It’s the ultimate British seaside holiday win: a stay that’s on the beach. Not a cottage that’s a short drive away, or from where you can glimpse the sea out of an upstairs window, or somewhere described as “close” or “near”. A house that is properly on the beach. Stay here and there’s no searching — nor having to shell out — for a car parking space. No traipsing from the car park to the sand while laden down with picnic basket, windbreakers and a thousand other bits of essential beach equipment. But somewhere where you wake up and go to sleep to the sound of the sea.
These 26 holiday cottages all fulfil that brief. We’ve found posh party pads such as Waterwynch House in Pembrokeshire, which sleeps up to 30 people and has a private beach. At the other end of the scale, there are shipshape beach huts on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast that allow you to stay overnight. There are converted boathouses and former fishing stores made from old railway carriages. What all these accommodations have in common is that they’re done with style and a love of the British seaside.
Choose one of these and you won’t even have to cross the road. The most that will separate you and the beach is a small footpath. With some — Blue House on Camber Sands in East Sussex, we’re thinking of you — you simply walk out on to joyously fine sand.
Britain’s coast, all 7,000 miles of it, has a beautiful variety of beaches, whether sand, shingle rock or pebble. And beach house rentals on our home turf are getting better and better — particularly on England’s south coast, where some seriously glam options have emerged in recent years. Equally, there are other escapes where you can go entirely off-grid.
• The 50 best beaches in the UK
These cottages are popular, especially in the summer months. You’ll have to get your skates on and book soon if you want to go barefoot to the beach this summer. But it’s worth it to stay somewhere where you can watch the sea change through a thousand colours over the course of a day — or even an hour. Whether the beach you want is a packed people-pleaser such as Porth in Cornwall, or a rugged outlier in the Scottish Highlands, we’ve got you covered.
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Scotland
1. Carnish Cabins Ebb and Flow, Lewis, Western Isles
Sleeps 2
On a fine day Lewis gives the Caribbean a run for its money. Nowhere more so than Uig Bay, where the sand is milky white, the water turns turquoise with a splash of sun and there’s an edge-of-the-world feel. Two cabins — Ebb and Flow — bring plenty of ingenuity to all this nature. Sleeping just two people each, they have custom-made furniture designed by the owners, including a cooking station. A modern, breezy colour palette and silver cladding also make an impact despite their small footprint.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for two from £650 (unique-cottages.co.uk)
2. Balnakeil House, Durness, Highland
Sleeps 17
You might well be sharing the two-mile stretch of golden sand on the far northwest tip of mainland Scotland near Cape Wrath with no one other than the cows who paddle here. It’s also where you’ll find a robust 18th-century mansion, Balnakeil House. Luckily Balnakeil hasn’t been overly “tartanned” — interiors come in deep rich colours. There’s a vast kitchen with an Aga and a wood-burning stove and there’s a first-floor drawing room where you can watch the sun set, dram in hand. With nine bedrooms, it’s a brilliant place to “laird it” for a week, especially over the cows.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for 17 from £4,584 (elliothouses.co.uk)
3. Port Donnel Cottage, Rockcliffe, Dumfries & Galloway
Sleeps 5
On the white pebble and sand shores of the Urr estuary, the three-bedroom Port Donnel cottage showcases its Victorian heritage with tartan curtains, antique-filled rooms and a wood-burning stove. It’s properly remote (nearby Rockcliffe has only a few houses), but a 20-minute drive takes you to Castle Douglas, which has all the shops you need. It’s likely you’ll return as soon as possible for the sense of peace, the coastal and woodland walks, sea-swimming and dark skies for stargazing.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for five from £974 (nts.org.uk)
• 14 of the most beautiful places in Scotland
Northern Ireland
4. Harbour Cottage, Ballintoy, Co Antrim
Sleeps 8
On the Antrim coast, the gorgeous harbour town of Ballycastle gets most of the attention. But head north around the headland and Ballintoy is an even lovelier satellite toytown. Here, Roark’s Kitchen dishes up a sterling Irish stew, kayakers pootle around the harbour and Atlantic breakers crash against the rocks. Harbour Cottage sits just above this rugged village beach; the low-slung, whitewashed home has three bedrooms and a sofa bed, oak floors and a wood-burning stove in what must be Northern Ireland’s most idyllic coastal setting.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for eight from £820 (ballintoyharbourcottage.com)
Wales
5. Beach Boat House, Llanbedrog, Gwynedd
Sleeps 6
Boathouses tend to have an excellent position, but these are truly exceptional. At high tide water laps at the edge of your boundary wall and you can wave to paddleboarders or watch out for the occasional dolphin. The setting is pretty glorious too: Llanbedrog on the Llyn peninsula is a stunner of a beach, with shallow, sheltered waters and a row of beach huts painted in Pokémon colours. The nearby village has shops, while Abersoch, a little bit further around the headland, has boutiques, restaurants and the best surfy vibe in Wales.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for six from £976 (beachboathouse.com)
6. Waterwynch House, Tenby, Pembrokeshire
Sleeps 30
Here’s a sprawling piece of Goop-style glam just outside Tenby, with a rock-star vibe and rock pools on your doorstep. And since it’s at the mouth of its own little bay, surrounded by woodland and cliffs, you can barbecue, paddle and play without fear of paparazzi (or nosy fellow holidaymakers). Twelve bedrooms come with the same number of bathrooms, so there won’t be any fights for showers, and there’s both a family and chef’s kitchen. There’s also a full-size billiards table, a dedicated arts and crafts room for children, plus a music room with drum kit and a collection of electric guitars for the grown-ups.
