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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.

Facade of a rambling country house overlooking an open field.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Set in the private grounds of Combermere Abbey, Callander Cottage is a light and airy property with tasteful, contemporary furnishings and a fresh, calming colour palette. With its own small private garden, it's perfectly located next to the beautiful walled garden at the Abbey.

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A lighthouse and buildings now converted to holiday cottages gleams in the summer sun in Broadstairs.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Lodesman Cottage enjoys sweeping ocean views from its position within the North Foreland Lighthouse above the beaches of Broadstairs. The unique coastal holiday cottage in Kent sleeps 4 and offers sophisticated light and airy accommodation plus spacious grounds for relaxing in the sun and the light sea breeze.

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A thatched cottage overlooks a large village green.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Field Cottage and Garden Room are two picturesque rural cottages near Elmley Castle in Worcestershire that can be let as one. Sleeping 4 people in total, both cottages enjoy beautiful gardens and wonderful rural views. Field Cottage boasts a thatched roof and unending charm, while the rustic Garden Room is equally quaint.

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A sprawling country house with a tower overlooks a garden full of flowering crocuses.
Sleeps
10
Bedrooms
5

The Abercorn Wing of Belle Isle Castle affords a luxurious holiday experience in the Northern Ireland hinterlands, a rural pet-friendly property on a 470-acre estate spread near Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, with magnificent original features and many modern touches.

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Exterior of a small Gloucestershire cottage and adjoining stable in a garden.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Elinor Fettiplace is a rustic romantic cottage on the grounds of Elizabethan Pauntley Court. Sitting near Pauntley in Gloucestershire, it dates back to the 1300s and boasts beamed ceilings, wooden floors, and authentic rural charm. A tennis court and lakes are found on the extensive grounds.

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Large cottage with balcony and floor-to-ceiling French windows in Padstow.
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
4

Spectacular views of Treyarnon Bay greet guests at Trewalder, a stunning coastal cottage on the Cornish coast. The pet-friendly cottage sits above the beautiful beach and the gorgeous gardens catch the sea breeze, while the interior boasts ample windows, contemporary elegance and a wood burner.

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Exterior of a thatched holiday cottage in Dorset with a flower-filled garden.
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
3

One of a group of Grade II-listed holiday homes tastefully restored in the peaceful hamlet of Coombe Keynes, Dorset, Odd Nod Cottage is a picturesque thatched coastal cottage amidst an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with three first-floor bedrooms and a large lawned garden.

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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.

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A half-timbered and thatched Tudor Cotswold cottage and garden.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Corner Thatch is a stunning chocolate box holiday cottage in Abbots Morton from the 17th century. The former post office is a Grade II listed property boasting a thatched roof and black and white half-timbered charm, traditional features, delightful gardens and access to Worcestershire.

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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.