A surfer traverses a large wave. Find holiday cottages for active holidays in the open air.

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.

Doiuble-fronted exterior of a stone holiday cottage in Cumbria surrounded by mature trees.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

A thoughtful barn conversion, one of four cottages located by the River Lune in a beautifully remote location near Kirkby Lonsdale in Cumbria. The Old Stables is a countryside cottage on the western edge of Yorkshire Dales National Park, featuring exposed beams, upside-down accommodation and under-floor heating.

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Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Enjoy everything that the rural North East has to offer with a stay at The Granary, a magnificent red brick barn conversion on the edge of the village of Long Framlington, Northumberland, a countryside cottage complete with tiled and wood flooring, two en-suite bedrooms and private garden.

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Terraced village cottages overlook a continuous front lawn.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Gaze upon fields blanketed in snow or greet the sun in the south-facing garden at Lavender Cottage, a romantic holiday cottage for couples in the Yorkshire Dales village of Askrigg. Enjoy the 1-bedroom, pet-friendly holiday cottage with its antique furnishing, cosy open fire and rural views.

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Contemporary wood and glass bungalow with floor to ceiling French windows
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
3

Cowslip is a sophisticated coastal cottage in Bamburghvsurrounded by green hills and open space on the Northumberland coast. The pet-friendly holiday let benefits from urban style and boasts expansive views of the surrounding countryside and Bamburgh Castle from its generous deck and ample windows.

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Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Nestled in the attic of a stone-built former farmhouse, Lower Norton Apartment on the outskirts of the South Hams town of Dartmouth, Devon, is a romantic flat with an inset balcony offering magnificent countryside views and boasting exposed beams, quality furnishings, and king master with an en-suite.

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Brick-built Victorian vicarage surrounded by a tree-lined garden.
Sleeps
12
Bedrooms
6

Enjoy getting away with family and friends with a stay at The Old Vicarage, a large countryside holiday cottage in Peterhurch. This six-bedroom Herefordshire property has been fully refurbished to combine classic Victorian features with modern amenities such as a private hot tub and wooden sauna.

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Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

The Dairy in the village of Leighton provides couples looking for a romantic cottage for a quiet countryside holiday in Shropshire. Guests receive a welcoming gift upon arrival and feel at home on this working cattle farm.

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Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

A quiet, charming rural holiday getaway in Llwyngwril on the Gwynedd coast in Snowdonia, Brynteg Cottage is only minutes from the sea. This bright, welcoming, spacious holiday cottage in North Wales sleeps six guests. An excellent base for exploring a gorgeous coastal area.

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Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
2

9 Porth Meor Villas offers seaside self-catering accommodation in an award-winning Newquay Holiday Apartment overlooking Porth Beach and the outdoor heated swimming pool. No.9 sleeps 6 guests in 2 (double and twin) bedrooms (both en suite) 3 minutes walk from the beach. Available all year round.

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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 direct to check that what you want to do on holiday is precisely the activity accessible at the cottage.