Meenasillagh sits beside its own stream & waterfall. The new open plan living room & sleeping area has floor to ceiling windows and stunning views. Our nearest neighbour is way over the hill so you'll be completely undisturbed during your stay. The cottage and water is heated by stove using turf/ wood. A complimentary bag of each will be available on arrival. The kitchen and shower room are modern and well equipped. There's a gas-powered fridge. The space This is a delightful secluded Eco-cottage renovated and cared for by the Woods family since 1978. With original stone cottage whitewashed rooms and a modern spacious extension visitors can enjoy old and new living spaces. Type 'meenasillagh donegal blog' into your search engine for a history of the cottage, lots more photographs and information about the area. We have our own spring. It's a fantastic resource. The crystal clear water arrives out of the mountain right beside the cottage and supplies us by way of a newly fitted solar pump. The place sleeps 6. There's a choice of beds. The two double and single half loft bed are supplemented by a settle-bed with sheepskin mattressing. It comfortably sleeps a couple of kids and it's always been our kids #1 sleeping spot. There's a fold-out 'click clack' bed if you prefer to use it. This is fantastic walking country. Set off in any direction from the cottage and you won't be disappointed. There's expansive mountain, sea and valley-scape to find yourself in - or get a little bit lost in. Kids always have a great time here mucking around in the waterfall, shallow stream and pools beside the house or venturing into the surrounding countryside. We don't fish but there are lakes galore in the area and the sea is just down the road. There are rods and tackle at the cottage if you want to try your hand. The poet Dylan Thomas and artist Rockwell Kent both spent time living in a converted cow shed in nearby Glenlough valley (see photos) Kent went there to paint; Thomas was trying to dry out. The cottage has excellent 3G mobile phone reception so if you need to you can stay in touch with the outside world via the net. You can charge devices using the house solar charger but we recommend you bring your own battery pack as backup. We had the opportunity to connect the cottage to the national grid 20 years ago but at Meenasillagh we prefer to keep things as low tech as they've always been. No TV is a big plus as far as we're concerned. This is a place where you can truly escape information saturation and the effect is fantastic - time seems to slow down here and a few days somehow feel like a packed week. There are small rechargeable solar lights in the cottage but we mostly use candles (suplied) and the light of the fire. There's no bin collection in Port valley so you’re expected to remove your rubbish, recyclables and any perishable food left over from your stay. There are recycling containers near Glencolmcille. It's up to you if you want to leave scraps out for the local fox and badger population (see blog 'flora & fauna' page for video of badgers at the cottage) There's no vacuum/ cleaner in the cottage or the valley for that matter so we need a firm commitment from every guest to leave the place as clean and tidy as you found it. For anyone unfamiliar with washing up in this age of the dishwasher there's a sud by sud description in the cottage user manual of how to do that. The stone and tile floors are very easy to sweep/ mop and the stove's back boiler will give you plenty of hot water for washing up. All bedding, tea towels and house towels are provided if you want it. If you want extra large beach towels you'll need to bring those with you. Our laundry is done in nearby Ardara town and guests will need to collect bedding from the lovely, computer brained Margaret at Ardara Dry Cleaning & Laundrette and return it on departure. For more info and contact details please find us on our social media account that's known by the letters F & B! - our 'handle' is Meenasillagh Donegal. For a link to our blog please get in touch and of course feel free to ask any questions before booking. Guest access House, gardens, stream, waterfall and endless mountainside. Other things to note If you've been to Donegal before you'll know how variable the roads are in width and condition. The road to Meenasillagh townland is tarmac'ed but pretty bumpy (although there's no need for a 4x4) The lane up to the cottage is windey but its safe and easily negotiated by car. Please refer to photographs to get an idea of what to expect. There is no mains electricity so lighting is by candle, torch and the light of the stove. We have solar rechargeable light bulbs but rarely find the need to use them. Our water comes from our own spring - the only one we know of in the valley. It's delicious and completely safe so you won't need to buy bottled water as is usually the case in the area. The water pumping system is state of the art solar powered. When sheep are in the surrounding pasture there are three farm gates to open and close on the driveway. During the summer months when the sheep are on the mountain 2 of the gates can be left open. We're in the process of planning installation of a solar powered gate motor system but for now you'll have to get out and open by hand. Kids are great for this so try to bring at least one along!