The Most Isolated Abodes In The World

Do you crave quiet and solitude? Then you'll enjoy these off-grid houses. They are cut off from civilization, far from the madding throng, and as remote as they can go, providing the ultimate escape from frantic contemporary life. Join us on a journey off the usual path to discover ten distant mansions in the backcountry, ranging from lonely moorland cottages in the UK to a stunning desert home in Spain and solitary island estates in America, Serbia, and Iceland. Click or scroll on.

The Skiddaw House in Bassenthwaite, England

Hugh Walpole characterized Skiddaw House in the scenic Lake District as "one of the loneliest dwelling places in all the British Isles". The author was so struck with the property's beautiful, spooky remoteness that he included a horrible murder scene in his 1932 novel The Fortress. The gloomy house, located 1,500 feet above sea level and nestled among the vast, treeless Skiddaw Forest in the charmingly lonely areas known as Back o’Skidda, the lodge was built in 1829 for George O'Brien Wyndham.

The remote six-bedroom, six-bathroom home has been used as a hunting lodge, a shepherd's hut, a school field trip center, and a ramblers' bothy over the years. It was recently repurposed into a rough-and-ready youth hostel, where ramblers may sleep in communal rooms for little £28.50 ($35) per night. Skiddaw House is fully off-grid, depending on solar power and spring water to keep the frost at bay, as well as wood-burning stoves and sheep's wool insulation. In this remote bunkhouse, you won't be able to acquire a cellphone signal or access broadband internet.

The Former Railway Worker's Cottage In Ribble Head, England

Myerscough was clearly resourceful, since he powered the property with a windmill and generator, cooked and heated using Calor gas cylinders and a stove, and had water delivered to the isolated location by trailer. The cottage, which is in desperate need of refurbishment, appeared on the market last summer with Fisher Hopper with an asking price of £300,000 ($368k), but with interest low, the price was subsequently reduced by £50,000 ($61k) before being removed from the market. According to the advertising, the property has the potential to be turned into a "private holiday home; unique Airbnb style experience; bunkhouse or refreshment stop on the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge route".

Given that it is on the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge path, the buyer will have to cope with a large number of passersby - 200,000 people undertake the challenge each year - so the property is not for those who wish to be cut off from mankind. Furthermore, any designs would be subject to the necessary consents, and given the cottage's location in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, this isn't going to be a stroll in the park, if you forgive the pun.

La Casa Del Desierto In Gorafe, Spain

The super-isolated see-through house, at 215 square feet, is the ultimate in sustainable desert life. According to Juan Imaz of Guardian Glass, the composition of the home's glass walls and roof allows for excellent light transmission while blocking 75% of heat and decreasing energy loss. This eliminates the need for air conditioning and heating in a harsh, unfriendly environment where temperatures fluctuate from -10°C on winter nights to 45°C on the hottest days of the summer.

The ultra-eco-friendly residence, which is only accessible by 4x4, is powered by solar panels on the roof. Rainwater is collected, channeled to a cistern, and filtered to make it potable, while waste water is routed into a biologically active septic tank, transformed into liquid fertilizer, and returned to the land. The house is made up of three glass modules: a bedroom, a shower, and a rest area, all with attractive minimalist decor.

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The Lighthouse Cabin In Lyngstuva, Norway

This lovely off-grid little house, located only a stone's throw from the Lyngstuva lighthouse in Norway's far north, deep beyond the Arctic Circle, has been dubbed the most isolated dwelling in the Nordic nation. The little cottage was constructed in 1922, purportedly as a refuge for the lighthouse keeper, but Aussie YouTuber Sii of the North & Beyond channel, who has been on the site, claims it was initially designed to store oil.

The German restorers are claimed to have imported all of the materials for the refurbishment project from their native country, most likely at great expense. Instead of charging an excessive fee to rent the property, they made it available to passing visitors for free. In reality, you can live in the house for as long as you like without paying rent. According to one visitor, some people have stayed for extended periods of time and left "deep philosophical stories in the guestbook".