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.

Exterior of a Newtonmore holiday cottage in a restored railway signal box.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Enjoy a holiday in a thoroughly modern property converted from a historic signal box. The Signal Box is a rural holiday cottage for couples in Newtonmore with stunning views of the Cairngorms and all of the comforts of home. It was chosen as one of the 50 best UK holiday cottages by The Times Newspaper.

  • Accessible By Train
  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
A stone, 2-storey, Dorset barn conversion overlooks a courtyard.
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
4

Drackenorth Lodge is a large and impressive rural holiday home in Hooke. The Lodge sleeps eight and is finished to a very high standard. It offers multiple furnished outdoor spaces, a light-filled open-plan layout with exposed beams, and an upside-down design. This converted barn has beautiful village views and the Dorset countryside.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages With Games Rooms
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
A two-storey holiday cottage seen through the branches of a tree.
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
3

Heyden Cottage is a delightful rural holiday cottage near Minehead, sleeping five in a quiet location. The pet-friendly cottage lies within the Exmoor National Park near the West Somerset coast. It offers seclusion plus fantastic countryside views. Enjoy adventures by day and relax by the wood-burning stove at night.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
A brick-built Shropshire barn conversion overlooks a shrub-filled courtyard with a picket fence.
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
3

Emma’s Dairy is a cosy rural cottage surrounded by the Shropshire countryside. The pet-friendly cottage offers sophisticated accommodation with country charm in Alkington. It features an indoor swimming pool, woodland, a children’s play area, a multi-sports court, and private relaxation spaces.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages with Car Chargers
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Eco Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Holiday Cottages With a Pool
  • Independent Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Woodpecker Cottage is a masterful barn conversion which blends urban sophistication with rural charm. The romantic holiday cottage in Ludlow, surrounded by woodland and a stream, offers couples a lovely garden, luxury furnishings, exposed stone walls, serenity, and access to Herefordshire.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
A detached period housewith a pillared portico entrance is surrounded by a mature garden.
Sleeps
7
Bedrooms
4

Situated amidst the splendour of the Lake District on the outskirts of a Cumbrian lakeside village. Sandown is a child-friendly cottage in Bowness-on-Windermere, perfect for up to seven guests, a two-storey holiday home with four en-suite ground-floor bedrooms and spacious first-floor living areas.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
15
Bedrooms
7

Bearwood House and Cottage are half-timbered rural holiday cottages in Leominster. Sleeping 15 people, the pet-friendly cottages in Herefordshire boast undeniable charm, beautiful views, indoor and outdoor games, a hot tub, loggia, a sunken garden, an arboretum, log fires and a tennis court.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages With Games Rooms
  • Cottages with Hot Tubs
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Large thatched cottage overlooking a large lawn fringed with flowering shrubs.
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
4

Old Thatch is a charming Grade II-listed coastal cottage in Torcross, Devon, with panoramic ocean views and expansive grounds. The masterfully renovated thatched-roof cottage boasts landscaped furnished gardens, a sun-drenched conservatory, a log fire, exposed beams and beach access.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

8 Tawney House apartment occupies the first floor of the stone-built traditional house in Matlock. The rural apartment offers access to the village of Matlock and the wonders of the Peak District and Derbyshire Dales, plus furnished grounds and light and airy modern rooms with mullioned windows.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • 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.