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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 modern cross-timbered gable overlooking a drive, lawn and a spacious parking area.
Sleeps
16
Bedrooms
6

Celebrate a momentous occasion at Arden Hill Farm House, a refined country house near Stratford-upon-Avon with stunning views, an elegant interior, spacious gardens and a hot tub. The rural cottage offers a traditional exterior, access to many walking and cycling paths, and tranquillity.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages with Hot Tubs
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Independent Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
1

Annie's Cottage is a Grade 2 listed, one-bedroom rural holiday cottage for couples on the Kent coast near Ramsgate and Broadstairs. It can sleep 2 - 5 guests. Charming and characterful, it has exposed brick, flint walls, and original beams. It has a 4-Star Quality in Tourism rating.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Cottages with Car Chargers
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
13
Bedrooms
5

A fun-filled self-catering holiday in the Yorkshire Dales awaits at Laurel Bank, a large, five-bedroom, pet-friendly holiday home near the rural village of Embsay. Laurel Bank Cottage sits among mature gardens. This charming and modern cottage is finished with dashes of bold colour and country style.

  • Accessible By Train
  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
A single-storey, stone-built barn conversion in Cumbria with parking spaces and lawns.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Take in all the majesty of the North Cumbria countryside with a stay at The Stable, a romantic farm cottage for couples in the rural hamlet of Milton near Brampton. Explore Hadrian’s Wall and The Lake District. Pets welcome.

  • Accessible By Train
  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages with Hot Tubs
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
Ground floor, brick exterior of a barn conversion overlooking a shrub-filled garden
Sleeps
10
Bedrooms
5

Endless activities greet visitors to Oliver’s Mill, a large converted barn amid the rolling hills of Alkington. The 18th-century rural holiday cottage in Shropshire boasts style and traditional character and offers woodland, an indoor swimming pool, a multi-sports court & a children’s play area, plus a log fire.

  • 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
  • Quirky Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
3

Old Church House is a Grade II listed 16th-century rural cottage nestled beside the churchyard at High Bray. Situated between the country and the coast in Brayford, Devon, the gorgeous pet-friendly cottage boasts multi-pane windows, oak beams, stone fireplaces, and a wood-burning stove.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
A Somerset farmhouse overlooks a large lawn lined by shrubs.
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
4

Trinity Cottage is a gorgeous detached cottage surrounded by greenery in Roadwater, Somerset. The large, pet-friendly holiday cottage boasts beautiful views over the surrounding valley and offers a log fire and spacious rooms with subtle elegance. A sophisticated escape with access to Exmoor and the coastline.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Exterior of a stone-built holiday home in Dunster surrounded by a stone wall..
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Withycombe Cottage is a charming rural holiday cottage in the Exmoor National Park near Dunster. The pet-friendly property sleeps six with an indoor pool, a swimming pool, a tennis court and children’s playground, a games room, and an interior combining tradition and style.

  • Active Holidays
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Holiday Cottages With a Pool
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
A bungalow sits behind a large lawn with flower-filled borders.
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
2

The Blue Anchor promenade lies just moments from Meadow View, a charming coastal cottage in Somerset with views across a meadow to the ocean and the West Somerset Heritage Railway. The modern family cottage offers comfort, relaxing outdoor spaces, and a prime position in this lovely seaside village.

  • Accessible Cottages
  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • 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.