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 2-storey, stone-built gwynedd holiday covvage oveerlooks a garden full of poptted plants and shrubs.
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
3

The Railway Cottage is a stone-built seaside holiday cottage in Fairbourne that sleeps five people in three bedrooms. It is located close to Barmouth and Cardigan Bay on the west coast of Wales and within easy reach of the Snowdonia National Park.

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The tower of a windmill (no sails) surrounded by a shrub-filled garden.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Once a working flour mill for over 100 years, Aylsham Windmill now offers luxurious, family-friendly self-catering holidays (with Wi-Fi) for 2-6 guests in Aylsham, a picturesque rural market town in North Norfolk midway between Norwich and the coast at Cromer.

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Exterior of a cross-timbered Herefordshire cottage with a large lawn.
Sleeps
17
Bedrooms
7

Nestling amidst Herefordshire Hills in a delightful rural location in the village of the same name, Little Cowarne Court is a large Bromyard holiday cottage, superbly created from traditional farm buildings for families or groups of friends sleeping 17 in 7 bedrooms.

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Farm buildings and barn conversions in Snowdonia.
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
2

Penrhyddion Ucha spoils families with its traditional character, gorgeous views, games room and large garden. The pet-friendly Snowdonia farmhouse on a working farm near Betws-y-Coed offers exposed beams and an open fire. The rural cottage is perfectly situated for exploration of North Wales.

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A single storey county-conwy holiday-cottage with floor-to-ceiling windows.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Visit Snowdonia from this delightful stone-built, romantic Betws-y-Coed holiday cottage for two. Royal Oak Farm Cottage promises tranquillity in a tastefully restored one-bedroom cottage. Wooden décor features strongly in this cottage, which is equipped with all of the comforts of home.

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A holiday bungalow with a flowerbeds and a lawn surrounded by open fields.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Barmoor Ridge makes any self-catering holiday in the North East of England a comfortable one – a rural cottage situated between the villages of Lowick and Ford in Northumberland, with under-floor heating in the bathroom and open fire in the sitting room, whilst affording gorgeous views of the Cheviots and the sea.

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A 'honey-stone' thatched Cotswold holiday cottage in Oxfordshire.
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
3

Suncroft is a quaint Grade II pet-friendly Cotswold cottage in Warwickshire near the village of Shotteswell. It features cosy interiors in muted tones, traditional furnishings, an inglenook fireplace & a country-style kitchen. This large 17th-century rural holiday home near Shottiswell sleeps up to eight guests.

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A wooden eco-lodge with a large deck in a pine clearing.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Tucked away along their own woodland track and with private parking, these distinctive detached lodges benefit from the facilities of the Clippesby Hall family holiday park in Norfolk. They simultaneously combine a sense of separateness and peaceful relaxation. Pets are welcome.

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A chalet bungalow in Windermere overlooks a front lawn and a large parking area.
Sleeps
11
Bedrooms
5

Amidst the beauty of the Lake District is the lovely holiday cottage Hazel, part of the Woodland Cottages resort on the eastern shores of Lake Windermere near the town of Bowness-o

n-Windermere, Cumbria, a child-friendly cottage featuring a hot tub, wood-burning stove and five bedrooms.

  • Active Holidays
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  • Large Holiday Cottages
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  • 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.