Details Three nights’ self-catering for 30 from £5,500 (waterwynch.com)
North
7. Neville Tower, Bamburgh, Northumberland
Sleeps 4
Backdrop to blockbuster movies (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny being the most recent) as well as countless family picnics, Bamburgh Castle seems to rise above the sand. In fact it’s built on a volcanic outcrop from the 11th century; it’s also privately owned and, within the historic estate, has a couple of holiday lets. One is an apartment within Neville Tower, where views from mullioned windows look out to Bamburgh’s glorious sandy beach, and there are paths from the castle that lead straight to the coast or village, which is a deli-and-café-filled delight.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for four from £1,635 (crabtreeandcrabtree.com)
8. Filey Beach House, Filey, North Yorkshire
Sleeps 7
There are widescreen sea or sunset views from every corner of this brand-new clifftop cottage, set halfway along Filey’s five-mile beach. Modern, understated interiors in shades of cool grey and teal are set with floor-to-ceiling windows which open onto a large deck and glass balcony, with a lawn and private path straight to the sand. There’s a slick all-white kitchen, a sea-facing living area with vaulted ceiling and two double bedrooms plus a third with an unusual triple bunk kids will love. Filey is a 25-minute walk along the beach for fish and chips and ice cream parlours.
Details Four nights’ self-catering for seven from £895 (fileybeachhouse.com)
9. Natterjack Manor, Morecambe, Lancashire
Sleeps 14
Expect Morecambe Bay by way of Miami at this manor house, with mega TVs and vintage arcade games, a profusion of Chesterfield sofas and chandeliers at every turn. Then there’s a vast kitchen diner spread across the ground floor; there’s also an indoor swimming pool with Flintstones-style rock decor as well as a hot tub. The five bedrooms and four bathrooms are more subtly done up but you’ll still have lots of fun and — since there’s limited public access to the coast here, apart from your garden gate — you’ll probably have the beach to yourselves.
Details Three nights’ self-catering for 14 from £2,250 (coolstays.com)
East and southeast
10. Sandy Feet Retreat, Anderby, Lincolnshire
Sleeps 7
Ten miles north of Skegness — as the seagull flies — the village of Anderby has family-run caravan parks, a glorious sandy beach and the North Sea beyond. There’s also a wildly beautiful nature reserve. Next to the reserve is this modish, thoughtfully designed holiday let. The house’s fit-up ticks all the experiential boxes: big windows; wood-burning stove; Sonos sound system. Meanwhile, a kayak, a stand-up paddleboard, bodyboards and surfboards are supplied to help you get the most from the seascape.
Details Four nights’ self-catering for seven from £1,600; four-night stay minimum (thesandyfeetretreat.com)
11. Shangri-La, Waxham, Norfolk
Sleeps 6
If your definition of paradise is thoughtful modern architecture among glorious countryside, this cottage is for you — with three bedrooms, open-plan living space, clever lighting and strong structural eco-credentials. Between the resorts of Cromer and Great Yarmouth, via meandering miles of farmland, Shangri-La’s golden sand beach can be found by clambering over the dunes that stretch for miles in both directions. As a bonus, since there’s no parking or facilities, your only neighbours are likely to be a colony of seals. Just inland there’s a chichi café, while the Ingham Swan pub is less than a ten-minute drive away.
Details Four nights’ self-catering for six from £1,090 (sawdays.co.uk; shangri-la.house)
12. Valetta, Thorpeness, Suffolk
Sleeps 6
Between the dunes, this olive-and-white-striped former fishing hut is a local landmark. It’s hugely popular, so you’ll need to plan well ahead (it’s already full for most of summer and even August 2026). It sleeps six, four of whom get bunk beds, and has serious family appeal, thanks to shops within strolling distance and Aldeburgh about a 20-minute walk away. Interiors celebrate Thorpeness’s 1930s vibe, with vintage furniture and cushion-strewn daybeds and a long refectory-style table, while a picket fence heads straight on to a shingle beach.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for six from £1,187 (bestofsuffolk.co.uk)
13. Kiora, Whitstable, Kent
Sleeps 8
One of a pair of weatherboarded houses built by brothers in 1904, this four-bedroom villa is the stuff of down-from-London fantasy. Retaining the original Edwardian panelling and fireplaces, it also has a large garden complete with summer house. Kiora lies just above the promenade of Tankerton Banks shingle beach, where musos can head off and enjoy the town’s live music scene and foodies can stock up on shellfish at Whitstable Oyster Company. Then everyone can reconvene at any of the town’s rather good restaurants, including the acclaimed Samphire.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for eight from £1,900 (kiora-whitstable.co.uk)
14. Sandy Toes Beach House, Isle of Sheppey, Kent
Sleeps 5
This three-bedroom beachside refuge on the Isle of Sheppey has many pleasing eccentricities, including a bathroom sink that rests on an old packing case and a perky palm tree in the garden. There’s a large main room with a terrace and the house comes with plenty of weatherboarding and off-grid charm, including solar-powered central heating and a wood-burning stove. There’s a naturist beach to one side, the arcade ’n’ chippie joys of Leysdown a bit further on — plus an austerely beautiful Dickensian landscape in a site of special scientific interest: a birdwatchers’ heaven amid the wetland and shingle.
Details Three nights’ self-catering for five from £953 (canopyandstars.co.uk)
15. Sunray, Dungeness, Kent
Sleeps 8
When the train line to Dungeness closed in 1937, some fishermen started to use the old train carriages as both shelters and homes. The three-bedroom Sunray incorporates one of these carriages in a particularly beautiful way, using barrelled ceilings and panelling and partnering them with a commercial kitchen. Sunray also has a warmth and sense of fun that some of Dungeness’s more designer accommodations lack — including squashy sofas and a pool table — and sits on its famous shingle beach (the only official British desert) close to the now-defunct power station.
Details Four nights’ self-catering for eight for £893 (bloomstays.com)
16. Sheridan, East Wittering, East Sussex
Sleeps 6
As this part of East Sussex gets increasingly bouji, Sheridan is a charming holdout from the old days. It’s not a looker from the outside, but the interior — a set of lovingly preserved old railway carriages — is a refreshing change from the Identikit new houses surrounding it. Heating comes from electric radiators, and while there’s a shower, there’s no washing machine — but a launderette is within walking distance. The three bedrooms, filled with vintage furniture, might be a squeeze for six people but the whole experience, complete with a small garden that leads to the shingle beach, is a complete joy.
Details Three nights’ self-catering for six from £612 (welliesandwindbreaks.co.uk)
17. The Blue House, Camber Sands, East Sussex
Sleeps 8
If you’ve got proper sand, rather than shingle, between your toes in Sussex the chances are you’re on Camber Sands. It stretches across almost five miles, loved by kitesurfers, swimmers and summer sun-seekers, and its dunes hide a collection of houses where the lucky few can stay. The four-bedroom Blue House, east of Rye Harbour, is mouthwateringly aspirational, from the air-con system and wine fridge to the clever things done with plyboard and the well-equipped kitchen, log-burning stove and sliding doors on to a terrace.
Details Three nights’ self-catering for eight from £2,150 (camberholidaycottages.co.uk)
18. Crab Cottage, Selsey, West Sussex
Sleeps 8
To maximise the sea views, the kitchen and living room are on the first floor of this design-minded house, while the four bedrooms are on the ground floor; there’s also a small separate annexe. Filled with books and art (the owner is an artist), it has also been designed to accommodate people with impaired mobility. There’s an extra-wide front door, a ground-floor wet room and a lift. Outside, cross a footpath and you’ll reach a garden with shingle-friendly plants and a barbecue, before the beach begins beyond.
