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 of a restored Scottish croft with stone walls thatched roof in a remote location on Skye
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Beaton’s Croft is a truly unique romantic getaway. The A-listed rural cottage is listed under the National Trust for Scotland and occupies a secluded corner of Kilmuir on the Isle of Skye. With a thatched roof and whitewashed walls, plus an open fire, the Croft exudes character and enjoys views.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Quirky Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
A steam engine glides by a Somerset holiday cottage on a summer's day.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Located near Woolston in Somerset, Railway Cottage is a picturesque destination for steam railway enthusiasts. This pet-friendly cottage on the West Somerset Railway boasts stunning countryside views, charming interiors, a cosy log burner, bright and airy rooms, oak flooring, and modern amenities. It has also earned a 4-star gold rating.

  • Accessible By Train
  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages with Car Chargers
  • Cottages with Hot Tubs
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Eco Cottages
  • Quirky Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
A clifftop lighthouse complex in Kent with well-kept lawns.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

On the North Foreland Lighthouse site above Broadstairs, this delightful cottage features entrance hall, fully fitted kitchen, sitting room, dining room, bathroom, double bedroom and single bedroom with full size bed and comfortable pull-out bed.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Quirky Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
A Cornish lighthouse complex with holiday cottages in a clifftop location.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Bishop Rock is a former Cornish lighthouse keeper’s cottage located within the Lizard Lighthouse grounds boasting panoramic ocean views from its clifftop location. The unique much modernized comfortable property near Helston provides direct access to this wonderful stretch of the Cornish coast.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Quirky Cottages
  • Waterside Cottages
Entry arch and adjoining granite-built cottage overlook a castle courtyard.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

The National Trust for Scotland offers Courtyard Cottage, a romantic apartment inside Drum Castle in Drumoak. The pet-friendly holiday cottage in Aberdeenshire dates back 700 years and boasts antique furnishings in keeping with its history, as well as an open fire, contemporary comforts and beautiful grounds.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Quirky Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
Exterior view of St Anne's Lighthouse complex on the Isle of Wight.
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
3

Fancy a lighthouse holiday? Book Gunard, a Ventnor holiday cottage, part of St Catherine's Lighthouse on the Isle of Wight. With superb sea views, this pet-friendly waterside cottage sleeps 5 in a secluded rural location right above the waves.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Quirky Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages
holiday lodge deck with a hot-tub, table and chairs
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Escape to the Somerset countryside near Cheddar at the beautiful Combe Hay eco-lodge, complete with luxury furnishings and a private Jacuzzi hot tub, perfect for a romantic getaway for two.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages with Hot Tubs
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Eco Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Quirky Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
Exterior of a holiday cottage in Cark-in-Cartmell overlooking a small patio and lawn.
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
3

Lovely 18th-century holiday home near Cartmel village in the South Lakes. Off-road location, log fire, free Wi-Fi. Short breaks from £240.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Independent Cottages
  • Quirky Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
A mock Shropshire castle on a small hillock surrounded by a stone wall and open fields.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
3

Sham Castle is a beautiful waterside cottage located near the village of Acton Burnell in Shropshire. With three bedrooms, it offers stunning views of the lake and is surrounded by lovely gardens. The cottage sits atop a rocky knoll and boasts original quarry tile floors. The drawing room features oak floors and arched windows, providing a perfect view of the serene surroundings

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Quirky Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages