Since childhood we’ve been able to enjoy incredible days on the North Coast of Northern Ireland. From caravan and hotel stays to random day trips with our respective families. At the time we didn’t imagine that we would open our own self catering family accommodation in the area.
In 2014 we started looking for holiday homes near Ballycastle and this one was on the market. We both fell head over heels in love with the house which had been successfully run as a holiday let for over 10 years, but the owner had fallen out of love with changing beds and dealing with guests.
The large house gave us endless opportunities on a personal level – we envisaged living there ourselves as a family at some point in the future.
We had fresh ideas and within months of exchange had listed the house on the various websites to host guests from other countries.
Whether it’s tourists from as far afield as China, or a local lady escaping renovation works in her house for a week (this happens far more than we ever could have predicted!), we love hosting guests and helping them have a fantastic stay.
We quickly saw the potential to allow families of multiple generations stay under one roof and nothing pleases us more than when Nanny and Grandad say that they’ve had the best holiday of their lives.
Ballycastle for tourism
Personally, we’re infatuated with Ballycastle. Yes, just a 20 minute drive along the coast road gets you into Portrush, but we feel that Portrush is just that little bit too over-crowded for our liking. The tourist town of Portrush doesn’t quite have the personal touch that Ballycastle does.
When you shop locally in Ballycastle, you feel like you’re adding to the community.
The events and family activities in the area tend to have retained the personal touch that we’ve probably all moved away from.
Whether it’s a day at Ballycastle Beach, or things to do in the wider area of Ballycastle – there’s always something for families to enjoy.
Whilst we offer an open fire, a patio area and the things that families need, we just like to think of ourselves as a nice place to rest your head at the end of a long day of fun and activities. Nanny often heads back to Forestside House early to start dinner for the rest of the family, just for that extra taste of home! Or your Aunt opens a bottle of her favourite wine and decides that she’s going to spend the day with a good book on the patio.
We have a fully enclosed garden, and find that guests love nothing more than letting their children play on the climbing frame and swings when they first arrive. To get you up and running we’ve written a short guide to the area.
We want you to have exactly the type of holiday or break that you need.
Our lives are often far too busy and distracted. My favourite thing to do is stand on the patio in the morning and take in the countryside views and quietness that the location provides, whilst my wife Lisa takes the dogs a walk down the nearby forest trails.
The quietness never gets old. Working in Belfast makes me appreciate the time out from the hustle and bustle.
We’ve had our own great get-togethers in the house and cottage where there’s always room. Friends from all over the UK and Ireland head up and stay and we hope you can enjoy these precious times with your family and friends.
Want to know more about our family self-catering accommodation in Ballycastle? Just contact us for more information, or book now to secure your dates.