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.

Exterior of a rural cottage with a courtyard garden and dining table with chairs.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Country charm defines Hamlet Cottage, a rural holiday home near Stratford-upon-Avon surrounded by rolling hills. Exposed beams and stable doors enhance the cottage's character, offering modernity, comfort and space to truly unwind with family and friends in Shakespeare Country.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Independent Cottages
  • Shakespeare Country
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

With fabulous waterside views across the beautiful River Dart and the Marina beyond, the 2-bedroom apartment at 40 Dart Marina is in a fabulous South Devon location within walking distance of central Dartmouth within a designated National Landscape.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Waterside Cottages
A small stone-built Quantock Hills barn conversion surrounded by gardens.
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Garden Cottage is a beautiful and romantic stone holiday cottage in the charming Somerset village of Wiveliscombe. It allows couples to enjoy seclusion, rustic charm, exposed beams, flagstone floors, a furnished sun-trap garden, and contemporary open-plan styling. Moreover, the cottage provides easy access to The Quantock Hills and Exmoor National Park, allowing guests to explore West Somerset's stunning coast and countryside.

Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Set on the peaceful Strawberryfield Park resort near Cheddar, The Levels is a stylish architect-designed eco-lodge with a hot tub possessing abundant light and cool tones, perfect for discerning couples seeking a relaxing break in the Somerset countryside.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Cottages with Hot Tubs
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Eco Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
A long, 2-storey farm cottage overlooking a spacious lawn.
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Set on the vast grounds of Melmerby Hall, Stag Cottage is an award-winning, self-contained, 17th-century, Grade II-listed sandstone cottage in Melmerby, Cumbria. The pet-friendly, 5-star Gold cottage promises 20 acres of grounds, a private garden, an open fire, mullion windows, and beams.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Fishing Holidays
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

Nestled in the attic of a stone-built former farmhouse, Lower Norton Apartment on the outskirts of the South Hams town of Dartmouth, Devon, is a romantic flat with an inset balcony offering magnificent countryside views and boasting exposed beams, quality furnishings, and king master with an en-suite.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
Exterior of a two-storey Devon holiday cottage with rendered walls and a slate roof overlooking a lawn.
Sleeps
7
Bedrooms
3

Overlooking a peaceful country lane with a handful of other pretty cottages and the neighbouring parish church, this beautifully updated chocolate box detached Dartmoor holiday cottage in Mary Tavy is a 4-bedroom home from home for families, friends and family pets looking for a base in the Devon countryside to explore and unwind.

  • Active Holidays
  • Agency Cottages
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
Sleeps
2
Bedrooms
1

The Granary is a charming holiday cottage for couples on a quiet Suffolk farm in Thorndon. It features oak beam ceilings throughout, a cosy wood fire, and a large bedroom with a super-king bed and an ensuite bathroom. Its beautiful decor and tranquil rural setting make it ideal for a perfect romantic break.

  • Active Holidays
  • Child-Friendly Cottages
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Dog-Friendly Holiday Cottages
  • Farm Cottages
  • Romantic Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Small Cottages
  • Walking Holidays
Hafton Castle from drone
Sleeps
42
Bedrooms
19

Hafton Castle is a beautiful historic building nestling next to the loch in Hunter's Quay, just outside Dunoon on the Cowal Peninsula.

The Castle is a large holiday home, totally self-catering and can accommodate up to 42 guests in 19 en-suite bedrooms.  The living accommodation comprises sitting rooms, a dining room, a library and a large conservatory, providing plenty of communal space for the 42 guests.

There is a large indoor swimming pool, a games room with snooker and a children's playground.

There are lovely grounds in which to walk, play and picnic and plenty of parking.

  • Active Holidays
  • Coastal Cottages
  • Cottages With Games Rooms
  • Countryside Cottages
  • Cycling Holidays
  • Large Holiday Cottages
  • Luxury Holiday Cottages
  • Short Breaks
  • Walking Holidays
  • Waterside Cottages