Great Blasket Island Cottage: An Off-Grid Stay in Kerry

I’ve always liked the idea of getting stranded on an island off the coast of Ireland for a few days. Not properly stranded, obviously.

More the cosy version where you’re inside an old cottage with the stove going, a book in one hand and a mug of tea in the other while the Atlantic does its worst outside.

The Great Blasket Island Cottage comes pretty close to that. There’s no electricity, no shops and no restaurants. You arrive by boat from the Dingle Peninsula, bring everything you’ll need with you and spend the night surrounded by some of the most spectacular scenery in Kerry.

A little cottage on the Great Blasket Island in Kerry

The Great Blasket Island sits off the Dingle Peninsula and spending the night here is a very different experience to your standard weekend away.

The cottage sleeps up to 7 across 2 bedrooms and has its own living area, bathroom and small kitchenette. It’s the setting that makes it special, though.

You’re surrounded by ocean, beaches, mountains, wildlife and the kind of peace and quiet that’s becoming increasingly hard to find. And there’s only one way to get here…

You’ll be treated to this view as you approach

The adventure starts before you’ve even reached the front door. Overnight guests can take the boat from Dunquin, around 10 miles west of Dingle Town, with the crossing taking roughly 15 minutes.

The boat transfer isn’t included in the accommodation price and departure times vary depending on the tide, so you’ll need to arrange your crossing with the hosts beforehand.

Keep your eyes on the water during the crossing. The waters around the Blaskets are rich in marine life, and even if nothing decides to make an appearance, the journey across gives you a fine perspective of the islands and the Dingle coastline.

The view as you walk to the cottage is ridiculous… absolutely… ridiculous

Once you arrive, you’re leaving an awful lot of normal life behind. The cottage is surrounded by the rugged landscape of the Great Blasket, with ocean and beach views and walking routes around the island to explore during the day.

There are no shops or restaurants to nip into, so you’ll need to bring all of your food and supplies across on the boat with you.

And it’s even more spectacular as the sun starts to set

When the day-trippers have headed back towards the mainland, you’ll get to experience a very different side of the island.

There’s outdoor seating at the cottage where you can have dinner and soak up the scenery before retreating inside when the temperature drops. If you land a clear evening, sunset out here should be fairly hard to beat.

The cottage itself has no electricity

Yep. No electricity. Instead, the cottage is equipped with candles and head torches along with two stoves that provide extra light and heat.

There’s a kitchenette with four gas hobs and cooking utensils, with basics like tea, coffee, salt, pepper and olive oil provided. Everything else comes across on the boat with you.

There’s also plenty of places to enjoy a coffee with a view

And this is where the lack of electricity starts sounding considerably more appealing. Make yourself a coffee, grab a seat outside and you’ve nothing demanding your attention other than whatever’s happening on the Atlantic in front of you.

No TV. No scrolling until 1am. Just don’t forget to download the book before you get on the boat. See prices and more info on their website.

Discover more unique places to stay in Ireland

The stays above are just a handful of the wonderfully weird places you can spend a night around Ireland.

You’ll find plenty more in my guide to the most unique stays in Ireland, along with everything from treehouses and cabins to bell tents in my guide to the best places to go glamping in Ireland.