Six romantic Valentine’s stays in Northern Ireland

This year, why not embrace each other and the giant spirit of Northern Ireland at the same time in the country’s wide selection of ultra-romantic hideaways? Choose from quiet hotels and snug cottages with log burners to cosy self-catering apartments and glamping pods all offering romantic backdrops and Valentine’s Day inspiration.

Here are six new and refurbished places that are bound to fuel your passion.

1. The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat
Burrow away with your significant other in the tiny village of Templepatrick in County Antrim, just a 15-minute drive from Belfast. Relaxation is at the heart of everything here. Celebrate on a long weekend with a date night dinner for two, revel in the luxurious Relaxation Burrow spa facilities enjoy a rose petal turndown and even a bottle of bubbly in your room.

2. Causeway Country Pods
Lovers that love nature will be right at home in these private, cosy countryside pods in Bushmills, County Antrim, close to the world-famous Old Bushmills Distillery. Floor-to-ceiling windows let the outside in and allow you to wake up to views across lush green farmland. Relax in the outdoor hot tub, toast marshmallows by the fire pit, take walks through the countryside and enjoy fantastic views of the starry skies at night.

3. Arthur Street Cottage No. 3
This beautiful recently renovated 200-year-old listed cottage sits in the heart of the picturesque Georgian village of Hillsborough in County Down. The cosy one-bedroom self-catering cottage is packed with everything you need for a romantic stay. And you will be round the corner from Hillsborough Castle, the official residence of Her Majesty the Queen in Northern Ireland. A guided tour through the palace and gardens will make you feel like royalty.

4. Avoca Hotel
Make some ‘us’ time in this family-run hotel overlooking the promenade and Dundrum Bay in Newcastle, County Down. The elegant and cosy hotel rests at the foot of the Mourne Mountains and is just a stone’s throw from the Irish Sea. Forest, beach and mountain walks are all close by, and the town is packed with bars and restaurants for a romantic night out.

5. Strand Head
For a designer getaway with more than a dash of the spectacular, it’s got to be this five-star self-catering pile overlooking the golden Portstewart Strand, a prized position on the dramatic Causeway Coast. There are uninterrupted views of the Atlantic Ocean from every window and many romantic sites, myths and legends to explore both around the town and on the stunning Causeway Coastline.

6. Kilbroney River Cottage
Fall in love all over again in this four-star self-catering cottage which occupies a very special position at the Kilbroney River and Fairy Glen in the beautiful village of Rostrevor, County Down. The cottage dates back some 150 years and has been lovingly and sympathetically restored. If you can tear yourself away from the cottage, you will find bars, restaurants and coffee shops all only a few minutes’ walk away.

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