River Run

This is a long home, just one room deep, with an awesome terrace spanning the entire length.

A stable door entrance lobby opens directly into an expansive open-plan living room with full height sliding doors and a dazzling view of the Faymore river estuary.
There’s a dining table here for six, and a cosy wood-burning stove to supplement the central heating.

At the far end, quasi partitioned by a breakfast bar, is the kitchen area.

Double doors, and a step down into the original cottage, reveal the sitting room – as cosy as can be, with an open fire, and another set of sliding doors to the broad garden terrace.

Beyond, through a duo of doors, is the Cottage Side, which is available as a self-contained rental during the off-season.
Here a separate and spacious sitting room as elsewhere features, dramatic floor to ceiling sliding doors to take full advantage of the stunning terrace.

Moving on through, is a stylish panelled circulation area with utility closet, ground floor bathroom, and ingenious skylight feature.
The cottage culminates in a sage green kitchen, with an oval table and a cosy wood burning stove.

There is a stable-door entrance to serve this end of the house, opening directly into the kitchen.

Sleeps up to 11 guests. 5 in the Cottage end, and 6 in the East section.

All but one of the bedrooms overlook the river.
Stairs from the main living area lead up to two charming double bedrooms, and a twin bedroom. All have ensuite bathrooms and characteristic low level cottage windows.

The master bedroom at the end of the passage is generous and particularly seductive.

On the independent Cottage end, another set of returning stairs in oak and glass, lead up to an intimate single and two double bedrooms, with a shared shower room.

Originally a small corn mill beside the Faymore river the cottage dates from the late 1700s. The house is now approached under a listed old, stone, railway arch and sits above the river with spectacular views out over the estuary into Sheephaven Bay and across the river to Ards Forest Park.
The grounds occupy approximately 4 acres of semi–tamed Donegal landscape. A large full length terrace to the rear overlooking the river (home to herons), a cosy front garden, a large, stonewalled paddock with a small orchard, a back woodland populated by badgers and deer and an old riverside woodland habitat of celtic temperate rainforest.
For some years the house was known locally as the “Fairy House”, because of the old Hawthorne trees that dominate and its previous occupants being firm believers in a benign other-world.

Cooking

1. Cottage Wing – Electric oven / ceramic hob
2. East Wing – Electric oven / 4 ring gas hob

Bedrooms

1. Cottage Wing – One super King-size, one double and one single
2. East Wing – Two double beds and two single beds

-Both ends of the house have identical facilities-

Kitchen Appliances

• Microwave
• Double door Fridge with
• Twin drawer freezer
• Dishwasher
• Toaster
• Coffee machine
• Wine cooler

Utility Appliances

• Washing machine
• Spin-dryer
• Iron

Tech & Entertainment

• Wi-Fi Internet
• Flat-screen TV
• Sky sports and Netflix

Other

• Central heating
• Good selection of books
• Wood burning stove
• Furnished garden terrace

• Climb up Errigal
• Hike around Glenveagh National Park
• Eat out at Cove Restaurant
• Take a dip at Killahoey strand
• Enjoy a seafood lunch at Fisk
• Hire a bike and cycle around
• Take a Kayaking tour
• Climb to the top of Muckish mountain
• Wrap up in something warm from McNutts

• Mountain bike the trails at Ards Forest Park
• Go golfing at Dunfanaghy
• or Rosapenna
• Catch something at The Lackagh Fishery
• Trek a pony from Carrigart
• Visit Derek Hill’s home
• Excellent Irish Pub dining at Olde Glen
• Visit the King on Tory Island
• A pint and a tune on Sunday afternoon

It’s a short walk into Creeslough village where there is a small supermarket and a popular pub.
However, it is 10 minutes to the next sizeable village, Dunfanaghy, which is very popular; it has a number of restaurants and pubs which regularly host traditional Irish music sessions and serve excellent Guinness.

Click here for more

The landscape is dominated by Muckish and Errigal mountains and spectacular Atlantic views.
Errigal is the tallest peak in County Donegal. You can summit Errigal and walk across One Man’s Pass – a narrow passage to a nearby peak – to experience the full magic of the mountain. The 4km long hike with an elevation gain of 500m takes just over 2 hours to complete and makes for a great day out for regular hikers – avoid high winds!

Glenveagh National Park is the second-largest national park in Ireland.
The park is home to the largest herd of red deer in Ireland and more recently, Golden Eagles. It has walking and hiking trails for all abilities. Electric bike hire is available, and there is a good visitor centre and café.
A tour of the Glenveigh Castle (1873), the grounds and its renowned gardens is a worthwhile trip.

For Walkers and Hikers there is a selection of useful literature and guides containing detailed routes and maps on the bookcase in the green sitting room.

There are a number of the golden, sandy beaches nearby, some with surfing schools, paddle boarding and kayaking.
The Shell Beach is a favourite; tucked between 2 headlands with a backdrop of Ards forest, the beach is sheltered and the sea here is safe for swimming (some aren’t). Famous for its beautiful shells – stuff a few in your pocket.
The beach is a short walk away from the Capuchin friary at Ards, but it can also be reached by a longer trek from Ards Forest Park across from the house.

Marble Hill Strand, one of the most beautiful blue beaches in Ireland, is a six minute drive. This sweeping, golden beach is popular with swimmers, surfers, paddle boarders as well as young sand-castle builders. There is a colourful artisan café, “The Shack”, on hand for coffees, ice creams etc.
This is also the best place to launch a small boat or rib, or else the slipway at Port na Blagh. Both are relatively sheltered but always be careful of tides and rips.

Kilahoey is another beautiful, long, Blue beach, which runs from Dunfanaghy around to below the Golf Club. A wide vista of uninterrupted sand, sea and sky.

The Donegal Boardwalk at Carrigart Beach is a stunning easy walk over the sand dunes on a purpose-built 1.1 km boardwalk that leads you onto a stunning beach. As the boardwalk is flat it is suitable for buggies and wheelchairs and kids bikes.

Doe Castle is a medieval stronghold beautifully situated on a small promontory on the edge of Sheephaven bay. Originally the home of the McSweeny clan from Scotland, it was occupied until the 1880s. Although it is mainly a ruin, many of the original walls remain and the tower and some rooms are accessible.
The Glebe at Churchill, is the home of the artist Derek Hill. Set in beautiful, lakeside gardens, it is open for guided tours. Hill was a prolific portrait and landscape artist whose subjects included the British Monarch, Yehudi Menuhin, Anthony Eden and Erskine Childers. He had a painter’s hut on Tory where he instigated the “Tory School” of naïve painting.