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The Visiting House

Guest Rating
Rating
4.8
out of 5
West Lothian » Gorteen Near Dunmore, County Galway
Sleeps up to 6
Pets 1
Hot Tub
Bedrooms: 3
This superb, detached cottage with hot tub and natural swimming pool sits on the owner's farm, just a few miles outside the town of Dunmore in County Galway, close to the borders of counties Mayo and Roscommon. Tastefully renovated, this stone-built, single-storey cottage echoes the characteristics of a traditional Irish dwelling, but with all the modern comforts and conveniences of a contemporary building. The main body of the property encompasses a superb open plan living area with a tall ceiling adorned with grand apex beams, and with stylish, sleek furnishings and wide patio doors, the well-equipped kitchen with dining area looks out the rear garden.
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About The Visiting House

This superb, detached cottage with hot tub and natural swimming pool sits on the owner’s farm, just a few miles outside the town of Dunmore in County Galway, close to the borders of counties Mayo and Roscommon. Tastefully renovated, this stone-built, single-storey cottage echoes the characteristics of a traditional Irish dwelling, but with all the modern comforts and conveniences of a contemporary building.

The main body of the property encompasses a superb open plan living area with a tall ceiling adorned with grand apex beams, and with stylish, sleek furnishings and wide patio doors, the well-equipped kitchen with dining area looks out the rear garden. Retire to the cosy sitting area, which is complete with a woodburning stove for chilly evenings, and sink into the sumptuous leather corner sofa.

Three double bedrooms lie towards the back of the cottage, one with en-suite facilities and a door to the garden, and each is furnished to a high standard so you can enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep. To the rear are the beautifully maintained gardens where you can relax in an Irish paradise with a natural swimming pool and heated hot tub, the perfect recipe to wind down after a day of sight seeing!

Why not settle in the summerhouse and dine alfresco, making the most of those sunny afternoons with your loved ones? As the owner is a keen beekeeper and farmer, you can sample some of the local honey, and children are welcome to feed the animals, adding to the wonderful country experience at this cottage.

Guests can pass a couple of hours playing darts or pool in the separate spacious games room, which also has golf clubs and bikes, courtesy of the owner so you can make the most of your Irish getaway! The town of Dunmore is roughly half an hour’s drive from Knock Airport; set beside the Sinking River, it’s home to a selection of shops and pubs and the iconic Dunmore Castle, which watches over the water.

