My favourite places to eat in, stay at or visit are the ones that make me say 'wow'. The ones that make me take a second look around, with quirks and features that pique my interest. Somewhere that stands out. That's exactly what Ange's Cottage in Roscommon does - and it does it very well.
My mum and I were very lucky to be invited to stay overnight in Ange's Cottage at the weekend. We'd been wistfully looking at pictures of it for a while, so when we were told we could come along for a night we jumped at the chance! Ange's Cottage is a 'micro glamping' site nestled in Arigna, Co. Roscommon, with stunning country views and conveniently located near the Arigna Mining Experience.
After getting a little bit lost, Angi, who runs Ange's Cottage, came to meet us and show us the way. Angi is a lovely lady, so friendly and welcoming - and very stylish to boot! When we pulled up to Ange's Cottage we both instantly said 'wow' - in front of us was the gorgeous little pink caravan and beside that was the cottage we were going to be staying in that night.
The pink caravan - fabulous inside and out.
After a few selfies in front of the caravan Angi showed us around outside. We spotted a vintage typewriter by the trees and asked her about it. She said whenever she has families with children come to stay, she puts paper in it and tells the children they can write a letter to the fairies who live nearby. The day the family leaves the fairies will have written a reply to the child - so sweet! I love little touches like this.
We went into the cottage, which had a beautiful mint green door, and were instantly in love. From the minute you walk into the cottage it's evident it's owned by someone with an eye for details and quirky, colourful homeware. I adored the pink bar stools, the pastel blue microwave, kettle and toaster trio (I want them!) and the vintage tea set. A retro style pastel blue radio sat on the windowsill (again, I want one) and tied in with the appliances. Angi had very kindly filled us up a picnic basket with croissants, Tayto and a carafe of orange juice for our stay. She even left a pizza in the freezer for us for after the pub later that evening. This is definitely a very 'homey' place to stay!
We continued on into the living room, which was my favourite room. I thought it was so tastefully decorated and the colours were just fabulous together. A bright geometric patterned rug lay in front of the wood burning stove, which was framed by a mantelpiece which had some fabulous ornaments on it. I love the little pops of yellow throughout the cottage - in the living room there was a beautiful yellow armchair and a Foxford Woollen Mills yellow throw to brighten up the grey sofa. In the corner was an orange pull-down desk which Angi said contained her 'mindfulness library' - all of the books on the desk were about healthy living, food, mindfulness - I love it! Angi takes pride in the fact there's no WiFi and no TV in the cottage so you can really 'switch off' and relax. She told us that some people use the pink caravan as an office or to film vlogs in - such a good idea.
The cottage has 3 bedrooms - a single, a double and a twin - so plenty of room. All of the rooms are done up so nice, I loved the one I was staying in. Everything about it, from the upcycled dressing table to the blue record player, the shelf above the bed with tea cups hanging from it, and the amazing cushions, it was a pleasure to sleep in. Angi had left a few treats on our beds including a notebook, pencil, and a pack of funky tissues, which was a really nice touch.
Angi left us to take photos, admire all the knick knacks and get settled in. She said she usually leaves her guests a 'to-do' list of things she recommends for people to do during their stay. On ours, she suggested a hot chocolate from Sweet Geranium café in Drumshanbo, a selfie in front of the pink caravan (check!), a selfie in front of the Arigna Mining Experience, and a pint or local gin from the Miner's Bar. Again, a great idea and it adds a personal touch to your stay.
Our first stop was to try out the hot chocolate in Sweet Geranium café - for research purposes, of course. We also had a bite to eat seeing as we were both starving after taking loads of photos! I went for the eggs Florentine and mum got a goat cheese toastie. Both were delicious - as was the hot chocolate. Definitely a good idea to head there if you're staying in Ange's Cottage!
We had a wander around Drumshanbo, which is a nice little town, before heading back to the cottage. Angi recommended we head down to the Miner's Bar that evening as there was going to be music - and gin (again, research purposes) - so we decided to relax a bit before getting ready to head to the pub. I had a bath, which I was embarrassingly excited about - I live in student accommodation, a bath is a luxury, ok?! - which was lovely, albeit a bit of a narrow bath for someone with big hips and a booty. I thought I might have to get a John Deere to haul me out of there, but it was ok in the end.
I flicked through some of the great books from the mindfulness library, and also perused the magazines, whilst relaxing in front of the fire to dry off. It was so cosy and chilled out, I didn't want to get off the sofa! Alas, I did have to put on real trousers as it was time to head to the pub. We got our glad rags on and headed down. The Miner's Bar is really nice and atmospheric, I loved the flowers in the makeshift Drumshanbo Gin bottle vases, and the candles on each table. Everyone was really friendly too - always a bonus! I had a Gordon's Pink Gin Fizz which was pink gin, prosecco and lemonade, with a couple of strawberries added in for good measure. The drink was absolutely delicious, but quite strong especially as I don't drink much anyway - it went right to my head! We chatted and enjoyed our drinks while listening to the great music from local musicians who were very talented and played an array of instruments.
After the pub it was time to head back to the cottage and sit in front of the fire with a hot chocolate to relax us before bed. I slept so well that night, the cottage was perfectly warm and peaceful. I have to say it was strange waking up and thinking 'when did I get a record player?!' before realising where I was! Still slightly disappointed I don't have a record player, but alas...
We were very sad to say goodbye to Ange's Cottage the next day. It was such a perfect 'staycation' to reset things and unwind. I left feeling refreshed and inspired to make my living space more interesting and relaxing. I might do a blog post if I happen to find any quirky homeware bits on my travels! We also went to Derreen Woods in Boyle on the way home so I'll include a snap of me from our little impromptu photoshoot.
Thanks again to Angi for being so hospitable and giving us the opportunity to stay in her beautiful cottage - it was truly a wonderful experience. You can find Ange's Cottage on Facebook here.
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