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.

Aerial view of a contemporary farm house surrounded by open fields.
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
4

Set in its own gated grounds, Willersey Farm House is a large holiday cottage in the Cotswolds. It is a unique blend of old and new, with a traditional Cotswold house housing the bedrooms attached to an all-new, contemporary living area. Traditional beams and honey-stone walls mix with stunning contemporary design to create an exceptional Warwickshire country cottage near Broadway.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Exterior of a stone-built barn conversion with a securely fenced lawn and level access from the parking spaces.
Sleeps
10
Bedrooms
4

Set on a working farm on the northern slopes of Exmoor National Park is Yenworthy Barn, a wonderfully refurbished rural cottage in the hamlet of Countisbury, Devon. Boasting superb views of the Channel, the pet-friendly holiday cottage offers a wood-burning fire, contemporary comforts & a slice of history.

  • Accessible Cottages
  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
3

Cricket Cottage sits on the banks of the River Esk, near the historic fishing town of Whitby. This airy riverside cottage sleeps five guests in three bedrooms. Surrounded by some of North Yorkshire’s most idyllic countryside, it has a private patio and wonderful views towards a dramatic viaduct.

  • Accessible By Train
  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
16
Bedrooms
8

Capel Dinorwig is a magnificent, converted, pet-friendly Welsh Chapel in Gwynedd, creating a large, luxury, eco holiday home near Llanberis in the Snowdonia National Park. It sleeps 16 in 8 bedrooms, all with ensuite bathrooms and a sauna. The remote, rural views from the chapel are absolutely stunning.

  • Accessible Cottages
  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages With Games Rooms
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Exterior of a brick-built barn conversion surrounded by open countryside
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Little Owl’s Barn is gorgeous. The romantic Herefordshire barn conversion is nestled among apple orchards near Preston Wynne. It offers luxurious fittings, exposed beams, and wonderful views of the surrounding 100 acres of farmland and orchards. Generous grounds and seclusion complete the picture.

  • Accessible Cottages
  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Farm Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
A mature garden slopes up to a large house backed by trees.
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
4

Gaze across the coastline of Porlock Bay from Elthorne, a large Exmoor coastal cottage just moments from the centre of Porlock, a desirable little seaside town in Somerset. Play with your pets in the beautiful private gardens and relax in the 1930s cottage with a wood burner and spacious light-filled rooms.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
10
Bedrooms
5

Set on the edge of the pretty village of Crantock on the North Cornwall coast, Talland Croft is a large and charming 5-bedroom house sleeping 10. The dog-friendly house is a short walk across dunes to a Crantock or an even shorter walk into the heart of Crantock, with good pubs and local shops.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Managed by My Favourite Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Fast Car is a contemporary coastal cottage set between the ocean and the countryside of Yorkshire in Saltburn-by-the-Sea. Guests can explore the rugged coastline and return to a cottage boasting an open-plan design with natural light, wooden floors, feature stone walls, and traditional charm.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Dovedale Lodge offers comfortable accommodation for up to four guests in the quiet Peak District hamlet of Blore, Derbyshire, a charming countryside cottage on the grounds of the Old Rectory featuring French furnishings, modern well-equipped kitchen, two bedrooms, and fabulous views.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays