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.

A stone-built, 2-storey Staffordshire barn conversion overlooking a shingled parking area and a fenced-in lawn.
Sleeps
7
Bedrooms
3

Large groups can find plenty to see and do from Honeystone, a charming 3-bedroom Peak District countryside cottage sleeping seven on a former working 17th-century farm in Meerbrook, Staffordshire, with spectacular views of The Roaches and Tittesworth Reservoir.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
AW semi-detched cottage with enclosed front porch and a front garden behind a low stone wall.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

The charming countryside Beech Cottage in Scales, Cumbria, sits in the heart of the Cumbrian peninsula, providing families on holiday boundless opportunities to enjoy the coastline of the Furness Estuary or the splendid beauty of Lake District National Park from a dog-friendly welcoming home base.

  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Small Cottages
A single storey county-conwy holiday-cottage with floor-to-ceiling windows.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Visit Snowdonia from this delightful stone-built, romantic Betws-y-Coed holiday cottage for two. Royal Oak Farm Cottage promises tranquillity in a tastefully restored one-bedroom cottage. Wooden décor features strongly in this cottage, which is equipped with all of the comforts of home.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
12
Bedrooms
6

Shells Cottage is a gorgeous, thatched rural Somerset holiday cottage with a hot tub on beautiful grounds near Washford and the coast. The detached, pet-friendly cottage promises seclusion and sophistication, an open fire, exposed beams and stone walls, wooden floors, a large garden and beautiful views.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Cottages with Hot Tubs
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Remote Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
End of terrace exterior with off-road parking of a seaside holiday home in Hunstanton.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

The Northgate Loft is a thoroughly modern and spacious seaside holiday let in Hunstanton with easy access to the sandy beaches of Hunstanton and the Norfolk coast. The coastal cottage boasts ample windows with ocean views and is situated within the heart of the coastal town. Escape to the seaside and relax.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
20
Bedrooms
8

The Keepers Lodge is a large detached cottage offering rural self-catering holidays for big groups and families outside Morfa Nefyn in the picturesque Llyn Peninsula on the North Coast of Wales. The cottage sleeps 20 in 8 bedrooms and has a hot tub and WiFi.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Cottages with Hot Tubs
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Gable end of a 2-storey pennine holiday cottage overlooking a country lane
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Underbank Hall Cottage is a romantic cottage for couples in a secluded rural location with breathtaking views of the valleys and hills between The Peak District and The Pennines in Stocksbridge, but still within easy reach of the fleshpots of Sheffield. Pets welcome.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
11
Bedrooms
5

Hazel Barn is a large, luxurious farmhouse with a hot tub for cottage holidays in North Devon. The family-friendly Exmoor cottage lies on the owner’s rural property. It treats guests to an open fire, indoor and outdoor games areas and captivating views of North Molton village and beyond.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Cottages with Hot Tubs
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
A stone barn conversion with steps to a 1st floor enntrnce from a patio with table and chairs.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

A romantic cottage in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, Lottie’s Loft is a lovely studio apartment, once a blacksmith’s workshop in Grassington, North Yorkshire, that’s been carefully restored and furnished to provide superb accommodation for couples on holiday in beautiful Wharfedale. Pets welcome.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays