Lough Eske Castle

The castle above Lough Eske was a ruin for decades before a careful rebuild returned it to use as a hotel. It sits in forty-three acres of mature woodland and gardens between the water and the Bluestack Mountains, a few minutes outside Donegal Town.

The older wing holds the grand public rooms, with stone fireplaces and high ceilings, while a modern extension houses the majority of bedrooms and a substantial spa with a thermal suite and indoor pool. It remains the only five-star hotel in the county.

Slieve League's sea cliffs, the Glenveagh National Park and the beaches of the Donegal Atlantic coast are all within an hour's drive, making it the natural base for the northern Wild Atlantic Way.