Balance Treehouse: A Luxury Treehouse in the Ring of Gullion

Balance Treehouse isn’t messing around with the whole ‘treehouse’ thing. You actually have to cross a rope bridge to get in.

Waiting on the other side is a handcrafted hideaway for two sitting high amongst the trees on Tievecrom Mountain, overlooking the hills and stone-walled fields of the Ring of Gullion.

And the rope bridge is really only the start of it.

There’s a private hot tub, an outdoor net suspended amongst the trees, a shower built for two and a super-king bed beneath a glass roof for stargazing.

First, you have to cross the rope bridge…

There’s something undeniably fun about arriving at your accommodation and discovering that the front door is on the other side of a rope bridge.

Cross it and you’ll find Balance sitting amongst the treetops, with views across the surrounding countryside towards the Ring of Gullion.

The setting is a big part of the appeal here. You’re on Tievecrom Mountain, looking across the ring dyke with Slieve Gullion sitting at its centre.

It feels wonderfully removed from normal life, which is presumably the whole point of running away to a treehouse in the first place.

Inside is a different story

You could look at the rustic timber exterior and assume things are going to be fairly basic inside.

They’re not. The centrepiece is a super-king bed beneath a glass roof, so you can lie back at night and look straight up at the sky.

There’s also a kitchen, Wi-Fi and a wood-burning fireplace, along with plenty of modern comforts. In fact, many of the features inside can be controlled using voice commands.

Rope bridge outside. Voice controls inside. That’s quite the combination.

Then you discover what’s outside…

This is where Balance really earns its place amongst the more unusual places to stay in Northern Ireland.

There’s a private hot tub tucked outside amongst the trees along with a large net-style hammock where you can stretch out above the ground. Then there’s the outdoor shower.

And this isn’t a little hose attached to the side of the cabin. It’s an outdoor shower built for two, so you can shower amongst the trees while looking out over the surrounding countryside.

It’s certainly a step up from a Premier Inn.

A treehouse made for two

Balance sleeps just two people, so this is very much geared towards a couples getaway.

You could spend the day exploring the Ring of Gullion, but I’d have a hard time walking past the hot tub to get back across that rope bridge.

There’s the fire inside, the hot tub outside, the hammock amongst the trees and that glass roof waiting when it’s eventually time for bed.

All that’s left is to hope for a clear night and see how long you can stay awake staring through the roof. See more here.