Staycations in Northern Ireland 2021

It's been a while since we have posted a blog, things have been strange but we reckon like us you are ready to start planning your staycation. We all know how lucky we are to live in Northern Ireland, its not often we take the time to enjoy it.

Experience Northern Ireland like a tourist and soak up the beautiful scenery, indulge in the local food & drink, immerse yourself in unrivalled experiences and most importantly feel the warm welcome that the Northern Ireland has to offer.

INFORMATION ABOUT RE-OPENING

Under current government restrictions, Whitethorn Cottages are temporarily closed. If you wish to make a reservation for later in the year please continue on our website where you can view our availability/booking calendar.

. Check-in can now only take place on Friday or Tuesday.
. Friday check-in is for a minimum 3 night stay.
. Tuesday check in is for a 2 night stay.
. Visitors wishing to stay 5 nights or longer will be accommodated, as a priority. Visit our website for more information and to book

ACTIVITIES Near Whitethorn Cottages

There’s no reason to ever be bored when staying in Northern Ireland. Lots to Do and See in North Down and Ards

Ireland Off-Road Experience, Bangor, BT19 1RN, 028 9185 2111

Start your day by getting the adrenaline pumping at Clandeboye Estate. (treat yourself to some Clandeboye Yogurt) The estate comprises of 2,000 acres of private ground, gardens and a farm. Take the opportunity to try Off Road Driving, Digger skills, blind driving, 4x4 Estate tours, archery, dry stonewall building or even a helicopter trip!
 

Start your day with a walk. 

Try the Coastal Path, Bangor BT20 5ED Start your day with a seaside walk along Belfast Lough. Make sure you visit the Eisenhower Pier, which is located to the north of Bangor Marina at Bangor Lifeboat Station and is home to a colony of black guillemots who annually nest in the harbour wall. These are known affectionately as "Bangor Penguins". Before departing for the D-Day landings on the beaches of Normandy in June 1944, General Dwight D. Eisenhower inspected the 30,000 American soldiers and sailors. They gathered in three huge US Navy battleships (the Nevada, Texas and Arkansas) in Belfast Lough off Bangor. Follow the coastal path to Ballyholme where you can stop off for a coffee and relax in the village atmosphere. 

Take a Short Sea Cruise to experience beautiful views of Belfast Lough and perhaps some of the local well-known seals will follow the boat and join you on your journey. Listen to the stories of the sea from the local skipper, who is a well-known character in Bangor

Bangor's Walled Garden

This is considered by many to be a secret garden and is divided into four different sections, each with its own horticultural personality. It also boasts two unique pieces of sculpture inspired by the borough's maritime history. The Ward family designed the Bangor Castle Walled Garden in the 1840s. It was previously unopen to the public and is a real hidden gem! 

Take a day to visit Donaghadee

Donaghadee is located at Northern Ireland's closest point to Scotland and on most days the Scottish coast is visible to the naked eye. One of the most prominent features of the town is the Motte, or the Moat as it is known. The Moat dates back to 1818 but the site was previously used as a defensive position in the Bronze Age. Later it was improved and also provided protection against the Viking raids. Today the Moat is part of a park, giving views across the town and seawards to the Copeland Islands and, on clear days, to the Scottish coast and the Isle of Man. Donaghadee’s iconic lighthouse stands guard on the harbour keeping ships right in times of trouble with its beam and fog horn. This was a critical factor in the development of the town. Up until the middle of the 19th century Donaghadee was the province’s principal port before Belfast became the major city. The town is home to several popular pubs and eating venues making it a perfect spot to enjoy a hearty lunch and a pub crawl! Make sure you visit Grace Neills which is considered to be one of Ireland’s oldest pubs. Established in 1611, the bar carries the name of Grace Neill, who was given the bar as a wedding present by her father, Hugh Jamison. Grace was known to be a friendly woman with a strong spirit. She would frequently smoke a clay pipe and often greet customers coming into the pub with a hug and a kiss on the cheek and she reputedly is still a resident!

Five minutes to Newtownards

Head into the bustling town to enjoy a delicious lunch in the various eateries and why not indulge in some retail therapy in the independent shops and boutiques? 

Ards Blair Mayne Leisure and Wellbeing Complex, Newtownards, BT23 4DB 028 9181 2837

Finish your day with a relaxing trip to the newly opened £30million complex. Chill out in the Vitality pool, relax on heated loungers, ease muscle tension in the Sauna or the less humid samarium. Enjoy the sensory experience of the aroma Steam room, breathe in the benefits of the Salt Grotto and finish off with a rainforest shower!

On Down the peninsula

Rewind with a trip to Mount Stewart which is a neo-classical family home with some of the most unique gardens in the world. Voted as one of the top ten gardens in the world, Mount Stewart reflects a rich tapestry of design and planting artistry bearing the hallmark of its creator. Lady Londonderry’s passion for bold planting schemes coupled with the mild climate of Strangford Lough allows rare and tender plants from across the globe to thrive in this celebrated garden. Each of the formal gardens exudes a distinct character and appeal and further afield visitors can enjoy the beautifully landscaped and informal grounds surrounding the picturesque lake walk. You can stroll through the gardens or avail of one of our guided garden tours (with one of the knowledgeable gardening team) to the formal gardens and beyond. Come and see how the recent £7million restoration has transformed the house including new rooms on show, the opportunity to see nationally and internationally significant family portraits, stunning silver collections and other family treasures.

 

Head towards Belfast

Ulster American Folk Museum
Take a step back in time and explore 30 exhibit buildings which tell the story of Irish emigration in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries through a walking tour with costumed guides and traditional crafts. Travel between the Old World and the New World on the full-sized replica immigrant ship. For more information and to book tickets click here.

Ulster Folk & Transport Museum

Why visit one museum when you can visit two all in the one place? The Folk Museum contains replica buildings showing the 20th century rural way of life, while the Transport Museum features planes, trains and automobiles as well as a Titanic exhibition. Visit their website for more information and to book tickets.

Titanic Belfast and the Cranes 

You’ve heard a lot about the Titanic (and maybe even seen the movie) but this is a must do when in Belfast. From interactive displays, to recreations of cabins and of course the famous grand staircase Titanic Belfast has it all. And while you’re in the Titanic Quarter why not take in the Titanic Dock and Pump-House, SS Nomadic or HMS Caroline. For more information and to book tickets click here.

For more ideas on Activites just email us. There are 10 golf clubs with a 14 mile radius!

INFORMATION ABOUT RE-OPENING

Under current government restrictions, Whitethorn Cottages are temporarily closed. If you wish to make a reservation for later in the year please continue on our website where you can view our availability/booking calendar.

. Check-in can now only take place on Friday or Tuesday.
. Friday check-in is for a minimum 3 night stay.
. Tuesday check in is for a 2 night stay.
. Visitors wishing to stay 5 nights or longer will be accommodated, as a priority. Visit our website for more information and to book

About Whitethorn Cottages

We are pleased to say that Northern Ireland is re-opening!

It's been the most beautiful summer so far and we are keen 

to show you around.

We look forward to welcoming visitors to stay in our Home 

from Home self catering cottages. Our cottages are perfectly 

located in the heart of the countryside but close to amenities

 and produce that can be delivered to the doorstep. 

15 minutes drive from Belfast City centre and George Best 

Belfast City Airport, and less than 10 minutes from Bangor town

 centre and marina. It is a perfect base to enjoy North Down’s

 top visitor attractions, shopping, golf and leisure activities.

This self-catering accommodation is ideal for business 

executives, families, tourists, golfers or leisure and sports 

enthusiasts who require an overnight stay, a short break or 

holiday let.

Come stay with us in the countryside

When you stay with us you will find a treasure of local produce on our doorstop. 
  McKee’s a real family farm. And it makes all the difference in the world. They don’t just sell goods, they live and breathe farming, and our family has been doing that here in the Craigantlet Hills of North Down, Northern Ireland, since 1922. You can now order online, for more information visit their website. 

Visit them to pick your favourite produce or taste their produce in their restaurant. 

A plate full of goodness. 

Inside McKees farm shop. 

Are you a fan of Van Morrison?

Today his new album "The Prophet Speaks" is out. 

Vanatics are the most dedicated fans of Belfast's poetic, enigmatic, musical genius.

The 50th anniversary of the release of his most critically acclaimed album - Astral Weeks - has triggered a new wave of interest in how the city of Sir Van Morrison influenced his songwriting.

Lynn Corken leads a walking tour around the streets of east Belfast where Sir Van grew up - she says he is "the soundtrack to my life".

She has met Van enthusiasts from Britain, America and Australia who've come to see their hero's home city.

The locations on Lynn's tour include Hyndford Street where Sir Van was born on 31 August 1945.

There she plays the song named after the street, where the singer recounts how "you could feel the silence at half past eleven on long summer nights".

People nod, smile, even close their eyes as they take in the lyrics and imagine a young Van Morrison at home and contemplating his future.

Among the numerous nearby places mentioned in On Hyndford Street is "the Beechie River".

You can find it just around the corner at the Hollow, a childhood haunt of Van Morrison, which has been given a facelift in recent years.

