Water cascades down wide steps at Aysgarth Falls in North Yorkshire Aysgarth Falls in North Yorkshire

Find My Favourite Holiday Cottages in North Yorkshire

What county needs more to attract visitors to its self-catering holiday accommodation than the 1600 square miles of the Yorkshire Dales or the North Yorkshire Moors National Parks? Both offer a healthy choice of pretty North Yorkshire holiday cottages. You will find endless opportunities for the best exercise (cycling, walking and horse-riding) up and down valleys, crags, peaks and moorlands. If you want to leave the car alone, travel across North Yorkshire by Dalesbus. Indulge in a luxurious tea in Betty’s Tea Rooms in Harrogate and then work off the calories by renting a rowing boat on the River Nidd.

Spend a day exploring historic Richmond Castle in Swaledale or walk under the 29m high Hardraw Force in Wensleydale, England’s largest single-drop waterfall, without getting wet, or enjoy the views from the top of Roseberry Topping. North Yorkshire also offers plenty of self-catering accommodation in the many seaside towns and villages along its picturesque and rugged coastline. From the Victorian spa resorts of Scarborough, Filey and Bridlington to Whitby’s gothic fishing port and scenic villages such as Staithes, Robin Hood’s Bay and Flamborough.

An indoor heated swimming pool at a Pickering holiday cottage
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
3

Swift Cottage is a charming 3-bedroom ground floor cottage sleeping 5 with the use of an outdoor heated pool. The cottage has an easy-access wet room with rails and a mobility chair, so accessible for guests with disabilities. Swift is in the North York Moors National Park. Pets welcome.

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Exterior of a heritage railway station building in North Yorkshire.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

The Ticket Office is a unique, quirky romantic cottage in the heart of Ruswarp in the North York Moors. The Grade II listed former ticket office features a cast iron fireplace and mullion windows encased in stone walls. The pet-friendly property is ideal for couples seeking something different.

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A single storey stone built cottage with a raised terrace overlooking a garden.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

The delightful village of Lastingham houses this 18th-century stone-built cottage for couples with an authentic exterior and high-quality interior. The romantic cottage features delightful decor plus a patio area within easy reach of The North York Moors National Park or the coast at Whitby.

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Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Modern, 1st-floor, 2-bedroom, pet-friendly coastal apartment sleeping 4 in Filey's Bay Holiday Village. Facilities include a swimming pool, sauna, tennis courts, fishing and bike hire. Green Gables lies within easy reach of the beach and the beautiful Yorkshire Wolds countryside.

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Exterior of a barn conversion overlooking a garden courtyard
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
4

Pasture View Cottage is a large eco-friendly, single-storey country cottage on the edge of Pickering for holidays exploring the North York Moors and the North Yorkshire coast. Features include a large private garden and a very well-equipped kitchen. Children will love the play area and play shed.

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Exterior of The Old Power House converted to a large, 2-storey holiday cottage with two rows of five double windows.
Sleeps
17
Bedrooms
6

This large and pet-friendly North Yorkshire coastal holiday cottage near Saltburn-by-the-Sea stands just 800m from the beach and comes with a hot tub, sauna and BBQ. It has been created through a stylish upmarket conversion of a former Victorian powerhouse. The Powerhouse sleeps 17 in 6 bedrooms.

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L=shaped rural holiday bungalow surrounded by a large hedge and parking spaces.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Applewood is a pretty one-bedroom cottage situated in the village of Harome near Helmsley within walking distance of the Michelin-starred Star Inn and nestled between the North Yorkshire Moors National Park and the Howardian Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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A stone-built North Yorkshire holiday cottage surrounded by woods and fields.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Based on a quiet, traditional hill farm in Farndale near Kirkby-Moorside, The Arches is a stone-built barn conversion offering luxury self-catering holidays in the North York Moors. Meticulously restored to modern living standards, the semi-detached cottage is ideal for families of all ages. Pets welcome.

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Exterior of a stone built holiday cottage in Whitby with a flagstoned front garden containing outdoor dining facilities.
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
4

Steak & Egton is a sophisticated terrace in the delightful Egton village in North Yorkshire. The pet-friendly cottage offers stone walls, a pretty flowering courtyard, an elegant and spacious interior with clawfoot baths, contemporary styling, a secret snug, tiled floors, and a log fire.

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  • Walking Holidays

From the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors to the seaside resorts scattered along its North Sea Coast, North Yorkshire can offer visitors a memorable holiday when staying in one of its many fine holiday cottages in North Yorkshire. The Dales' past industrial history is revealed in the 18th the many restored 19th-century textile mills and watermills. Find them among the little Dales towns, Grassington, Kettlewell and Reeth, tasting famous local cheeses and ales along the way. Artists and potters are still creating their own local styles, and the many Farmers' Markets provide you with fresh local produce. In the summer, too, make sure you are there when the country folk congregate together to compete in displays in their local agricultural shows right across the area.

Only such a place as the City of York, with its overwhelmingly impressive 800-year-old cathedral, and its cobbled medieval streets with many pavement cafes, could draw you away from the natural beauty of the Dales. With a wealth of trendy independent shops, galleries and a regular programme of festivals and events, it would be easy to holiday for an entire week in this historic city.

That being said, North Yorkshire also offers visitors more than 100 miles of shoreline, where you will find fossils on the Dunsdown Coast, seaside fun and surfing at Scarborough, fish in the sea for your supper at Filey, or partake of the best fish and chips ever at Whitby. The latter is where you will also capture the ambience of the 18th and 19th centuries of Captain Cook, Count Dracula and Queen Victoria's favourite jet jewellery. Take the North Yorkshire Moors Railway to Goatherd Station, a film location in the Harry Potter films in the heart of the beautiful Yorkshire Moors. If the usual outdoor activities of walking and cycling lose their appeal, try your hand at Husky Trekking at the Pesky Husky Trekking Centre in Staintondale. Alternatively, pay a visit to Hairy Bob's Cave beneath Scarborough Castle, allegedly the most popular man-made cave in the UK.

After Scarborough Castle, add Pickering Castle to your North Yorkshire bucket list. Located on the edge of the North York Moors, it's also the location for the North Yorkshire Moors Steam Railway that runs from Pickering to Whitby through the heart of TV's Heartbeat Country.

The picturesque riverside town of Knaresborough offers much for the visitor, including Mother Shipton's Cave, a tourist attraction since 1630, the former home of an old prophetess and soothsayer. Then head back into the town and sample the fare in one of its many fine tea rooms. For those with a seriously sweet tooth, follow in the footsteps of many a visiting celebrity and pay a visit to Nidderdale will take you to The Oldest Sweet Shop in England!

What more do you need to keep the whole family happy for days on end in this beautiful county? Whether booking a North Yorkshire holiday home for a week or a weekend break, you'll find it easy to fill your day's sightseeing, bathing, exploring the great outdoors, enjoying historic towns and cities, or spending days on the beach.