Details Four nights’ self-catering for eight from £1,980 (kipshideaways.com)
19. The Old Boathouse, Seaview, Isle of Wight
Sleeps 10
Since the village of Seaview surrounds the beach, plenty of cottages here have a sea view, but the Old Boathouse is actually on the beach. Packed with Victorian gothic charm, complete with diamond-paned windows, stately chimneys and a highly patterned pantile roof, it has three bedrooms, while an annexe provides five more sleeping spaces. There’s a garden and terrace plus a flagpole; your shingle beach looks straight out on to the Solent.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for ten from £1,749 (theoldboathouse.net)
Southwest
20. Shore Cottage, Ringstead Bay, Dorset
Sleeps 6
This whitewashed three-bedroom cottage, built in the 1920s, sits above Dorset’s Jurassic coast, with views towards Weymouth Bay. Surrounded by green fields, it is furnished with the same pleasing simplicity as the cottage’s exterior: Shaker-style kitchen, timber-panelled bathtubs and wooden kitchen chairs. At the edge of the garden a stepped path takes you down to a shingle beach. To one side there’s a nice, small caravan site and a cluster of houses, but since day visitors tend to be drawn to Durdle Door, a 90-minute walk east, you should have plenty of space before you head back through your private cottage gate to watch the sunset.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for six from £1,470 (shorecottagedorset.co.uk)
• Dorset travel guide: When to go, what to do and why you’ll love it
21. The Chalet, Lyme Regis, Dorset
Sleeps 2
The Chalet, on Monmouth beach, is that rare-as-hen’s-teeth British seaside thing: a beach hut you can overnight in. Its proportions are the very definition of snug but it’s been ingeniously kitted out with a raised sleeping hatch that has — a bonus on hot nights — a window that allows you to look out at the stars. Nicely whitewashed and unfussy, it also has a wet room with underfloor heating. Outside, a wooden deck keeps hoi polloi from getting too close, though you’ll still be able to fossil-spot from your deckchair. A walk along the beach brings you to the Cobb and the genteel Georgian fleshpot that is Lyme Regis.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for two from £509 (classic.co.uk)
22. South Shore Lodge, Brownsea Island, Dorset
Sleeps 12
A big house with a five-star setting that won’t break the bank? Places like South Shore Lodge should have preservation orders. Which, in a sense, it does, because it’s owned by the National Trust. One of a handful of holiday lets on this 500-acre island in Poole Harbour (where there’s also a campsite), South Shore is a substantial Victorian house with its own garden and the beach beyond. Yes, it’s bunk-bed basic and there’s a shower block to bring back hostelling memories. Not only that, there’s neither wi-fi nor a TV (sorry kids). But you’re on your own island, and there’s a National Trust café. Plus red squirrels. We’re convinced.
Details Four nights’ self-catering for 12 from £829 (nationaltrust.org.uk)
23. Kestrel, Branscombe, Devon
Sleeps 4
Sweaty walkers of the South West Coast Path must look jealously upon these five chalets that shelter beneath National Trust-owned cliffs at Branscombe. Two-bedroom Kestrel is our pick of the bunch, built on stilts (ideal to stash watersports equipment under) while bringing panache to the elemental experience with mod cons, including a dishwasher; the pine-clad interior is filled with modern art too. Kestrel has its own terrace but Branscombe’s much-loved Sea Shanty beach café may draw you out for pasties, while the 14th-century Masons Arms is a short siren call away.
Details Four nights’ self-catering for four from £594 (sykescottages.co.uk)
24. By the Sea Shore, Kingsbridge, Devon
Sleeps 8
Come summer, the South Hams can be a delightful imitation of the Hamptons and few places do it better than the tiny village of Torcross. That’s where you’ll find By the Sea Shore. On one side of this four-bedroom house there’s just a small footpath between you and the fine pebbly expanse of Slapton Sands. On the other it looks out on to the reed-fringed Slapton Ley, Devon’s largest freshwater lake. The house itself keeps up with the east coast theme with muted colours and a well-equipped kitchen. Dartmouth is just a 20-minute drive away and there are cream teas at every turn, including at the Billy Can café further along the beach.
Details Three nights’ self-catering for eight from £966 (plumguide.com)
• Devon travel guide: When to go, what to do and why you’ll love it
25. Sea Wall Cottage, Porth, Cornwall
Sleeps 4
Built into the sea wall, this two-bedroom cottage gives you a front-row seat on to Porth’s quintessentially Cornish windbreak, lifeguards and family scene. And it doesn’t take its setting for granted: the decor gently references the 1950s with tile tables and muted colours and there are plenty of places to watch the action, including a sunroom and terrace. Sheltered Porth is gentler than its neighbour Newquay and also has the stellar Mermaid Inn and Hole in the Wall cafés for refreshment, plus a nearby headland, Porth Island, reached by a short wooden bridge.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for four from £860 (beachretreats.co.uk)
26. Monterey, Porthtowan, Cornwall
Sleeps 10
If Succession location scouts had visited Cornwall’s Atlantic coast, it’s safe to say they’d have plotted a course via this dune-clad slab of modernity. At one end of cool, surfy Porthtowan beach, Monterey’s cream-hued living room has French windows to fling open for sunny days and a wood-burning stove for more blustery ones. The Scandi-blond decor is matched by a sauna and superb surfboard storage. Of course there’s a hot tub (it’s that sort of place), and the sunsets are cinematically spectacular.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for ten from £4,995 (uniquehomestays.com)
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