We stayed in Ballyboe with our 2 young kids & loved everything about the place. It’s an old cottage so has that rustic feel but is beautifully renovated & Tony the host has it immaculately clean for guests. We were pleasantly surprised at the amount of space there is inside, it’s way bigger than it looks from the outside or from the pictures (so often it’s the other way around!). There are 2 large bedrooms, one of which has 3 single beds in it & we even had plenty of room to setup & travel cot in it as well. The living/dining area is also large with a stove that Tony had well stocked with logs & turf (there’s not many things better than a turf fire!). The kitchen has a nice country feel & is so well stocked with utensils, kitchenware etc. & the homemade loaf of bread provided by Tony is a nice touch.
What’s also great is the outside, the kids loved just running round playing hide & seek in the large garden & yard with the old white washed sheds as well as out into the wider surrounding fields to feed the friendly donkeys & walk in the forest all of which is part of the property so it has much more to offer than just the house.
We also loved the location as it’s quiet & out of the way but also only 2 mins drive to Malin village & the larger town of Carndonagh is only a few minutes further. So shops, supermarkets, restaurants etc. are not far. Carn also has a park with playground for kids. Ballyboe is a great base to explore Inishowen. 5 minutes or so drive either direction from the house will bring you to 2 fabulous beaches in Culdaff & Five Finger Strand. There’s great scenery everywhere from Malin Head to mamore gap to dunree etc. Which are all short enough drives away. Longer day trips to further parts of Donegal are also very doable for example to the Downing’s area or Glenveagh National Park area.
All in all can’t recommend this place highly enough, it has so much to offer & Tony is a wonderful host. We will definitely be back