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.

Doiuble-fronted exterior of a stone holiday cottage in Cumbria surrounded by mature trees.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

A thoughtful barn conversion, one of four cottages located by the River Lune in a beautifully remote location near Kirkby Lonsdale in Cumbria. The Old Stables is a countryside cottage on the western edge of Yorkshire Dales National Park, featuring exposed beams, upside-down accommodation and under-floor heating.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages
exterior of a contemporary home with a balcony surrounded by lawns and trees
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Enjoy the tranquil setting of this home in a fabulous woodland resort just a few miles from Truro. Features include a furnished patio as well as a private balcony, and on-site facilities such as a spa pool, fitness suite, bar and restaurant mean plenty to do whilst enjoying your Cornish country holiday.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Holiday Cottages With a Pool
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
Two shepperds huts at dusk, converted and linked to form a singl unit unit
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Anne’s Hut blends into the surrounding woodland. The unique former shepherd’s hut has been fashioned into a romantic holiday cottage in Penterry, Monmouthshire, which boasts extensive gardens with wonderful countryside views, luxurious décor, a wood burner, an outdoor firepit and contemporary comforts.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Quirky Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • 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 two-storey Shropshire barn conversion with arched floor-to-ceiling ground floor windows.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

One of two delightfully renovated 18th century Grade II-listed barn conversions on a 22-acre smallholding near the medieval town of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, The Wainscott is a rural holiday cottage that offers an escape from everyday life, with access to a fishing pond and hard tennis court.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Farm Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Exterior of a wisteria-clad, terraced holiday cottage in Mevagissey overlooking a cobbled street.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Elm Terrace welcomes families and pets to a gorgeous coastal cottage in the sought-after fishing village of Mevagissey, Cornwall. The seaside holiday home boasts ocean views and a sleek modern interior encased in an original stone façade. A small garden completes the attractions of this hilltop property.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • 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
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Exteerio of a beachfront chalet bungalow overlooking a sea wall.
Sleeps
12
Bedrooms
6

This lovely three-storey beachfront holiday cottage in Weymouth, Dorset, can sleep twelve people in six bedrooms.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages
A multi-turreted Scottish castle in landscaped gardens.
Sleeps
24
Bedrooms
12

Isobel’s Expeditions is an opulent fairy tale castle near Edinburgh in Scotland. The magnificent grand cottage offers groups gorgeous, expansive grounds, a banquet room, a bar, incredible artwork, luxurious detailing, a private tennis court, many entertaining spaces & photogenic scenes

  • Accessible By Train
  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Quirky Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays