Valentia Island is a special place of spectacular natural beauty; Glanleam house and gardens form a part of that beauty. There are numerous walking trails around the house which take you from forests, through to fairy and pirate trails, to robinsonian gardens, a dog cemetary, and beautiful seaside trails. Our 5.5 year old was enchanted by the fairy forest, as were we! The little beach with amazing scenery is just a short walk or drive away from the house. Driving around the island itself reveals a beautiful landscape. There are ancient dinosaur (tetrapod) tracks, a lighthouse, the Skellig Michael Experience centre and the site of the first transatlantic cable down in Knightstown. We ate at the Ring Lyne pub in the small village; an authentic place and reasonably priced meal. Skip the icecream place; it's overpriced (8€ for 1 scoop of icecream in a small container for 3 people) and underwhelming.
The house we stayed in was clean and lovely, and very spacious. Fab for big families and groups of friends. For our little family of 3 it was too big and we will look to stay in the Boathouse or a smaller cottage next time. Eoin was a great host, as was Jessica. We had privacy but felt supported in our stay. We even borrowed wellingtons for our walks around the gardens on a drizzling morning. We would love to return and cannot recommend this place highly enough. Thank you!