THERE’S nothing better than taking in the fresh air of the countryside.

And for those who can’t make it down to some of Dorset’s breathtaking beauty spots, the National Trust has come up with an innovative way to take the fresh air to them.

It will be shipping bottled fresh air captured from rural and coastal locations across the UK to stressed workers in London.

Whether it be from our own Brownsea Island, Kingston Lacy or Corfe Castle, or the lake-side scent of Townsend on the shores of Lake Windermere in Cumbria and the grass filled blend of Stourhead in Wiltshire, the bottled air is the ultimate solution for the office-bound.

The fun idea was sparked following the results of a survey which showed that 60 per cent of people found a breath of fresh air of any kind was enough to reduce their stress levels.

Its poll of 1,000 people found three-quarters of UK workers said they felt stressed on a daily basis, but almost as many said escaping from the city made them feel instantly relaxed.

The National Trust will be handing out thousands of the jars over the next few days and hopes to roll out the scheme across the country.

Another 100 of the recycled glass jars, which each contain 0.42g of fresh air, are available through the trusts website, nationaltrust.org.uk The trust says each glass should relieve stress for up to 10 minutes.

Spokesman Andrew McLaughlin said: “What better way to escape the stresses of city life than with a breath of National Trust fresh air?

“With most of us living in an urban environment and having little time to escape to the great outdoors we thought it was about time the National Trust share just a fraction of our copious amounts of fresh air with the nation.”

The trust is also offering free entry to properties on March 20 and 21 for those who register on its website.