Cottages in County Donegal

Table of Contents

• At a glance: What should you know about renting a cottage in County Donegal?
• Cottages in County Donegal: find your perfect retreat
• Exploring County Donegal: our top recommendations
• Activities: What are the top things to do and see in County Donegal?

• Traditional stone cottages: Expect thick walls, turf or wood-burning fireplaces, flagstone floors and half doors, usually with a garden, parking and a well-equipped kitchen for slow home cooking.
• Wild Atlantic Way bases: Inishowen, Fanad, Glenties and Donegal Town each suit a different holiday, from Malin Head headlands to the surf beaches of the south-west coast.
• Highly rated by guests: Our best-reviewed Donegal cottages sit above 9.5+, praised for peace, sea and mountain views and welcoming local hosts.
• Local produce on the doorstep: Killybegs seafood, Irish soda bread, farmhouse cheeses and Donegal oysters make self-catering here a genuine pleasure.
• Seven ways to fill your days: Walk Slieve League, roam Glenveagh National Park, surf at Rossnowlagh and watch the tweed looms turn in Ardara.

Donegal's cottages range from whitewashed stone cabins above the shore to restored 19th-century farmhouses set back in the hills. Many sleep four to six, so couples and families both find a fit, suitable for any sort of stay. Most cottages here are stand-alone, with no neighbours in sight. Inside, the practical touches matter as much as the character:

• Open fireplaces or wood-burning stoves with a basket of turf ready
• Full kitchens for cooking the day's catch from Killybegs
• Enclosed gardens and terraces, several of them dog-friendly
• Off-road parking, essential on the narrow coastal lanes
• Sea, lough or mountain views, sometimes all three at once

If you would rather camp out, Glamping and bed and breakfasts round out the county's options.

What are the best areas to stay in County Donegal?

For a first visit, Donegal Town is the easiest base, with the castle, the quays and plenty of food within walking distance. The table below details regions for specific interests:

What do our guests say?

Guests staying in Donegal cottages return to the same few themes in their reviews: how quiet the nights are, how warm the welcome is, and how quickly a turf fire makes a stone house feel like home. Ratings across our best-reviewed cottages sit at 9.6+, with particular praise for sea views, thoughtful kitchens and hosts who point you towards the beach nobody else has found.

Here are our top-rated cottages in County Donegal from the past year:

1. Cosy Cottage- Sleeps 4, Free Parking & Golf Nearby - 9.8+: A snug cottage near Buncrana on the Inishowen side of Lough Swilly, with free parking and a golf course a few minutes away.
2. An Irish Idyll - traditional stonewall cottage nestled in hills above Downings - 9.7+: A traditional stone-walled cottage in the hills above Downings, with a garden, terrace and room for five, and pets welcome.
3. Cherrytreecottage - Cosy 19th-century/Pet Friendly - 9.7+: A pet-friendly 19th-century cottage for two in Inishowen, with its own garden and terrace for slow mornings.

County Donegal fills Ireland's north-west corner, where the Wild Atlantic Way meets sea cliffs, Gaeltacht villages and empty beaches.

🥗Where to eat in County Donegal?

According to Google Maps data and reviews, Blueberry Tea Room and Restaurant is the best rated restaurant in County Donegal. Below is a table showing the top 5 highly-rated restaurants hand-picked by our travel experts.

⭐Our guests' recommendation: Our guest traveller Emma recommends the Olde Castle Seafood Bar in County Donegal: it sits beside Donegal Castle, the shellfish comes in from Killybegs that morning, and the soda bread is worth the visit alone.

1. Climb the Slieve League sea cliffs
2. Roam Glenveagh National Park
3. Stand at Malin Head
4. Surf at Bundoran and Rossnowlagh
5. Watch tweed being woven in Ardara
6. Drive out to Fanad Head lighthouse
7. Wander Donegal Town and its castle

1. Climb the Slieve League sea cliffs

   At Slieve League, or Sliabh Liag, the land drops close to 600 metres straight into the Atlantic, making these among the highest accessible sea cliffs in Europe. A shuttle runs to the upper viewpoint in summer, but the walk up from the lower car park is the better way to feel the scale of the place. Go on a clear afternoon and you can see across Donegal Bay to Sligo and the flat top of Benbulben; holiday cottages in Sligo sit within an easy drive if you want to see it from the other side.

2. Roam Glenveagh National Park

   Glenveagh spreads across the Derryveagh Mountains around a long glacial lake, and a free shuttle bus carries walkers from the visitor centre to Glenveagh Castle and its unexpectedly lush Victorian gardens. Red deer graze the open hillsides and golden eagles have been reintroduced here. The Lough Inshagh and Viewpoint trails suit a half day; bring waterproofs whatever the forecast says.

3. Stand at Malin Head

   Malin Head on the Inishowen peninsula is the northernmost point of the island of Ireland, a windblown headland of signal towers, sea stacks and, on dark clear nights, a real chance of the northern lights. Walk the path to Hell's Hole and the Wee House of Malin, then warm up over chowder in nearby Ballygorman. It is the most dramatic full stop the Wild Atlantic Way has.

4. Surf at Bundoran and Rossnowlagh

   South Donegal catches Atlantic swell all year. Bundoran is the serious surf town, with the reef break at the Peak drawing experienced surfers, while Rossnowlagh and Tullan Strand offer gentler beach breaks and surf schools that will have beginners standing within a lesson. Wetsuit hire is easy to find, and the beaches are long enough for a walk even when the sea is not for you.

5. Watch tweed being woven in Ardara

   Ardara has been a Donegal tweed town for generations, and you can still watch a hand loom in action in the weaving shops along the main street before choosing a jacket, throw or cap. The village makes a good pause on the coast road between Killybegs and Glenties, with a strong pub session tradition and the Assaranca waterfall and Maghera caves a short drive west.

6. Drive out to Fanad Head lighthouse

   The road along the Fanad peninsula between Lough Swilly and Mulroy Bay is one of the finest in Ireland, ending at the white tower of Fanad Head lighthouse above the rocks. Tours run through the working lighthouse, and the Great Arch of Doaghbeg lies just along the coast. Break the drive at Ards Forest Park, where woodland paths drop down to a string of quiet sandy coves.

7. Wander Donegal Town and its castle

   Donegal Castle stands in the middle of town, a restored O'Donnell tower house with a Jacobean wing and one of the best-preserved Gaelic tower houses in Ireland. From there the Bank Walk follows the estuary, and the quays fill with fishing boats and food. West Donegal's Gaeltacht begins not far away, around Gaoth Dobhair, where Irish is still the everyday language; more cottages across Ireland make it easy to keep travelling.