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.

Sleeps
59
Bedrooms
16

This is a Welsh beauty! A large 16-bedroom pet-friendly holiday cottage in Penmaenmawr with off-road parking sleeping up to 59 guests on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park. Located on the North Wales coast near Conwy, Mountain View is just a 10-minute walk from the beach.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
A limestone-built Dorset holiday cottage with a porch and tiny front garden.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Explore Dovecot Cottage, a quality holiday home in the sleepy coastal village of Portesham in Dorset. This charming retreat boasts an open-plan living space, a delightful garden room, and a secure patio garden, ideal for relaxation and pets. Discover hidden gems like Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens and Chesil Beach on the stunning Jurassic Coastline. With allocated parking, proximity to Weymouth and Dorchester, and local amenities, it's the perfect choice for cottage holidays in Dorset. Immerse yourself in tranquillity—view our full description for an unforgettable Dorset holiday!

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
A modern 2-storey house with a glass-fronted balcony and a lawn dotted with small trees
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
3

Situated near the heart of the lovely village of Dulverton, Merrijig is a modern, detached Dulverton holiday rental with a wood-burning stove; and a sun-drenched balcony. The family-friendly property promises a stress-free holiday close to many of Exmoor and Somerset's visitor attractions and offers a generous garden and contemporary creature comforts.

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

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
7
Bedrooms
4

Gull’s Rest is an idyllic coastal holiday cottage in Beer set on the hillsides surrounding the quaint fishing village in East Devon. It boasts gorgeous views of the harbour and Lyme Bay from the living area’s floor-to-ceiling windows and four bedrooms spread over two stories.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
A Stone-built cottage surrounded by a low stone wall with open fields beyond.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Escape to the splendour of the Pembrokeshire Coast with a stay at Clicketts Heath. This spacious and welcoming countryside cottage is located between the Welsh towns of Tenby and Saundersfoot. The cottage is pet-friendly and features a well-equipped kitchen, a sitting room with Freeview TV, and three first-floor bedrooms.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
A stem engines rushes through Somerset countryside past two old carriages converted to holiday homes
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Experience a unique holiday in the Somerset countryside by staying in your very own railway carriage beside the vintage West Somerset Railway tracks near Williton. The Railway Carriage is an authentic replica fitted out to provide you with style and luxury. This pet-friendly holiday cottage has a 4-star rating and features an eco-friendly design, a log burner, and modern amenities.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages with Car Chargers
  • Cottages with Hot Tubs
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Eco Cottages
  • Quirky Cottages
  • Romantic 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 Cottage Discounts
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Quirky Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Exterior of a row of modern 3-storey holiday apartments in Falmouth.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Moonraker is a luxury 5-star waterside holiday apartment in Falmouth with waterfront views just half a mile from the centre of the town. It sleeps four guests in two bedrooms with two bathrooms, parking, and shared use of the private slipway.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Independent Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Small Cottages
  • Waterside Cottages