Shepherds' Retreat

We Absolutely loved our stay, out in the middle of nowhere was heaven.

Waking up each morning to just the sound of nature was bliss. Shepherds Retreat was everything I had imagined and more. The surrounding area is breathtaking and Murphy the dog had a great time. It definitely is somewhere that I'd visit again.

Very comfortable and quiet, with great walks right on your doorstep.

The cottage was spacious than the photos on its website would lead you to believe. No internet or phone, so it's great for relaxing with a book, but there is a TV and dvd player. Kitchen is well equipped with everything I needed. The open fire was appreciated. The view of Sperrins from the cottage are breathtaking and I would love to bring a good camera to really capture it's beauty. It is very isolated, so be prepared to drive quite a bit for groceries, if you're a townie like me, this will be a unique experience on the very narrow roads, but over all, a great way to see the countryside. My Mum and her dog loved it. Being able to open the door to let her noddle dog stretch his legs was great and he loved the walks. I feel the fresh country air was really beneficial to my health and the disconnect from the internet has revaluated how I want to spend my time at home. One thing I would do next time is bring a flyswatter or something else to keep the flies at bay. It is the countryside, so I should have expected plenty of them, but it's not deal breaker and I look forward to staying here again in the future.

Lovely cottage, lovely views, perfect for dogs and walking!

Lovely cottage in the middle of nowhere if you are looking to escape social media and work it’s perfect

We found the place easily enough, the directions provided were really good.

A What3Words marker would also be helpful. It was one of the cleanest place we have ever stayed in on holiday, it was amazing to arrive in such a clean, tranquil space. All the beds were very comfortable and our daughters had more than enough space to share in the twin room. As expected the mobile signal is rubbish, but that is one of the reasons we wanted to stay there; just disconnect and get away. Highly recommended to anyone who wants a quality break!!

We booked this beautiful little remote cottage for a week to take our anxious dog away from fireworks on Halloween.

It did not disappoint!!! Waking up to the scenery, quietness and the fire blazing every morning was nothing short of pure bliss. There is no WiFi or signal but that just added to the most perfect relaxing week with a good book and beautiful forest walks. If you’re looking to get away from reality for a while this is the location for you!❤️ we can’t wait to book again!

This property is exactly what i was looking for.

Secluded and the scenery is fantastic. It is also dog friendly which is a bonus and brilliant walks near the property which is fab and also nearby. The property itself had everything you needed to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the surroundings. Plus side that there was no wifi or very little reception so no one could get you... I would recommend this to anyone who has dogs as mine enjoyed every minute of the walks.

Nothing but green as far as the eye can see – wonderful.

Unfortunately, there is no mobile phone reception and no landline for emergencies, which is a bit inconvenient. For me, there were too many carpets for a holiday home, especially as it is pet-friendly. As in any holiday home, the pans need replacing and the knives don't cut. But the cottage is so cosy and the location so beautiful that I would buy it immediately if I had the means to do so.

This cottage is in a very remote and isolated location within the Sperrins.

It is best to approach the cottage during daytime due to the small roads and potholes. And there is nearly no network coverage. But if you are ready for a week within a lovely valley where you just listen to nature but not to cars off from the grid, you will be rewarded with a cosy home. There is a small kitchen, a nice dining room, a very nice extended living room with great views to the surrounding nature and a fireplace, two bedrooms, and one bath room. The bedroom with the double bed is quite small, more or less just the bed fits into that room. There are nice walking tours possible right from the cottage including one along the small river.

It was perfect, thanks for a lovely holiday

We've had a perfect stay.

Owner was very friendly. The cottage was superb.The location was top. Very remote, but we like it that way. It was one of the best we have ever rented. We'll be back hopefully.

The cottage was very nice and we really liked it.

You have to know that you're really secluded, but that's exactly what we were looking for. We can only recommend it.

If you like isolation then this the property is for you.

Quite remote and I think that this could have been explained better in the property details. If your life is controlled by your mobile then this property will also be an issue for you as no WIFI or phone signal. Cottage was generally in good order but bathroom could do with a facelift especially the radiator. Also the microwave has seen better days. Property just needs some TLC... I would suggest updating photos as I think they may be a few years old or update property to look more like photos especially outside! I do not wish to sound too critical as some people will absolutely love this property but unfortunately not for me and my partner and I should have conducted better research.

