classic country inn offering three stylish and comfortable rooms.

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Passionate about your dog? Awarded ‘Dog-friendly Business of the Year’ in the 2018 VisitEngland Awards, South Devon's Bulleigh Barton Manor welcomes dogs and their owners for a relaxing staycation in a country style B&B. Dogs are treated to the ultimate ‘A la Bark breakfast’ in the morning, and there are four acres of grounds for furry friends to ‘ex-paw’.

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