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 stone-built LAke District Cottage sits in a woodland clearing surrounded by mature trees.
Sleeps
12
Bedrooms
6

Carrholme is a large Grade II listed Yorkshire Dales Holiday Cottage, brimming with rural charm and modern conveniences as well as generous gardens and views over Settle and the Yorkshire Dales. The charming cottage that once housed Prince Charles promises regal comfort for groups and welcomes pets.

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A gabled end-of terrace North Yorkshire holiday cottage overlooking a small front garden.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Situated in the sleepy North Yorkshire village of Helperby, The Old Post Office is a splendidly converted former post office turned into a welcoming countryside holiday cottage with a hot tub near Boroughbridge. It features three bedrooms, a cosy sitting room with an open fire, and an outdoor seating area.

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Sleeps
18
Bedrooms
11

Glencarron is a beautiful Victorian shooting lodge near Strathcarron, sleeping up to 18 in 11 bedrooms. This lovely large holiday home in Inverness-shire enjoys breathtaking views of the Glencarron Estate, covering over 12,000 acres of the Scottish Highlands. Pets welcome.

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A large rectory and coach house overlooks a lawn with a table laid for lunch.
Sleeps
20
Bedrooms
10

The Old Rectory and Coach House are large luxury rural properties in the North Norfolk countryside, sitting in lush, mature gardens near Dereham. The 16th-century, pet-friendly cottages possess authentic country charm, seclusion and modern comforts, a tennis court, open fires and a games room.

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Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
5

The honeypot location of Grassington lies but a pleasant stroll from the grounds of 1 Bridge End, a delightfully restored large holiday cottage in the Yorkshire Dales boasting wooden floors, five bedrooms, riverside views from the pet-friendly garden and guaranteed comfort beside the open fire.

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Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Forming part of an aesthetically pleasing terrace of cottages, Shepherds Nook is a rural holiday cottage in North Charlton. A tastefully decorated Northumberland holiday home with modern amenities, Shepherds Nook offers a cosy and convenient base to explore Northumberland’s beautiful coast and countryside.

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Sleeps
10
Bedrooms
5

Town Farm is a luxury holiday cottage in the Yorkshire Dales near Barnard Castle. This large holiday home with a hot tub spoils guests with high-quality furnishings in every room and spacious gardens that invite relaxation and socialising for families and large groups. Sleeps 10.

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A Lighthouse complex on a clifftop with panoramic ocean views.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Panoramic ocean views stretch before Verity Cottage, a sophisticated coastal cottage within Trevose Head Lighthouse. The coast of Cornwall lies on either side of the cottage, which boasts outdoor entertaining spaces, contemporary comfort, light and airy design, the chance to get away from it all with more clean, fresh, revitalising air than you could shake a windsock at.

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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.

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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.