Lovely 5 day stay here with the kids they really enjoyed it,views were stunning,It was a nice switch off from everything,we will be back soon we did gortin forest,davagh forest for walking todds leap for adventure,zip lining and off roading sperring alpacas, lovely walk with them and got to feed them

WE THOROUGHLY ENJOYED OUR HOLIDAY IN IRELAND.

THE COTTAGE WAS VERY ADEQUATELY COMFORTABLE. THE OUTSIDE APPEARANCE WAS NOT AS PORTRAYED IN THE ADVERTISING PICTURE. NO GRASS HAD BEEN CUT MAKING THE OUTSIDE VERY UNKEPT IN APPEARANCE. THE BENCH ON THE PICNIC TABLE WAS NOT SECURED PROPERLY CAUSING A FALL FOR ONE OF US.

Lovely place to stay very peaceful, perfect if you like to be away from it all.

Easy to find, follow the written directions they are excellent. Roads are bumpy but only in some places other than that are in very good condition compared to Northumberland! The cottage was very clean snd homely. Only internet was on the forest track 4g. Particularly appreciated the enclosed garden as we have a dog

Loved the Shepherd’s Retreat.

Everything we needed was provided including the welcome scones, bottled water & generous logs for fire. Thoroughly enjoyed switching off from world and enjoying peace. Recommend using road from Draperstown to head into cottage as we tried all the various routes and it was by far the best road (watch out for sheep/lambs on roads). Only slightly negative feedback was from my friend who slept in double bed who said mattress could do with replacing as it’s sagging and too uncomfortable for good night sleep. Single beds were super comfortable though. Only addition I’d recommend would be putting in a phone for emergencies (locked against outgoing calls all but emergency ones) as if our families needed us they’d have had to wait for us to leave the valley to get in touch.

Really enjoyed our short break inthe Shepard's Retreat, couldn't fault the house or the facilities.

If traveling on my own I would have struggled to find the house as Google Maps left us literally on a narrow road in an extremely remote area. The address should be correct as we found three different post codes for the same address. Disappointed that the owners didn't contact me to see if we found the house okay. We had no contact details for them in advance of travelling. Information was in the house on our arrival. Considering how remote the house is, the owners contact details should be on the confirmation booking. Definitely enjoyed the break, but wouldn't be booking anything so remote in the future.

Beautiful comfy cottage, with great open fire, well supplied with logs.

Very remote, and in the winter when we stayed this was a bit limiting. If you want to really escape from the hurly burly this is the place for you.

It has been the most amazing experience ever.

The cottage is situated just in the middle of the most amazing place on this planet. Congratulations to the owners for the idea of turning into a lovely cottage to allow others enjoy these breathtaking views. Magic and more magic A few days is not enough to heal the soul from the city, busy life, trafić but it is a good begining.

It was an amazing get away for us and the dogs.

The fenced area is of perfect size to let them run free and play. The location is very remote, which is what we were looking for to de-stress from the hectic city life. The cosy house provides everything you would find in your own household. Would highly recommend if one wants to get away from it all :)

A fantastic place very remote

Returning visitors.

It was very nice to come back to Shepherd’s Retreat. We loved our stay last time and this time too. It’s an amazing place to relax and explore the woodlands area. Our dogs have an amazing time and many walks.

The cottage was lovely and everything we needed was there and if you like walking and complete silence away from the biz then this is the place for you it's complete tranquility.

A great place for gathering your thoughts as there is no phone signals or WiFi to bother.

The cottage is in a beautiful place, no neighbours.

The scenery is beautiful, we enjoyed the birds ,and wildlife . Walking from the cottage is lovely ,along the river etc . Our downside is definitely the lack of broadband or mobile signal . We had to drive around a mile to get a signal . Maybe a payphone in the cottage would be good , enabling people to make a call to keep in touch with family in emergency...

Another enjoyable stay.

Definitely would recommend. The setting is stunning.

Fantastic cottage, clean and well equipped.

Very restful, amazing views, time flew. Great getaway.

Lovely property ,really clean everything you could possibly need it is a very peaceful setting the only downside you can't get an Internet connection although we were made aware of this I thought we could send a SMS but we couldn't however we really enjoyed it and we're very well rested

Fantastic holiday we stayed for 5 days.

