An octagonal, stone-built toll house shaded by trees.

Book Self-Catering Holidays in Quirky Holiday Cottages

Fancy a self-catering holiday in a quirky and unusual holiday property? Who wouldn’t say no to a holiday with friends in a luxury lighthouse or a beautifully restored Napoleonic Fort?

Search here to find an architecturally unique holiday cottage for a more than usually memorable holiday with family or friends. The UK has a splendid choice of distinctive and unusual character cottages appealing to those looking for something slightly different from a traditional house. 

While quirky cottages are not the ‘everyday’ holiday property, they still offer the same standards, facilities, and amenities you would expect to find in any decent holiday property worth its salt. Types of out-of-the-ordinary holiday lets include (but are not limited to):

  • Lighthouses
  • Windmills
  • Restored railway stations and carriages
  • Castles and Forts.
  • Shepherds Huts
  • Narrow Boats
  • Tree-houses
  • Signal boxes
  •  Follies 

View this collection of distinctive holiday properties to find one with that ‘must-stay’ funky factor for a long holiday or just a weekend break.

Exterior and courtyard of a stone-built, Exmoor barn conversion
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

A stunning farming estate with a swimming pool in the heart of North Devon, The Old Stables is a rural holiday cottage located in a scenic valley between Bishop's Nympton and South Molton on the edge of Exmoor National Park with easy access to Devon's coastline and other attractions.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages with Car Chargers
  • Cottages With Games Rooms
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Eco Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Holiday Cottages With a Pool
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Exterior of a 2-storey, Cotswold 'honey stone' cottage with mullioned windows.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Escape to the picturesque village of Broad Campden in Gloucestershire and experience the charm of Ingleside Cottage. This beautiful mid-terrace Cotswold stone cottage is the perfect holiday retreat, offering a unique blend of traditional and modern features. With exposed beams, flagstone floors, leaded windows, and a cosy log fire, the cottage exudes warmth and comfort. Its antique furnishings and modern amenities make for a comfortable stay, while the ample space for pets to play ensures they can join in on the fun. Book Ingleside Cottage now and experience the magic of the Cotswolds.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
A large farmhouse stands at the end of a wide drive with lawns to one side.
Sleeps
22
Bedrooms
10

Lowe Farmhouse is a large Holiday Cottage near Hereford located on a 230-acre farm in the Herefordshire countryside. It sleeps 22 in 10 bedrooms with ample communal areas, two well-equipped kitchens, a large dining room, and a games room. It's stunningly rural but not isolated - it's just a ten-minute walk to the local village and pub.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages With Games Rooms
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Independent Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
Exterior of a 2-storey, wooden A-Frame eco lodge surrounded by oprn countryside
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Comraich, which means sanctuary and protection in Gaelic, is a cozy and fully equipped wooden holiday home that can accommodate up to six people. It offers all the necessary amenities for a family to enjoy a self-catering stay. It is located on a remote rural hillside behind the village of Kilchoan and boasts stunning sea views over to the Isle of Mull. Pets are welcome to join the guests.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Independent Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Open-plan living areas in a holiday apartment with French doors to a balcony.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

2 Rockham is part of the Byron Apartments complex in the heart of Woolacombe. It's a new child-friendly luxury apartment home on the second floor boasting an en-suite master, a well-equipped kitchen, and access to a range of amenities such as a games room and indoor pool.

  • Accessible Cottages
  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Cottages With Games Rooms
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Holiday Cottages With a Pool
  • Independent Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
A double-fronted Hope Cove holiday cottage overlooks a large lawn.
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
4

Explore this spacious South Devon retreat at 4 Coastguards Cottage, a large holiday home in Hope Cove. Nestled in the village of Inner Hope, this family-friendly holiday let has four bedrooms, a welcoming sitting room, and outdoor spaces. Just 1/3 mile from Hope Cove, it offers easy access to two nearby beaches, making it an ideal base for seaside adventures. Discover the charm of this converted coastguard cottage, ensuring a memorable and comfortable stay for the whole family.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Exterior of a stone built holiday home ner Bodmin with a slate roof and a wider dormer and two velus windows overlooking a lawned and picket fence.
Sleeps
7
Bedrooms
3

Watermill exudes authenticity. The pet-friendly cottage near Bodmin in the quiet little village of  St Breward boasts a stone façade, an interior with exposed beams, timber décor, flagstone floors, modern luxury, and a wood burner. Sitting on the edge of Bodmin Moor, the cottage offers the best of the Cornish countryside and coast.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Exterior of a white-rendered holiday bungalow with a large forecourt for parking
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
4

Perched atop West Pentire headland, Cormorant enjoys uninterrupted ocean views and a short walk to the beach. The pet-friendly Crantock holiday cottage in Cornwall boasts beautiful gardens, a sun-trap conservatory, an open fire, and an open-plan design with contemporary elegance and a sea breeze.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
 L-shaped, 2-storey holiday home in Minehead with a large garden
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
4

Lily House is situated on a quiet road close to the centre of the seaside town of Minehead, Somerset, and nestled into the wooded slopes of North Hill. This large Exmoor holiday cottage offers a welcoming and homey feel, a child-friendly house with two sitting rooms, a woodburner stove, and four first-floor bedrooms.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages