AS ATMOSPHERIC settings go, it would be fairly hard to trump Dunloughan Lake Cottage at Ballyconneelly in west Connemara, Co Galway.
Perched on the edge of Dunloughan lake, it has views sweeping down to the lake and over the Twelve Pins.
The four-bed cottage on 0.8 of an acre, which also comes with its own stone pier, is asking €550,000 through Knight Frank.
Close to Dunloughan beach and a five-minute drive from Ballyconneely village, where the annual pony show is held in July, the cottage has been renovated and extended by the current owners using local stone while retaining the original whitewashed cottage.
While the inside has plenty of character, with exposed brick walls, stone fireplaces and pitched pine ceilings, the abundance of light and glass means it isn’t particularly cottage-like.
For a start it’s a family-sized 176 sq m (1,897 sq ft). Both the dining room and the interconnecting living room are fairly spacious with plenty of windows and big glass sliding doors that give views of the lake.
Most of the living accommodation, including two of the bedrooms, is on the ground floor. Another reception room is currently used as a games room, and has a snooker table.
The kitchen is part of the open-plan living and dining area. It has beech fitted units and black marble countertops, a breakfast bar and a three-door Aga slotted into an alcove. On the first-floor dormer level there are two more bedrooms; both have fitted wardrobes and are en suite.
Outside, the house has a number of well-positioned terraces and the gardens are lovely with a mix of neat lawn, rockery and lush planting.
The private pier has some built-in seating at the water’s edge where you can take in the view.
Dunloughan Lake Cottage, Ballyconneely
Description:Four-bed lakeside cottage
Agent: Knight Frank
