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Whispering Willows - The Bungalow

(Ref. 936116)

Carndonagh, County Donegal Show on map

4.8

Sykes rating

  • 6 Guests

  • 3 Bedrooms

  • 1 Bathroom

  • Pets: No

Features

  • Off road parking
  • Ground floor accommodation
  • Ground floor bedroom
  • Open fire
  • Garden / Patio
  • Cot available
  • Highchair available
  • Pub/shop < 1 mile
  • Washing machine
  • Dishwasher
  • Sky TV
  • Broadband / WiFi

What guests have said

Accuracy of the listing
Cleanliness
Comfort
Facilities and Maintenance
  • All reviews
  • cottage (17)
  • stay (11)
  • beautiful (9)
  • well (9)
  • our (9)
  • fiona (8)

25 Customer Reviews

  • "The property was spotless and had everything we needed for our 4 day trip."

    Reviewed by Gordon5.0Apr 2025

  • "Clean, Cosy & Cute."

    ...Home from Home. Stayed a week with my family and will definitely be coming back again. The house has everything you need, so easily warmed with cosy beds. The outside space is perfect for families with young children. Its is safe and secure and very pretty. Host Fiona is very on the ball with any concerns.

    Reviewed by Diane5.0Mar 2025

  • "Excellent Would Book Again"

    Reviewed by Gerard5.0Aug 2024

  • "We loved our stay in this cottage, clean, tidy with a particularly well stocked kitchen."

    Donegal itself is beautiful and a week was not nearly long enough.

    Reviewed by David4.4Aug 2024

  • "A very well equipped cottage in a lovely area of Donegal."

    Nicely laid out rear patio area complete with hammock/outdoor lighting and well stocked borders at the front. However, a damp/fusty smell in the bedroom area (where wood cladding is bulging out) could not be eliminated by scented sprays. This aspect put a negative slant on our stay at Whispering Willows. Secondly, a small low step, (in addition to the ordinary step coming out of the bathroom) could not easily be seen, as it was in same wood as the main floor, and resulted in my wife and son stumbling on several occasions when coming out of the bathroom. Some high Vis tape around the edges could easily prevent a potentially bad fall. If these points are addressed the cottage would be a perfect spot for a quiet stay.

    Thank you for your feedback, we are very glad you enjoyed the cottage. We are very sorry to hear about the issues you had during your visit, we have not had any complaints raised previously by any guests regarding this concern. You can see by our other feedback that everyone had had a fantastic time at Whispering willows - The bungalow. We really wished you would have contacted us immediately as we would have attended to inspect the bedroom for you. Apologies, but we found no issues following the change over. We do ask guests to contact us if they need any assistance at all so we can ensure they have the best stay possible. This is an old cottage and this is what brings to it's character and appeal. We take all feedback on board to ensure comfortable stays moving forward. thanks Property Owner

    Reviewed by Ronald3.4May 2024

  • "Very comfortable stay, spacious, very good beds, clean linen, lots of towels provided, materials to light the fire, spacious clean bathroom, good heating system."

    Every need is catered for in the kitchen: cooker, dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer. Lovely outdoor space to the rear.

    Reviewed by Philip5.0Apr 2024

  • "A truly lovely property, and a wonderful base for a holiday to the west of Ireland."

    The kids loved the garden and sharing a bedroom, and the little touches in the properly made all the difference (eg condiments, soaps, menus and guides to the area). Shops and restaurants are handy and plentiful. Really recommend Simpsons for dinner, we had wonderful food and service and the kids were happy to get punky ice creams! I would recommend Whispering Willows to couples/families looking for a base to explore the area and beyond.

    Reviewed by Kirsty4.4Aug 2023

  • "Fabulous stay in a lovely cottage with a great garden to chill in."

    Spotlessly and Fiona was very helpful during our stay. Excellent location for touring the local area and we were blessed with wonderful weather. Stunning scenery is aplenty!!

    Reviewed by Victoria5.0May 2023

  • "The Bungalow was absolutely charming place to stay."

    Surrounded by beautiful countryside with the sounds of wildlife close by. We enjoyed exploring Donegal fantastic beaches, taking time-out to sample local Irish food, which was delicious. Cannot recommend the accommodation highly enough. Its fantastic!

    Reviewed by Martin5.0Apr 2023

  • "Beautiful well equipped cottage"

    Reviewed by Bernadette5.0Sep 2022

  • "This accommodation was way above our expectations."

    House was warm and cosy. The location is a very pleasant 10 minute walk to Simpsons for a bite to eat or a drink and a twenty minute walk into the town of Carndonagh. There is ample secure car parking at the cottage and beautiful beaches within a twenty minute drive (highly recommned Shroove). There were many little nice touches such as torches, matches/lighters, umbrellas, rugs to use outside in the garden, the hammock, scented soaps, box for dirty shoes and much much more. We would highly recommend a stay at whispering willows for anyone looking for a peaceful and tranquil get away. It ticked all the boxes and more for us. We will most definitely be booking another stay in the not to distance future.

    Reviewed by Sean5.0Sep 2022

  • "Lovely quaint cottage in a beautiful County."

    Fiona was only a call away and was extremely helpful with any issues that arose. Great spot as a base to tour the North of Ireland.

    Reviewed by Pamela5.0Apr 2022

  • "Great house, quaint but modern at the same time, really good mix."

    We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would really recommend it. The broadband was good (always helpfully for teenagers), lovely private garden. Location was very central to the Inis Eoghain peninsula.

    Reviewed by Colm5.0Jul 2021

  • "We had stay for 5 nights and it was really comfortable, clean and worm the cottage."

    Mi husband and I we really enjoyed the holiday. People in the village very friendly and we went only one time for diner in the Oliver Restaurant..Really good the food..after that they close for Christmas and for lockdwon.

    Reviewed by Elena Daniela5.0Dec 2020

  • "Everything was exceptionally clean, convenient to everywhere, beautiful surroundings and very peaceful."

    Reviewed by Margaret5.0Sep 2020

  • "Lovely holiday cottage , very well kept and presented inside and out."

    So many little things there that you might need- torches, batteries, scissors. Loads of information on site on the local area. Clear instructions on heating etc. Everything very well thought through which made it very easy for us to settle in and feel at home quickly. Fiona, the owner was more than helpful and checked in with us throughout our stay. Fond memories of Whispering Willows.

    Reviewed by Wendy4.4Jun 2019

  • "We had the loveliest week in Fiona's cottage, which provided the perfect base for exploring the beautiful Inishowen peninsula."

    The cottage was so cute with cosy beds, a fabulous open turf fire and came equipped with everything you would want in a holiday cottage. The location was also ideal; under 5 minutes to the town of Carndonagh but also surrounded by open countryside to provide the perfect escape from the city. Additionally, Fiona was the perfect host who provided plenty of recommendations and tips for things to do and restaurants, as well as arranging to post a jacket to me which I left behind! Would highly recommend visiting both Fiona's cottage and north-west Donegal.

    Reviewed by Kate5.0Jun 2019

  • "Very warm cosy welcome with cottage heating switched on prior to us arriving."

    Beds were very comfortable with nice white bedding, throws and even hot water bottles for each bed provided. Plenty of additional towels tea towels and extra home comforts provided. The owner is very helpful and easily contacted if any queries arise. Would recommend if you require a peaceful setting for your holiday .

    Reviewed by Norma4.4Apr 2019

  • "Cottage was spotlessly clean with loads of extras like tea coffee jams sauces etc and lots of information on the area"

    Reviewed by Sean5.0Jul 2018

  • "We had a lovely stay in the cottage the location was ideal for what we wanted to do."

    . The cottage throughout was spotless, extremely comfortable (kids adored the corner sofa). Everything worked perfectly but what made it special was the little touches that you have that make it better than a hotel stay. The umbrellas and torches at the door ready for use, the books dvds and games available, the jams, tea coffee etc that are in the kitchen. Your welcome book is very well laid out and planned it’s clear a lot of time and effort went into it. They are small things but they mean a lot. Since coming back work colleagues etc have been asking about the cottage and I have been recommending that if anyone is considering heading up to your part of the country they should definitely consider the whispering willows as a place to stay and will continue to do so, if we are ever having an extended holiday in Donegal again it would certainly be very close to the top of our list. Thank you for the use of your cottage we had a lovely time

    Reviewed by John5.0Jul 2018

  • "Whispering Willows is ideally placed for exploring both Northern Donegal and across Lough Foyle into Northern Ireland."

    Unfortunately for us the Foyle Ferry was not operating which does put on additional time reaching attractions such as the Giant's Causeway. There are some fantastic places to visit closer at hand all of which were very well detailed in the guest book. The cottage is very well equipped with an abundance of coffee/tea and other essentials. Fiona the owner, although we did not meet was very easily contacted and readily available to offer help/advice. The weather whilst we were there was not the best with rain and strong winds, the wind especially seemed to draw the heat out of the cottage such that the back boiler in the fire did not seem to heat the radiators. There is however a secondary oil fired system which does require the insertion of 1 euro coins, the 2 euro facility does not work. When this was loaded the cottage heated up very quickly. A normal metered system with readings and payment/unit may be easier for people. 1 euros seemed to be hard to get for some reason. Heating apart ( which Fiona was made aware of), the cottage was fantastic and we would most certainly try to re-visit in the summer to make the most of the fantastic beaches close at hand.

    Reviewed by Malcolm5.0Mar 2018

  • "Fiona has presented this property in first class condition."

    We are a family of 4 ( kids aged 9 & 11 ) the location of the property made Derry and the Giants Causeway very accessible. The cottage comes with Sky Tv and the Wi-Fi was very dependable. Simpsons bar ( a 20 minute walk ) is very reasonable priced and a good spot for an evening meal. Would highly recommended this cottage.

    Reviewed by Vincent4.8Oct 2017

  • "Fiona is very nice despite the problem of the language (French) Put a coat hanger in the bathroom Possibility to turn off the heating when the weather is hot outside Cottage very well located and very nice."

    Reviewed by Serge4.8May 2017

  • "What a beautiful cottage."

    My husband and I stayed in the bungalow with friends in early May 2017 and we were all so pleased with this cosy, well equipped, spotlessly clean rental accommodation. The sun shone for us during our stay in Donegal and Whispering Willows was a wonderful home from home for us after our days out exploring the beautiful scenery in Donegal. Great pub nearby for food. Very close to Doagh Famine Village (well worth a visit!) and loads more to see and do in Donegal. Loved every minute of it and would highly recommend this accommodation.

    Reviewed by Teresa5.0May 2017

  • "The cottage was beautiful, comfortable, and had every amenity that you could possibly need."

    The owner had provided little extras and a store cupboard of basic (and a bit more) cooking essentials as a starter. A detailed pack was provided giving information on the cottage and the surrounding area. It was a home away from home, and would have no hesitation in booking again or recommending it to friends.

    Reviewed by Lesley5.0Aug 2016

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Summary

  • All ground-floor accommodation
  • 3 bedrooms: 1 twin leading to 1 king-size double, plus 1 double room
  • Bathroom with bath, shower over, basin and WC
  • Cozy sitting room with open fire
  • Bright and spacious dining room with extra seating
  • Fully equipped kitchen with everything you need for home cooking.
  • Oil central heating with back boiler for hot water and cozy open fire
  • Multi-fuel stove available with back boiler
  • Optional oil heating via coin meter (1 Euro coins)
  • Additional Turf available on-side via honesty box
  • Electricity and starter pack for the fire included.Smart TV with Netflix, Freeview, and app access Bluetooth speaker, high-quality WiFi, cookery books, and board games
  • Bed linen and towels included
  • Travel cot and highchair available on request
  • Ample off-road parking and a large storage shed
  • Enclosed patio with outdoor furniture – perfect for sunny days
  • Sorry, no pets and no smoking
  • Shop, pub, and restaurant just 1 mile away
  • BBQs not permitted due to fire safety regulations
  • Can be booked with Ref
  • 928919 (Whispering Willows – The Thatch) to sleep 8

The property

Welcome to Whispering Willows – The Bungalow Tucked away on a peaceful country lane just a mile from the lively town of Carndonagh, this charming ground-floor bungalow offers a warm and relaxing escape on Donegal’s breathtaking Inishowen Peninsula.

Whether you’re planning a family break, a getaway with friends, or booking alongside our neighbouring thatched cottage (Ref. 928919) for a larger group, this welcoming retreat is the perfect home base for exploring Ireland’s rugged north coast. The Cottage experience: Comfortable, traditional, and full of character, this lovely home is ideal for families or small groups looking for a quiet yet well-connected place to stay.

Gather around the open fire in the sitting room after a day of exploring, share a meal in the bright dining room, or relax outside in the private patio area with a drink in hand. The kitchen comes fully stocked with everything from bakeware to a slow cooker—perfect for preparing hearty meals after a day at the beach or walking the hills. Explore the area: In every season, Whispering Willows offers peace and beauty—from summer butterflies and flowerpots in bloom to the snowy peaks of Slieve Snaght in winter.

Just a mile away, Carndonagh (“Carn” to the locals) has a great mix of shops, cafes, pubs, and live music venues to enjoy. Stunning beaches like Culdaff, Stroove, and Five Finger Strand are just a short drive away, offering spectacular sea views and plenty of space to roam.

Discover hidden gems like Kinnego Bay or venture to Malin Head, Ireland’s northernmost point, for panoramic views and unbeatable photo ops. The area is rich in history, nature, and activities—from dolphin spotting and birdwatching to golfing at world-renowned courses like Ballyliffin and Greencastle.

For foodies, nearby Ballyliffin is home to Nancy’s Barn, an award-winning spot for seafood chowder! Adventures & Activities Whether you fancy horse riding on the beach, dolphin spotting, boat trips,sea fishing, golfing at world-class courses, or sampling award-winning chowder at Nancy’s Barn in Ballyliffin, you’ll find something to love.

Summer festivals, country music, raft races, and treasure hunts add to the lively community spirit. For day trips, consider visiting the historic city of Derry, the bustling towns of Buncrana or Letterkenny, or even taking a ferry across to the iconic Antrim Coastline.

Whispering Willows – Where tradition, comfort, and adventure meet.

Your unforgettable Irish escape awaits.

Note: This property has a Good Housekeeping bond of £300.

Where you’ll be staying

CARNDONAGH, COUNTY DONEGAL

Malin Head 12 miles; Buncrana 12 miles; Derry 22 miles.

Situated on the Inishowen Peninsula in North Donegal lies the small, pretty town of Carndonagh. Only a stone’s throw from the shores of Trawbeaga Bay, Carndonagh is home to the site of the Donagh Cross, which was once part of an early Christian monastery founded by the patron Saint Patrick. Boasting a lovely selection of cafes, pubs and shops, the town also has a strong reputation for traditional music and culture with many musicians, artists and writers making it their home. Within a short distance from Carndonagh are some superb beaches and ideal family spots at Culdaff, Kinnagoe Bay and Five Fingers strand to name a few, Ballyliffin golf course and Malin Head, Ireland’s most northern point.

This property offers the following short breaks:

  • Winter
  • Off-season
  • Last minute
  • Christmas