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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.

Double-fronted exterior of a stone-built holiday cottage in Buxton
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Exchange Cottage lies outside of Winster, amid the beauty of the Peak District and Derbyshire Dales. The family-friendly holiday cottage is also within easy reach of Bakewell, Matlock, Ashbourne, and Alton Towers.

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A single storey stone cottage sits behind a low stone wall.
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
4

Rowan Cottage is a superb and large rural holiday cottage near Newby Bridge, sleeping eight on the Bigland Hall Estate in the Lake District. It has fantastic rural views, a private hot tub and a large wrap-around patio courtyard garden on two levels with a lawn.

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Atwin-gabled contemporary house with a large drive and secure fenced garden.
Sleeps
10
Bedrooms
4

The Retreat near the village of Lympsham, Somerset, sits on the edge of the Mendip Hills, a peaceful countryside cottage on a rural 300-year-old property featuring an open plan kitchen and dining area with quartz worktops and integrated appliances, four cosy bedrooms, and a wood-burning stove.

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2-storey exterior of a stone-built Peak District holiday cottage in a remote rural location.
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
2

With breathtaking views of the Staffordshire Moorlands, this countryside holiday cottage in Buxton sleeps seven and features an open fire and a beautifully furnished living area. Downsdale Cottage is a cosy barn conversion on the edge of the pretty village of Flash in the Peak District National Park.

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Exterior of a large tone-built barn conversion overlooking a driveway and lawn in Ipstones
Sleeps
10
Bedrooms
4

The delightful Meadow Place is a Grade II listed stone-built property outside Ipstones in the Peak District. The beautiful views of the Derbyshire countryside dictate the upside-down design of the pet-friendly property, which boasts cathedral ceilings, exposed stone and timber and an open fire.

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A large Cumbrian with spacious sunroom with a raised, flower-filled terrace.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Elegance permeates Briarcliffe Cottage, a stone-built semi-detached Lake District holiday cottage in Lindale. Nestled in a traditional village with quaint narrow streets, the rural cottage possesses country charm, a gorgeous garden, modern comforts, a summer room and a cosy open fire. It sleeps six in three bedrooms.

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A row of terraced houses look down over a flower-filled rockery to a large lawn.
Sleeps
12
Bedrooms
4

Glan Y Gors is a stone-built cottage sleeping 6 in North Wales, 5 miles outside Llanberis. This wheelchair-accessible and pet-friendly holiday cottage is situated in an elevated rural location opposite Mount Snowdon in the scattered village of Dinorwic.

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A large slate-roofed house house backed by tall trees overlooks a large lawn.
Sleeps
18
Bedrooms
8

Nestled in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park, Plas Gwynfryn is a large, luxury North Wales holiday home on the coast near Harlech. This grand, pet-friendly Edwardian house sleeps 18 in 8 bedrooms with six bathrooms and stands on an 8-acre estate.

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Sleeps
16
Bedrooms
7

View this large Roa Island holiday cottage for rent with a hot tub, observation tower and sea views across Morecambe Bay. This Cumbrian holiday cottage near Ulverston is within easy reach of the Lake District. Roa Island House sleeps 17 in 7 bedrooms on the Barrow Peninsula.

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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.