An octagonal, stone-built toll house shaded by trees.

Book Self-Catering Holidays in Quirky Holiday Cottages

Fancy a self-catering holiday in a quirky and unusual holiday property? Who wouldn’t say no to a holiday with friends in a luxury lighthouse or a beautifully restored Napoleonic Fort?

Search here to find an architecturally unique holiday cottage for a more than usually memorable holiday with family or friends. The UK has a splendid choice of distinctive and unusual character cottages appealing to those looking for something slightly different from a traditional house. 

While quirky cottages are not the ‘everyday’ holiday property, they still offer the same standards, facilities, and amenities you would expect to find in any decent holiday property worth its salt. Types of out-of-the-ordinary holiday lets include (but are not limited to):

  • Lighthouses
  • Windmills
  • Restored railway stations and carriages
  • Castles and Forts.
  • Shepherds Huts
  • Narrow Boats
  • Tree-houses
  • Signal boxes
  •  Follies 

View this collection of distinctive holiday properties to find one with that ‘must-stay’ funky factor for a long holiday or just a weekend break.

Exterior of a single storey holiday cottage overlooking a courtyard.
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
2

 

Explore Diana’s Cottage, a charming holiday home in Braunton. This rural cottage offers high-quality accommodation for up to 5 guests and lies within easy reach of the beach at Saunton Sands. With rustic charm and modern comforts, it features a spacious living room, a well-equipped kitchen, and a secluded garden. Pets are welcome, and key amenities are included. Experience the laid-back tranquillity of North Devon – book now for an unforgettable seaside holiday.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
Comfortable cotton sofas in an open-plan living area
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Part of the brand-new Byron Apartments complex on the ground floor of a block of apartment homes, 2 Putsborough in the heart of Woolacombe, Devon, offers a luxurious coastal holiday for up to four guests, a pet-friendly apartment with an en-suite master double and access to indoor pool and gym.

  • Accessible Cottages
  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Holiday Cottages With a Pool
  • Independent Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
A slate-roofed barn conversion overlooks a farmyard.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Whisk yourself away to a Scottish working farm in Annan and settle into The Loft. This dog-friendly two-bedroom countryside cottage in Dumfries and Galloway comfortably houses your family on self-catering holidays in the countryside.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages with Hot Tubs
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
A terrace of thatched cottages overlook a road and beachfront at low tide.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Captain’s Cottage in Minehead, Somerset, offers beachfront charm with sea views. This thatched seaside cottage sleeps four in two bedrooms. Period features include an inglenook fireplace, a modern kitchen, and a rear terrace for sea gazing. The dog-friendly cottage has no garden. It is close to the harbour and the South West Coastal Path. Limited mobility is cautioned. It is an Ideal Exmoor coast retreat.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

For a quirky getaway to the popular North York Moors, The Old Blacksmith’s Workshop offers a truly unique experience. Sitting on the edge of the historic fishing port of Whitby, this single-storey property has been tastefully converted into a charming two-bedroom coastal cottage.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
A stone-built house with loft conversion overlooks a low-walled front courtyard.
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
4

The Dog House is a large and impressive coastal holiday home in Porlock. The pet-friendly cottage on the Exmoor coast sleeps eight and boasts a stone exterior, a sunny furnished courtyard, a spacious interior with natural light, an open-plan design and a wood burner.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
A stone-built holiday barn conversion overlook a lengthy lawn
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

The Apple Store is a charming Herefordshire holiday cottage in Whitchurch boasting exposed beams, stone walls and features windows. The pet-friendly cottage in Herefordshire's beautiful countryside offers couples a romantic retreat in a one-bedroom cottage close to the Forest of Dean. It features multiple outdoor relaxation areas and contemporary comforts.

  • Accessible Cottages
  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Set in the heart of Beverley is 21 Wellington Road, a sophisticated cottage offering a memorable holiday in the Vale of York & Yorkshire Wolds. The pet-friendly cottage sleeps 4 & boasts a neutral palette with contemporary chic, an open-plan design and a log fire, plus a furnished, securely fenced courtyard.

  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
A converted Victorian folly stuled like a temple is surrounded by open parkland.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Temple of Diana is an architectural wonder set on 1000 acres of Capability Brown Parkland at Weston Park. The rural cottage near Weston-under-Lizard boasts ornate ceilings, a circular lounge, a games room, a three-bay glazed orangery and stunning views of the Shropshire countryside.

  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages