The Hideaway - Shore House

Down a quiet country lane on the Inishowen Peninsula, the gates open and you arrive at The Hideaway. The Shore House is a restored 1895 period home set into the gardens, with its sunroom looking out across Lough Foyle and the rest of the site spread around it. Three bedrooms sleeping up to eight, a living room and a sunroom with views of the water, a Stanley range at the heart of the kitchen, and the kind of original character a hundred and thirty years of a house gives a place. Fifteen minutes from Derry city. Five minutes from The Muff Liquor Company. A few steps from the covered hot tub, the Shebeen, and the fairy gardens.

The Shore House is the house at the heart of The Hideaway. The pods are tucked into the gardens, characterful and quiet in their own way; the Shore House is the gathering place — the kitchen-as-heart-of-the-home, the long table for the slow Saturday breakfast, the sunroom where someone's always going to settle in with a book and end up watching the light change over Lough Foyle. The Stanley range warms the kitchen and the radiators take care of the rest of the house. Heated, comfortable, properly lived-in.

A note on screens. There's no TV in the Shore House — that's a deliberate choice. The Shebeen across the gardens has a smart TV, a Bluetooth speaker, a karaoke machine and a wood-burning stove if you fancy a screen-and-music night, but the Shore House itself is the quieter part of the offer. Conversation, board games, the kitchen, the sunroom, the gardens, books, a long meal that nobody's rushing. It's the slow part of the weekend.

It works best for couples on a longer break, two couples weekending together, a best-friends reunion, anniversaries, milestone birthdays where six or eight close adults gather. Small families are warmly welcome too — there's space for kids to roam between the gardens, the fairy path and the house itself, and the wider site is gated and private once you're through the entrance.

Sleeping arrangements: three bedrooms, sleeping up to eight. Two doubles upstairs. A third double bedroom downstairs, with both a double bed and a double sofa bed in the room — so the downstairs room sleeps up to four, ideal for a couple plus children, or two close friends. The main bathroom is upstairs with a full bath, shower and toilet, and there's a second toilet downstairs. Small non-shedding dogs are welcome — bring them along, just mention them on enquiry.

You'll share the wider Hideaway with our other guests in the pods: the seven-berth covered hot tub with Bluetooth speaker, the Shebeen (our BYOB social hut with pool table, dart board, karaoke and wood-burning stove), the Wee Ceili House outdoor area with open fire and pizza oven, the BBQ, and the enchanting gardens with the fairy path, hawthorn tree, healing well and wildlife pond. Parking is shared with the wider site — plenty of space.

The Shore House is the only house of its kind on the site — four pods sleeping twelve in total, and one period home sleeping eight. It's the slow-mornings, big-dinners, long-talks part of The Hideaway. Minimum stay is two nights, year-round.

Booking with a group? The Shore House can be booked alongside all four pods for full-site exclusive hire — sleeps 20, perfect for hen weekends, family gatherings, corporate retreats and wellness retreats. The whole site closed to other guests, the whole place yours. See our group bookings page for full-site exclusive hire from €1,150 per night.

Frequently asked questions

How many people does Shore House sleep?

Up to eight. Two double bedrooms upstairs, plus a downstairs bedroom with a double bed and a double sofa bed in the same room.

How are the bathrooms arranged?

The main bathroom is upstairs with a full bath, shower and toilet. There's a second toilet downstairs.

Is there a TV at Shore House?

No — and that's deliberate. The Shore House is set up as the quieter, screen-free part of The Hideaway, for proper conversation, slow mornings and long meals. If you want a screen night, the Shebeen across the gardens has a smart TV, karaoke and a wood-burning stove.

Are children welcome at Shore House?

Yes — families are welcome on standalone Shore House bookings. The site is gated and private once you're through the entrance, with plenty of space for kids in the gardens. Just bear in mind you'll be sharing the wider site (hot tub, Shebeen, gardens) with guests staying in the pods, who are mostly couples and small adult groups.

Is there a kitchen we can cook in?

Yes — the Shore House has its own fully equipped kitchen with the Stanley range, gas hob, oven, dishwasher, fridge-freezer and everything you'd need for full self-catering. The communal kitchen by the pods is for pod guests; the Shore House kitchen is yours alone.

What's the heating like in winter?

The Stanley range keeps the kitchen warm and the rest of the house is heated by radiators throughout. The Shore House is fully heated year-round and works as a winter break as much as a summer one — the sunroom catches whatever light a short Donegal day gives you.

What's the minimum stay at Shore House?

Two nights — same year-round, whether you're booking midweek, weekends or peak season.

Can we book the whole site exclusively?

Yes — the Shore House plus all four pods can be booked as a full-site buyout, sleeping up to twenty. Popular for hen weekends, family milestones, corporate retreats and wellness gatherings. Full-site rates start at €1,150 per night.

Are dogs welcome at Shore House?

Yes — small non-shedding dogs are welcome on both standalone Shore House bookings and full-site stays. €25 per dog per stay, maximum two dogs per booking. Owners look after clean-up around the gardens, and dogs stay off beds and furniture. The gardens, fairy path and grounds are made for a wander.