In one of Sir Van's biggest hits - Brown-Eyed Girl - he is "down in the Hollow, playing the new game".

The Hollow is where two rivers join to form the River Connswater.

It's now part of the Connswater community greenway and is right beside Elmgrove Primary School, where Sir Van was a pupil.

With her tour group in the Hollow, Lynn explains that the jaunty pop song Brown Eyed Girl came in 1967 and the album that followed a year later was a huge contrast.

'Morrison's poetic vision'

Astral Weeks fuses jazz, blues and folk and initially was not a major commercial success.

But as time has gone on, critics have come to regard it as Sir Van's masterpiece.

BBC Radio Ulster presenter Ralph McLean believes it is "the best record ever made".

He is one of few people to have interviewed Sir Van a number of times.

"Astral Weeks is an incredible record - a singular poetic vision," he says.

"It's a unique piece of work - it's like nothing else ever made."

Ralph notes that it reflects "a strong sense of Belfast" and he points out that Sir Van once said "there are two stories in music - leaving and going home".

"Astral Weeks is about yearning," he says.

"Throughout his whole career, Van Morrison is on a journey - the man's a seeker."

He believes that it is the musician's jazz roots that help to explain why he is still turning out album after album, more than 50 years after his breakthrough.

"I think first and foremost, Van is a jazzer," explains Ralph.

"He's in the moment - he wants to be moving onto the next thing.

"That's a jazz idea - it's all about the art you're making now."

Tree-lined Cyprus Avenue

Thousands of people still see him play live every year.

But two of his most special live performances were surely the concerts in 2015 to mark his 70th birthday in Cyprus Avenue in east Belfast - a street made famous by having a song named after it on Astral Weeks.

It is this wide, tree-lined avenue where Lynn's tour finishes.

Remarkably, 12 years before Astral Weeks was written, it was on Cyprus Avenue that her father proposed to her mother.

It's perhaps no wonder that the whole family are huge Van fans.

"I just love the symmetry of it, the circle of life," she muses.

"For my parents, this was a magical place as well and they grew up just a few streets from Van Morrison."

The Vanatics who've listened to her give them the life and times of their hero describe him in similar ways - a "genius", a "poet", an "artistic ambassador" for Belfast - and the east of the city in particular.

However one of the facts not many know is that Van owned the house across the fields from our Whitethorn Cottages.

 He very much kept it secret, although he could be seen driving the area but we all respected his privacy. The house is now on the market for any of you who are interested. 

We hope that Belfast will make the most of his legendary legacy as the musical magic of Sir Van Morrison will enchant millions for many decades to come. Enjoy. 

Well worth a visit when you stay with us.

Bangor Castle Victorian Walled Garden, located in the tranquil grounds of Castle Park, is popular with visitors of all ages.

The Ward family designed the Bangor Castle Walled Garden in the 1840s. It was previously closed to the public and was considered by many as a secret garden. The local council restored this beautiful garden and it was officially opened as a visitor attraction in April 2009.

The garden is divided into four different sections, each with its own horticultural personality. It also boasts two unique pieces of sculpture inspired by North Down's maritime history.

The garden won the Royal Horticultural Society Award for Permanent Landscaping in its first year of opening. Formal tours can be arranged by appointment.

The gardens are generally open from the end of March to the end of October. 

Come stay with us and explore Belfast

We are just 10 miles from Belfast city centre in the heart of The North Down countryside. 5 mins to the beach , 14 golf clubs within a ten mile radius. 

This weekend there is the BBC Music concert and the Tall Ships and from the 6 th June it's Belfast Book Festival. Or why not visit HMS Caroline. 

Bank Holiday Weekend

We have been promised sunshine here this weekend so what's on our and about so we can take advantage and enjoy every second here's some ideas for you.  

In Holywood on Monday they will be dancing around the Maypole. 

Top street artists from around the world and from Belfast too, give more than 120 performances over the May Day Bank Holiday Weekend. The emphasis is on comedy - the more physical and surreal, the better. As well as this, the Festival now stages shows in the Summer in Belfast.

Or in Connswater Shopping Centre you can try the Game of Thrones Iron Throne out for yourself, see how it feels to sit in it. 

Or if you fancy a drive down the Ards Pennisula there's the bluebells to see in Mount Stewart or why not drive on to Portaferry and visit the Aquarium and try some food and hospitality in the Poryaferry Hotel. 

And Belfast will be buzzing when the Belfast Marathon starts at 9am Bank Holiday Monday. 

The city is set to be transformed into one huge race track as runners of varying standards descend on Belfast for the big event.