Mountain views and mounting tension underscore the fifth episode of the final series of Succession, set in Norway. The entire dysfunctional clan of Roys and courtiers descend on what appears at first sight to be a kind of Center Parcs for billionaires – but is, in fact, the Juvet Landscape Hotel, on the Atlantic coast between Bergen and Trondheim.
Shiv quips, “Which way to Chairman Matsson’s re-education camp?” before the inevitable sauna, axe-throwing, archery and cringey disco kick in. Outside the transparent sweat bath, Karl jokes that the men in (birthday) suits are “hanging in the window like peking duck”.
The minimalist Juvet will be familiar from the 2014 sci-fi movie Ex Machina and is clearly inspired by Mies van der Rohe’s famous Edith Farnsworth House near Chicago. Kendall is not impressed, calling his brother to complain about how small his room is. Though after the ride to the restaurant at the top of Nesaksla via the Romsdalen cable car, Swedish billionaire Matsson defends it all by saying: “People kind of think it’s cool.” Though, as usual with Succession, none of the bored super rich characters seems even remotely excited by the luscious locations they always reach by gas-guzzling private jet.
Juvet’s picture windows are all about communing with nature, which is all the rage now, from a British version in Sussex to a beach hut in Devon for £450 a night and 1 Hotels bringing plants and green walls into the rooms – its first British outpost opens in London this summer. But unless you’ve got a media mogul’s offshore bank account, you’d be better off in one of these more affordable options, where you can immerse yourself in nature with surroundscape views of the British countryside.
The Treehouses at Leckie, near Stirling
Louisa and Simon Dickson have won plaudits for their treehouses at Lanrick, and opened this sister outpost last monthat Leckie near Stirling. With easy access from Edinburgh and Glasgow, it’s simple to get here but you can also escape the rat race in one of the four hideaways perched atop oak and sycamore trees. Outdoor copper baths, wood-burning stoves and underfloor heating offer indulgence – though crags and waterfalls are within easy striking distance. Other nearby attractions include Stirling Castle and the Falkirk Wheel – that marvel of canal engineering that Scots-born Logan Roy might have cracked a smile over. You’re not far from the V&A Dundee, which featured in an earlier series of Succession.
From £240 a night, two-night minimum stay, leckietreehouses.co.uk
Sperrinview Glamping, County Tyrone
Stargazers will love the chance to experience dark skies above Northern Ireland at Sperrinview Glamping. Each of the pods arrayed around the site comes with a kitchenette and a shower room, plus a viewing window that allows guests to feel at one with the dramatic landscape. Each is painted a different colour. After you’ve been up all night with the telescope and the Milky Way, you might spend the day exploring Beaghmore Stone Circles and cycling in Davagh Forest or walking the Sperrin area of outstanding natural beauty.
From £105 a night, sperrinviewglamping.com
Carnish Cabins, Isle of Lewis
In his BBC TV film about the Isle of Lewis, Jonathan Meades picked out the cracked, otherworldly quality of the place that surprises visitors who expect something more classically bucolic. “It prompts wonder,” he says of the “Isle of Rust”. Wild, rugged, pockmarked marshes and glacial moraine are its calling cards, but you can also explore its wide beaches with a few nights at Carnish Cabins, right by the sands and the sea. The back of the Ebb or Flow cabins look like oversized Coke cans left on the beach, but their curved roof design keeps heat in, rain out and makes sure the sea-facing windows can be as big as the view out to the Atlantic requires. The walrus tusk Lewis Chessmen were discovered on the beach here, where you can spy merlins and buzzards. Whisky fans will enjoy the nearby Abhainn Dearg distillery.
From £650 a week, carnishcabins.co.uk
Corry Bothy, Wester Ross
Corry Bothy is a little more luxurious than your regular mountain bothy. This new-build cottage has wooden walls, but also floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the views and make you feel at one with the wild landscape. In this case it’s the countryside outside Torridon on Scotland’s wild west coast, a 90-minute drive from Inverness. Down in the sea loch of Loch Torridon you might be lucky enough to spot seals, dolphins or even whales. The minimalist interiors, accented in yellow, grey and green, suggest a Scandi influence at work which is not a million miles away from Norwegian interior design.
From £600 a week, boutique-retreats.co.uk
Shank Wood Log Cabin, Longtown, Cumbria
An oversized alfresco hot tub is the pièce de résistance of Shank Wood Log Cabin, which is nestled in woodland to the north of Carlisle in an area much less explored than the Lake District and near to the Scottish border, Gretna and Hadrian’s Wall. The cabin is made from whole tree trunks stacked on top of each other, features a patio terrace with dining table; inside there is wooden furniture, a bed and a fridge. Outside there’s a bathroom pod with hot shower, sink and toilet. The isolated spot is near to the River Lyne and ideal for anglers in search of salmon or trout. Walkers can spot roe deer, otters and kingfishers on the riverbanks.
From £170 a night, fishinghideaway.co.uk
Living-room, Machynlleth, Powys
Situated in a dramatic forested valley just east of the village of Cemmaes in Powys, Living-room’s collection of six tree houses is the perfect base for a wild weekend of hill walking, red kite spotting and star gazing. The bucket-list item for many is to bag the summit of Mynydd y Cemmaes, which gives spectacular views across mid-Wales. There’s an outdoor heated hot tub to make this “back to nature” weekend a little more luxurious. Living-room, which was featured on George Clarke’s Channel 4 show Amazing Spaces, isone you don’t need a car for as you can cycle (or take a short taxi ride) from the train station in Machynlleth, which has direct services to Birmingham New Street.
From £379 for two nights for two (two-night minimum stay), living-room.co