The Stilt House: A Very Different Connemara Hideaway

The Stilt House is held above the forest floor by 57 stilts. Fifty-seven.

It’s part of Fernwood near Clifden and, rather than building another cabin amongst the trees, they went considerably further with this one.

The architect-designed structure curves its way through the woodland, with floor-to-ceiling windows, a forest-green interior and an unusual elliptical opening cut right through the building.

And somewhere amongst the trees outside, there’s a wood-fired Swedish hot tub waiting for you.

57 stilts and a hole through the middle

The Stilt House opened in 2022 and is one of Fernwood’s more ambitious creations.

The first thing you’ll notice is the design. The building is perched on 57 stilts above the woodland floor and wraps around an elliptical opening that brings the surrounding trees right into the middle of the structure.

Inside, the walls are finished in pine plywood stained forest green, while floor-to-ceiling windows look out in different directions through the native woodland.

At 45 square metres, it’s also considerably more spacious than your average treehouse.

Have a nosey inside

There’s a king-size bed here with the same type of mattress used in Dublin’s Merrion Hotel, while furniture has either been made locally or sourced from Scandinavian design houses.

There’s also a kitchenette with an induction hob, fridge and microwave combi oven, along with a Bang & Olufsen portable speaker.

Even the bathroom gets in on the action. It’s unusually large for a woodland stay, with a rain shower positioned beside a window looking straight out into the trees.

So yes, technically you’re staying in a treehouse. But this is a very long way from a few planks nailed to the branches.

Hot tub, sauna and a plunge pool

And then there’s the part of the Stilt House that could make it very difficult to actually leave Fernwood. Hidden beneath the trees is your own private wood-fired Swedish hot tub, where you can sit under the birch canopy with little but the surrounding woodland for company.

But that’s not all. Follow the woodland path and you’ll eventually reach Fernwood’s lakeside sauna and plunge pool, with a 20-metre rope bridge also forming part of the woodland experience.

So, you can spend the evening going from wood-fired hot tub to lakeside sauna to cold plunge before retreating back to the Stilt House and firing up the stove. See prices here.

And you’re right outside Clifden

Despite feeling properly removed from everything once you’re amongst the trees, the Stilt House is located at Fernwood in Clifden.

It sleeps two and is geared towards adults, with the listing noting that it isn’t suitable for children or infants.

Fernwood also has several other unusual stays on the property, including more treehouses and a Sauna House with a plunge pool.

For a few nights in Connemara where the accommodation is as memorable as the scenery outside, the Stilt House is hard to overlook.

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.

1. The Tranquil Tigín

You have to walk 300 metres across a meadow to reach this tiny off-grid cabin in the Wicklow Mountains.

It sleeps 2 and comes with a mezzanine king bed, enormous countryside-facing window, copper outdoor bath and fire pit, with a wood-fired sauna a short stroll away.

2. Grove Treehouse with hot tub

This adults-only West Cork treehouse sleeps 2 and comes with a roll-top bath opposite the bed and a private two-person hot tub amongst the trees.

You reach it via tree-trunk steps before stepping inside to an open-plan bedroom, kitchen and living area, with French doors opening onto a large private deck.

3. The Ballybunion Beach House

Breakers Beach House sits right beside Ladies Beach in Ballybunion, with the Atlantic filling the view from the house.

It sleeps 6 across 3 bedrooms and has Ballybunion’s beaches and Cliff Walk on its doorstep, along with a hot outdoor shower for warming up after a swim or surf.

4. The Hidden Haven

The Hidden Haven is a luxury lodge for 2 in the hills of West Cork with its own lake, a wood-fired hot tub and a deck stretching over the water.

There’s a super king bed and bath with a view inside, while stone steps outside lead straight into the lake when you fancy undoing all the good work of the hot tub.

5. Balance Treehouse

The Balance Treehouse in County Armagh is reached via a private rope bridge and sits high amongst the trees overlooking the Ring of Gullion.

It sleeps 2 and comes with a glass roof above the bed, private hot tub, outdoor shower and a large outdoor net where you can kick back and admire the surrounding hills.

6. The Dunmanus Bay Barn

This restored stone farmhouse and barn sits on West Cork’s Sheep’s Head Peninsula, looking across Dunmanus Bay towards the Mizen Peninsula.

Along with its old stone walls, timber beams and slate floors, you’ve got more than an acre of grounds, a spring-fed pond and a solar-heated outdoor pool.

Read more about the Dunmanus Bay Barn

7. Dolphin Beach Lodge

Dolphin Beach Lodge sits just metres from the Atlantic on Connemara’s Sky Road, with Clifden Bay outside the windows and a secluded beach directly in front.

The lodge sleeps 6 across 3 bedrooms and, despite the wonderfully remote-feeling setting, you’re only around a 10-minute drive from Clifden.

8. The Hide at Neadú

With its grass-covered roof and views towards Glenveagh, The Hide at Neadú is one of Donegal’s more unusual little cabins.

Inside you’ll find reclaimed and upcycled pieces, an alcove double bed and wood-burning stove, while double doors open onto a private deck overlooking the surrounding mountains and valley.