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The Visiting House Reviews

Mathew
Lovely cottage in a beautiful, tranquil setting
Dionne
We had a lovely time at the visiting house. Beautiful rural area for peace and relaxation. Donkeys, chickens, hot tub and cold natural pool a bonus! Lovely welcoming gifts and a very accommodating owner made our stay fabulous!
Hannah
We really enjoyed our stay at the Visiting House, great stay with very comfy beds! We loved the hot tub and the accommodation was perfect for our family of 5. Great to have the enclosed garden for the dog. We did feel a few things were maybe a bit tired now compared to the advert but overall it was a lovely stay. Thanks!
A beautiful home away from home. All you want and need and more. Attention to detail exceptional. The homemade bread and butter and bottle of bubbly and treats for the kids on arrival adds to the welcoming experience. Great hosts and will definitely be returning in the future.
Our second stay at the property and weve booked for next year too. Lovely, cosy property with all amenities you need for a nice relaxing break. Spotlessly clean and the owners very obliging and friendly. Only a couple of miles out of Dunmore and a perfect base to visit the west of Ireland.
Sheridan
Very well appointed & thought out. Really comfy beds & every bedroom had drawers, a chair, mirror & plug socket withing reach for a hairdryer I have found this to be lacking in a lot of properties but not this one everything we needed for a comfortable stay. Peter & Elsa were really welcoming & left us goodies on arrival. We had a wish list whilst in Ireland & and fulfilled it. Which even included seeing the northern lights. The dogs loved the bog walk & we had a fabulous time at dogs bay, being the only ones on the beach. We were very lucky with the weather. We would highly recommend the visiting house & hope to be able to return.
Richard
A very nice well equipped cottage that is a credit to Peter & Elsa. The enclosed garden was great for our 2 dogs as was the hot tub, plunge pool & bbq for us. Had a lovely relaxing 2 weeks & would definitely stay here again.
The Visiting House is a well equipped and tastefully renovated cottage which we were extremely comfortable in. The games room was a real bonus, as was the hot tub. Unfortunately the weather was not on our side so we didn't get much use from the pool but we did manage to throw he kids in once or twice! The only reason we awarded a 4 star instead of a 5 is because of the lack of decent wifi. It exists, but is frustratingly slow and often disappears altogether. The cottage is quite remote, which has it advantages, but did mean we needed to do a lot of research into places to visit this was frustratingly difficult with no internet. All in, we had a lovely break and our children now want to purchase a donkey for our back garden!
Heather
Very disappointed with the games we were unable to use it which was such a shame as this was 1 of the reasons for booking the visiting house.
This is a charming, light filled property with a beautiful garden which we enjoyed being in as much as we enjoyed exploring the area. The Prosecco and scone bread on arrival were a lovely surprise and really tasty it soon disappeared!, thank you. The cottage was equipped with everything you could possibly think of and is in a quiet, peaceful location. Peter and Elsa were on hand fast when we had some problems with the plumbing so that everything was sorted without any hitch. This was our first trip to Ireland and going on our stay here, we will definitely be back.
Samuel Derek
Our stay was fabulous. The hosts were very helpful and couldn't do enough to help with anything we needed. Would highly recommended people to stay here. Maybe an air fryer for some of the cooking could be handy.
Absolutely fabulous cottage both for us and our two Boxer dogs with secure garden and in a very quiet location. Was able to have breakfast out in the garden most mornings..... thank you
This is our second time staying at The visiting house. This time we had our young daughter with us. We have loved both stays for different reasons. The first stay was so wonderful, quiet and calm. This stay was also those things but with a toddler in tow, so a little less quiet. Watching her explore and enjoy the area was far better than I could have hoped. Thank you Peter and Elsa!
Deborah
Just back from another stay at the Visiting House, and another very quiet and restful time. Lovely clean home with everything you need for a stay. We have 2 large dogs and they were welcome and safe. The hot tub is great for chilling out and pool looks lovely but we weren't brave enough to have a dip. Centrally located in a quiet area with a lovely 3mile walk around the nearby bog. Lots of games and jigsaws for rainy days, and the pool and darts room for more energetic activities. Easy access to Galway, Tuam, Athlone, Ennis and Westport which are all around 4560 mins away for day trips out. We will certainly be back again.
Alison
Lovely cottage, and fabulous rural location. Very helpful hosts. Would recommend to those looking for a beautiful remote rural location.
Lovely place, owners lovely people. Definitely thinking of booking again for next year. Only one thing lets the place down, the inadequate WiFi.
Kieran
The only thing that wouldnt get 1010 was the inconsistent WiFi signal. Then again,what did I expect in The Irish Countryside. Lovely place to stay and the wee one loved the horse,donkey and the frequent visits from the very friendly cat.Spotlessly clean,great heating.
Stephen
We had a lovely week here. We loved the country setting, hearing the donkey and the local horses. The location was great as we used it as a base to travel to Galway, inis mhor, roscommon and out to Connemara national park. We had rest days at the meeting house where we played board games, sat in the hot tub and played pool and darts in the play room. The accommodation was warm and comfortable. Highly recommended.
