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.

A tree-lined drive way curves toward a large rendered holiday home in Perthshire.
Sleeps
16
Bedrooms
8

The Duke of Atholl built this large Perthshire holiday cottage as a shooting lodge and offers beautiful rural views from its hillside location near Dunkeld. Riechip now offers pet-friendly self-catering accommodation in 8 bedrooms for up to 16 guests. Perfect for walking or golfing holidays.

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A wisteria-clad, stone-built Exmoor farm cottage surrounded by countryside.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Creenagh’s Cottage is a charming stone-built cottage on Knighton Farm in Withypool, Somerset. The pet-friendly romantic cottage for two boasts beams, vaulted ceilings, a wood-burning stove, and a delightful furnished courtyard that catches the sun and views the rolling green hills.

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Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

In the heart of the North York Moors National Park, come to stay at Lanes Barn, a countryside cottage in the remote village of Glaisdale, new Whitby, North Yorkshire, that comfortably sleeps four and provides the perfect home base to explore all that the region has to offer.

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A 2-torey rural holiday cottage overlooks a garden pond
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

This beautiful, well-equipped, dog-friendly Lake District Holiday Cottage near Cunsey has views over Lake Windermere from its location on the 5000-acre Greythwaite country estate. Guests have access to a heated indoor swimming pool, gym, fishing, and a kids' play area. Hilltop sleeps 4 in 2 bedrooms.

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A single storey, stone-built Cotswold holiday bungalow in Oxfordshire overlooks a large lawn.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Orchid is a delightful romantic cottage on a working farm in Faringdon, Oxfordshire. The stone-built, pet-friendly holiday home in the Cotswolds combines rural tradition with an urban style and offers lovely views and fresh air, exposed beams, open-plan spaces, sleek design, a log fire outdoor spaces & a chance to unwind.

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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.