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.

Exterior of a cross-timbered cottage overlooking a large shingle parking area.
Sleeps
10
Bedrooms
5

Bearwood House is a delightful half-timbered rural holiday cottage in Pembridge. The pet-friendly cottage in Herefordshire sits on ample grounds that invite relaxation. The cottage boasts character, an open fire, access to a tennis court, a games room, a hot tub, garden games, and peaceful seclusion.

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Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Family-friendly Pippenwell Cottage at Farditch Farm is a luxury Peak District holiday cottage amidst beautiful rural surroundings in Derbyshire. This dog-friendly cottage sleeps 6 in 3 bedrooms (1 en-suite) in a high-quality barn conversion.

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A remote 2-storey barn conversion in a moorland location.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Meadows Edge once saw life as a reading room, and the detached cottage still offers couples a tranquil, romantic getaway in Holwick. Skilfully converted and boasting modern comforts, the pet-friendly, old stone barn features an upside-down design to capture the views of the Yorkshire Dales best.

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A single storey holiday bungalow with a patio and large lawn.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

As part of a holding of chalets, Glen Dessary is a compact and cheerful Fort William holiday home in Argyll. For a truly remote rural getaway with your partner or family, this coastal holiday lodge offers all you need in a homely base for exploring the Highlands and the Western Isles.

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A stone-builkt cottage overlooks a garden with mature trees and shrubs.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Enjoy self-catering holidays in the Lake District comfort and style with a stay at 2 Beacon High, a coastal cottage nestled in a quiet locale in the traditional south Lakeland village of Lindale, Cumbria, featuring a spacious sitting room, well-equipped kitchen and beautiful enclosed garden.

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A footpath flanked by privet hedges leads to a stone-built holiday cottage with a covered porch.
Sleeps
3
Bedrooms
2

Greenwich Cottage is a stylish, home-from-home character cottage in the West Dorset village of Chideock on the Jurassic Coast. It sleeps up to 3 and is perfect for a romantic or small family getaway within walking distance to 3 excellent pubs and the beach at Seatown.

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Front exterior of a modern house with stone steps to the 1st floor overlooking a lawn
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Wootton Gray enjoys enviable ocean views from many vantage points and sits just moments from the beaches and attractions in West Cornwall. The sophisticated Mousehole holiday home offers light and airy spaces, a furnished lawned garden, contemporary design features and a wood-burning stove.

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Sleeps
16
Bedrooms
7

Winster Hall is a Peak District beauty: A former 17th-Century coaching inn, the large Grade II listed, pet-friendly holiday home now welcomes guests on a self-catering basis, sleeping 16 in 7 bedrooms in the rural conservation village of Winster in the Derbyshire Dales.

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A large Exmoor farmhouse with cottage windows and covered porch sits behind a walled front garden.
Sleeps
19
Bedrooms
9

The Farmhouse is perfect for a group celebration. The large, pet-friendly Exmoor holiday cottage with a hot tub near Dulverton promises luxury and rural charm. Its generous grounds include a lake, tennis court, and outdoor entertaining areas. Indoors, a sauna, log fire, farmhouse kitchen, and rustic features await.

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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.