Patrick
House was as described and owners were excellent. Just to note home has very limited phone reception and the WiFi was broken when we arrive initially likely due to the storm. This makes working from the home was challenging. Overall the house and surrounding area was very nice.
Patricia
Lovely well maintained rural accommodation with loads of character. Warm, clean and comfortable. The solid fuel fire with firewood supplied was most welcome in mid winter as was the delightful hot tub. Well equipped kitchen. Bed a bit soft but that's an individual opinion. Friendly informative helpful hosts. Would definitely recommend.
Teresa
Really beautiful cottage. The owners have given such thought to the decor, equipment and comfort. We had a toddler with us and the games, toys and dvds much appreciated as were the high chair, cot and utensils and of course feeding the donkey and horse. Owner Paul was very friendly and super helpful. Great base to explore Galway and the West. Peaceful and the hot tub relaxing shame in November it was just a bit too cold to use the natural pool. Loved this place and hope to visit again. Went home restored and happy!
Joanne
We appreciate the welcome, bread and wine on arrival and guidence . A well thought out and comfortable accomodation with all amenities.Great location for the west of Ireland.We would recommend this accomadation to families and adults.Thank you for a lovely stay.! Jo and Mike Roisin Calum and Dane
Great stay we al had a wonderful time at the visting house
I found the cottage to be very peaceful, modern and relaxing surrounded by beautiful views of countryside. The cottage came equipped with games, a hot tub, BarBQue, tv, and the place was so comfortable and it was dog friendly which was a major plus!!!! The owners were so friendly and approachable We had an amazing stay, no hesitation recommending the visiting house
Loved our stay! Home baked bread made by our host and bottle of processco as a welcome gift very well equipped and spacious enclosed garden for the dogs who lived every moment private with views of the countryside who could ask for more! Definitely recommend
Another fantastic visit to this beautiful cottage. Just as we remembered if not better. The cottage is stunning and the facilities and hosts are excellent. Would definitely recommend The Visiting House to anyone and we will definitely be planning another return.
Louise
The house is bigger and nicer than the pictures. We were pleasantly surprised. Lovely host. Perfect surroundings. Arriving to fresh bread, cake and chilled Prosecco was a lovely touch. Highly recommended.
We had a wonderful stay in The Visiting House. It is set in a beautiful location with country views all around. The cottage has been renovated to a high standard and everything is thoroughly clean and modern. Often dog friendly places are a little bit basic but not here it was fantastic! Great secure garden and the hot tub was a real bonus so luxurious to have a dip in the evening when the sun was setting and what views! The hosts were welcoming without being intrusive and the welcome gifts were thoughtful too. Also very child friendly we had a 15 month old baby with us and everything was provided. Highly recommend staying here.
Beautiful, welcoming homely atmosphere. Everything you could need. Rustic cottage with a modern twist. Hot tub was Amazing and cleanliness was top class. Games room a fantastic extra. Lots more to find and explore with this magical getaway.
Really enjoyed our stay at the Visiting House, lovely cosy property really nice ... Really enjoyed our stay at the Visiting House, lovely cosy property really nice for relaxing this time of year, Thank you
Simply wonderful. A hidden gem.
Deborah
A fabulous little cottage, clean and comfy. The hosts are lovely, and I would definitely recommend this place to anyone. The games room was a hit and we fell in love with the donkey and the horse.
Just perfect, thanks! !
Fabulous property. Hosts so friendly but never intrusive. So much to do ... pool and hot tub such a hit with the kids. Games room board games DVDs nothing is overlooked. House is so modern yet cosy.
Cliona
The most incredible holiday in Ireland we have had, our three young children and our golden retriever could not have been more comfortable and safe and the hosts went above and beyond to ensure we had a great stay, would highly recommend and will be returning next year.
Claire
The house was very clean and cosy. The kids loved the plunge pool and hot tub this was a great feature as too was the games room. The WiFi being slow was a bonus as it kept my teenagers off their phones. All in all a great stay I will be recommending the visiting house to friends and family.
Absolutely stunning cottage in a fantastic area. The owners are fabulous hosts and the cottage has everything you could need to relax and unwind. I travelled with my two small children aged 1 and 2 years old and we found the cottage to be extremely family friendly for them as well. We cant wait to visit again.
We had an amazing stay such a beautiful home in a beautiful area we didn't want to leave thankyou so much
Very peaceful and beautiful setting. Spacious accommodation with all needed. Owners are very friendly but don't impose. Had a much needed relaxing break. Very keen to return! Thank you Peter and Elsa!
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Attractions Near The Visiting House

While there'll be plenty to keep you entertained at The Visiting House itself, if you plan to get out and about and see some of what West Lothian has to offer, here are some of the nearby attractions you can enjoy during your stay. Please note that some of these activities and days out are paid and it's always a good idea to book in advance to secure your place where applicable.

Found a special day out near your cottage? Please let us know and we'll add it so that other visitors can enjoy it too!