Lough Mardal Lodge

There is nothing quite like staying in a Yurt. A simple yet magical dwelling with wooden lattice walls and radial rafters, it evokes a sense of the exotic. Originally the homes of the nomads of Central Asia the Yurts at Lough Mardal Lodge have been adapted for today and have been chosen for their high-tech insulation, warmth and durability which is required for the occasionally temperamental weather on the north west coast of Ireland! ​On a lakeside setting of 90 acres of bogland all the Yurts are well-spaced ensuring seclusion and privacy. Each sleep up to 4 people and are luxuriously furnished with a comfortable seating area and they are individually styled with sheepskins, handmade Donegal tweed woolllen blankets, heavy 15 Tog duvets, fluffed pillows and crisp bed linen. All have en suite toilets, private verandas with beautiful views of lake, mountain and forest. There is also a Shepherd's Hut which sleeps 2.

All accommodation is completely off-grid however guests can enjoy all the facilities of the communal Lodge, an eco building constructed out of strawbales with a grass roof. It has a fully equipped self-catering kitchen, dining area, toilets and hot showers. Its main feature however is the striking Reciprocal Room, a large hang-out space with spiralling beams overhead, bathed in light offering panoramic views. Cosy up in front of the huge fireplace with a book, play cards, meet fellow travellers or plan the day's activities. It offers a warm refuge after a swim in the lake or a day hiking. On site activities include swimming, fishing and hiking. Off site you can go surfing and beach horse-riding, which can be arranged by us on request.

Located 20 minutes from Donegal Town, just 5km off the Wild Atlantic Way, the site at Lough Mardal has lush wildflower meadows and glistening lake shorelines, vast expanses of soft mossy bogland and heather-covered hills with sweeping panoramic views of Donegal Bay and its neighbouring mountain ranges. Two of Donegal's finest beaches are within a 10 minute drive.

"Few places do it better", The Irish Examiner

Ecotourism
The Lodge building is a natural building - it was made as eco as possible using locally sourced roundwood timber, strawbales and lime for the external walls and cob (earth, sand and straw) for the internal walls. On top there is green roof alive with the grasses and wildflowers excavated from the earth around it, blending the building with the landscape from which it came. We chose to build using strawbales as it is a wondeful construction method which leaves a small carbon footprint due to its sustainable properties, it is 100% biodegradable (when the time comes) and its high-insulation qualites making it excellently energy efficient. Lough Mardal Lodge is an Intermediary Member of Sustainable Travel Ireland and believes passionately in the importance of protecting our natural environment. There is a Sustainability Policy in place which staff and guests are asked to respect. We do not claim to tick every sustainability box but little by little we are trying to offer a more responsible holiday experience to the ever-increasinly number of people who now wish to holiday more concientiously.