A surfer traverses a large wave.

Book Self-Catering Holiday Cottages For Active Holidays

Scroll down to find a choice of self-catering cottages suitable for those seeking an active holiday involving sporting or outdoor pursuits. Whether walking in England, climbing mountains in Scotland, riding rapids or zip wires in Wales, the holiday cottages listed here will be near an attractive choice of activities to enjoy in the great outdoors. Many activity cottages will offer on-site facilities such as fishing, swimming pools and tennis courts or will be surrounded by long, bracing walks in the country or along the miles of scenic coastal footpaths. 

Click on the preview description of any cottage to view its main page.

A large old Northamptonshire rectory looks out over flowerbeds and a spacious lawn.
Sleeps
12
Bedrooms
6

Old Rectory is a large cottage in Maidford in Northamptonshire. The pet-friendly luxury cottage is a gift for groups and families, boasting a swimming pool and games room. Spacious grounds invite entertaining, and the interior promises pleasant interior design surprises and a log fire.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages With Games Rooms
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Holiday Cottages With a Pool
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
17
Bedrooms
7

A large and pet-friendly holiday cottage in Chiddington comprises a self-contained wing of a delightful Tudor manor house with a tennis court and games room. It is located on the Kent-Sussex border. It sleeps 17 in 7 bedrooms in 6 acres of gardens in Chiddingston near Hever.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
Nestling into a bend on a remote country lane this Gwynedd rural retreat is a single-storey barn conversion.torey barn conversion nestles into a bend in a country lane
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
2

Ty Cerrig, with incredible rustic décor sleeping five, is built from an ancient barn in Llanbedr. This magnificent coast and countryside getaway near Harlech in Snowdonia offers homely modern features and easy access to breathtaking natural scenery and many outdoor activities. Pets welcome.

  • Accessible Cottages
  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
A stone built holiday cottage in Hovingham overlooks a steam running past its frontage on a summer's day.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Harwood Cottage is a truly elegant stone cottage set beside a small stream in Hovingham, Yorkshire, sleeping 6. A lawned garden hosts the conservatory, while the interior features a log fire in the sitting room and many original details lovingly restored, combined with contemporary comforts.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages
A long, 2-storey farm cottage overlooking a spacious lawn.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Set on the vast grounds of Melmerby Hall, Stag Cottage is an award-winning, self-contained, 17th-century, Grade II-listed sandstone cottage in Melmerby, Cumbria. The pet-friendly, 5-star Gold cottage promises 20 acres of grounds, a private garden, an open fire, mullion windows, and beams.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
1.slade-house,ashbourne,derbyshire-exterior
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
4

Located near Ashbourne on the edge of the Peak District National Park in Derbyshire Slade House is one of three large, charming properties at Slade House Farm offering ideal large accommodation for family holidays, reunions and short breaks set in an idyllic, rural location. Sleeps 8 in 4 bedrooms.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages with Car Chargers
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Large Cottage Discounts
  • Remote Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
A single storey Northumberland barn conversion surrounded by a large, tree-fringed lawn
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Find peace at the gorgeous Drovers Rest stone cottage on the edge of the Northumberland National Park and close to Otterburn. This cosy and remote Northumberland holiday cottage offers tranquillity and access to outdoor pursuits, National Trust homes and Hadrian’s Wall.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Small Cottages
A single-storey clapperboard barn conversion with a patio and well-kept lawn.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Broomers Barn is a beautifully appointed single-storey, wooden-clad barn located in a very pretty and peaceful setting. Full-length bi-fold doors open up from the living space onto a private decked area and lawns with uninterrupted views over the surrounding countryside.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
Front exterior of a thatched Devon longhouse on a quiet Devon lane.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

A historic, romantic holiday cottage in Stockland nestled in the heart of the Devon countryside, Kites Holt makes the perfect Blackdown Hills rural retreat, part of a 15th-century thatched Medieval Hall House with a private entrance, open fire, underfloor heating in the bathroom, and quaint mid-floor kitchen.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays

Activity holidays don't need to involve knuckle experiences. For families with young children or those preferring a 'healthy holiday' without the risk of injury, consider hiring bicycles to explore a Sustrans Cycle route or a cycle path such as the Tarka Trail in North Devon or The Bonsal Trail in Derbyshire. To ensure that a holiday cottage has precisely what you are looking for, e.g. an outdoor shower for washing the salt of wetsuits and surfboards, use the Visit Website button to go to a cottage's website for further information. Alternatively, e-mail or phone the owners directly to check that what you want to do on holiday is precisely the activity accessible at the cottage.