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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.

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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Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

The Granary is an eco-friendly Grade II listed romantic Cotswold cottage for two amidst woodland near Witney in Oxfordshire. The pet-friendly rural retreat built with Cotswold stone promises peace and quiet. It has a cosy wood burner, exposed beams and limestone walls, extensive grounds, a fire pit and a treehouse.

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Sleeps
18
Bedrooms
9

6 Abbey Terrace is a large Whitby holiday cottage that sleeps 18 in 9 bedrooms on the North Yorkshire coast. The house contains lots of period features which have been stylishly restored to provide a warm and comfortable Whitby holiday home set over 5 floors just 2 mins walk to the beach.

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Sleeps
3
Bedrooms
1

Prince Cottage is a pet-friendly coastal cottage sleeping 3 in the seaside fishing village of Skinningrove, North Yorkshire, offering comfortable, contemporary accommodation for small groups on holiday looking to enjoy beach-combing, walking the nearby moors and discovering the area’s rich history.

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Exterior of a large L-shaped stone farm house overlooking a large courtyard parking area.
Sleeps
12
Bedrooms
5

One of two wonderfully refurbished farm cottages near the rural village of Clawddnewydd in Clwyd, Maestyddyn Farm House (Maes for short) makes an ideal holiday base for large families and groups in North Wales. This large pet-friendly cottage features a shared games room, hot tub, sauna, and five stylish bedrooms each with TVs and en-suite.

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Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Barn Croft Cottage is a paradise for walkers and couples seeking seclusion and relaxation. The stone-built cottage in a picturesque village near Winster lies in an elevated position, affording beautiful rural views over the Peak District. It is genuinely a well-presented cottage for couples and pets.

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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.