We loved the house. It had everything except Internet and mobile network which was great Beautiful scenery and quiet. We will go back again and We will recommend to my family and friends

This cottage was just everything But the roads leading there were very bad very narrow and broken at sides also pot holes everywhere needed my wellies to open the gat someone kept closing the gat at night and it was very weird as there was no wind or anyone who lived near had a good time but dogs were scared of the dark

It is a completely unique location and an amazingly lovely spot.

The cottage is well thought out with everything needed being in place. Absolutely brilliant for anyone with dogs with even covers provided. I highly recommend this cottage to anyone who just wants to get away from it all.

Very quiet location.

Lovely secure garden for the greyhounds to play and everything you need for a holiday. Definitely recommend

Beautiful location bungalow well maintained met owner and was very friendly bringing more logs for fire.

Highly recommend this place. Certainly consider staying here again

Great cottage, clean and comfy, no phone signal which we found as a positve, but loads to do in the area

Super little cottage in a gorgeous location.

There's so much stuff to do in the area that we've already booked to go back.

No all very good, absolutely clean lovely cottage in a beautiful setting.

Shepherds Retreat is an exceptional cottage.

Very remote with no mobile phone signal it suits anyone looking to take a break from everyday pressure. We have stayed here three times and we love it.

The location and quality of the accommodation

As there is no mobile signal, it would have been better if there was a telephone in the property for emergencies.

There were only two good things about this cottage.

The view and the heating. The rest was unacceptably bad.We booked this cottage after confirming by phone with Sykes from the owner that there was a gate on the property . No gate until we complained and was fitted Friday, did not fit so was adjusted Friday evening, too late for our holiday. They admitted trouble with contract cleaners and when we arrived late, dishwasher still full of previous week’s crockery, house very dirty. Cooker should be condemned. Pots and oven trays and toaster replaced Monday night, dispute over rest of cottage which I had spent time on cleaning so we could even sleep and eat there. I was unsure if sheets and pillowcases had been changed as smelt sweaty. Curtains off poles. Shabby furnishings. Shower drain no cover. Pans rusty and kettle so full of limescale that we stopped using it by end of week. Chopping board a health hazard. I am sure that they have done some very necessary work on this place in view of my many complaints but booker beware. This was the worst cottage we have ever stayed in over the years and I found Sykes to be slow with action taken, which wasn’t much. What isn’t mentioned in the information is that you are advised to use bottled water due to the high magnesium levels. However they did supply some bottles. Have not submitted a review until now as my husband taken I’ll on return from holiday.

Really nice cottage with fantastic views across the hills and mountains.

It had everything we needed and theowners were always helpful and attentive when we needed them. Would highly recommend and hope to go back ourselves one day

If you want peace and quiet, a lovely view and a wide range of walking locations at your door or within a 15 minute drive then this is a great cottage.

If you are looking for night life, easy access to main roads and towns with a good variety of shops then don't choose this cottage. We loved it.

Lovely quiet setting, no internet so the kids went feral and also remembered that it is just lovely to sit and read a book sometimes whilst watching lambs running about in the fields.

The main attractions are a drive away but only an hour or so and it is not like the roads are busy. Nothing not to like about this place and would be a great spot to go walking from in the Sperrins if we had stayed longer. Will definately be back

After staying in a house with a lot of soul this house felt a little bit chilly.

Both literally and figuratively. The heating took a long time to work, but in the end is was nice and warm. Wood and matches were provided same as for the rest of the necessary supplies. However, you could see that the house wasn't rented out for a while. Comfort wise the beds were of ok quality, but not extremely comfy. No cellphone reception in the house and hardly outside. So it would have been nice if WI-Fi was provided. For the rest, everything met our expectations. The views were outstanding.

Fabulous location which is ideal for walkers with stunning countryside and idyllic landscapes.

Perfect for anyone seeking solitude, to escape the madding crowd.

Lovely cottage very peaceful beautiful scenery nice to have an open fire which made it very cosy central for touring the superfine with some interesting towns excellent for walking the dogs .

Absolutely beautiful cottage and surrounding clean and tidy.

One thing I would suggest is bring a good insect repellent as got bitten a lot . Had a wonderful stay.