You don’t need to be an Arctic trapper to enjoy The Hunting Lodge. Just on the hunt for a little stargazing, mountain-climbing, beach-walking and pool-splashing for up to 20 family, friends or hens, plus a couple of dogs. On North Wales’ Llyn Peninsula, where the mountains meet the sea, The Hunting Lodge is snug, sociable and seriously fun.
Just a couple of miles from a 400-acre shooting estate, life here’s all about the Great Outdoors, close to Morfa Nefyn, where the crescent-shaped sands arc away towards the mountains, to great golfing, and to the iconic beach life of Abersoch and Porthmadog. But the indoors is pretty great, too.
Cook with views of the mountains, or call up our chef and climb them while you wait. Eat around the hunky, 20-seat dining table or outside in the sunshine with bangers and burgers from the barbecue. Sleep in beamed, beautiful bedrooms. Wake to bracing sea air, clay shooting, and the tantalising promise of fresh air and freedom.
The Great Outdoors of the Llyn Peninsula coastline, the rocky North Wales cliffs and the mountains of Snowdon lie beyond the boundary. But inside, things aren’t too shabby either. There’s a glorious view of Garn Boduan, Yr Eiffels and Garn Fadryn from the conservatory windows. Head out onto the gravelled garden for a closer look.
Eat out in the sunshine around the terrace table for 20 with food from the coal barbecue. Stay out there for hours (and all year round) in the covered heated pool with a front-row seat on the sparkling constellations above during the evenings. Wrap up the day around the firepit with marshmallows and memories.
Space aplenty here to socialise or split as the mood takes. The most harmonious spot might be the conservatory/kitchen, where the scent of baking mixes with the view of the Welsh mountains from the big, wide terrace windows. Pour yourself another Prosecco and drink it all in.
Get together for box-set bingeing on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in the snug, with its country-set tan-leather armchairs and flatscreen wall TV. Throw another log on the fire, pass the popcorn and top up your glasses. Need an escape space? Bag a book from the library and find the dining-room sofas.
Stream the superfast Wi-Fi, dive into the DVD collection, stay up on a school night with takeaways from Bamboo House and a drop or two from Gwin Llyn Wines. On warm nights, let the natural inside-out flow through the conservatory doors take you out to the terrace, into the covered pool, around the firepit and endless nights of bonding beneath the stars.
The dining table’s a mountainous monster and you’ll get all 20 of you around it. Alternatively, the terrace table’s just as big for al-fresco dining in the shadow of Garn Boduan, Yr Eiffels and Garn Fadryn. Toast your marshmallows around the firepit for dessert.
Cook on the range and the microwave or out on the terrace on the coal barbecue, then ditch everything in the dishwasher when you’re done. Or get us to do it: our professional chefs can whip up anything from a buffet to a banquet. Consider us for a one-off celebration or a fully catered break.
Head out to Y Bryncynan for salt and chilli chicken, chargrilled rump steak or grilled halloumi. Try The Cliffs restaurant and bar, right by the beach and offering everything from pizzas to curries to good old fish and chips. Or add a little spice to proceedings at Pontoon Mexican, home of cowboy beans, tacos and nachos.
Enjoy carveries and roasts at The Ship Inn Edern. Eat prime fillet of beef, pork tenderloin or the lobster experience outdoors at Tremfan Hall. Or just lick small-batch ice cream at Two Islands in Abersoch, where even the ripples, caramels and brownie chunks are made on site.
Pick from eight beautiful, beamed bedrooms that comfortably sleep up to 16 adults and four children. Five of the bedrooms are downstairs, along with four WCs.
Off the lounge are two double rooms plus ‘The En-suite’, featuring a king-size and a single bed. ‘French’ is also on the ground floor and offers a king-size, while ‘The Studio’ provides a king-size and dressing table.
On the first floor, The Crog Loft accommodates two in a low-level double bed, The Dorma offers a double, a single and a single trundle, and Pack ‘m’ In provides two singles and a single trundle. Two cots and high chairs are available.
Contrary to popular belief, children can be prised away from screens. There’s plenty of encouragement here, plus all the tech they need for a reduced daily fix. Here on the wild Llyn Peninsula, The Hunting Lodge sits in prime position to offer vitamin D-packed stargazing, mountain-climbing, beach-combing and pool-splashing.
This is a 400-acre shooting estate run by a world expert. There’s no minimum age for shooting clay – they just need to be strong enough to cope with a gun and get the safety aspect. If that seems like a shot too far, more traditional fun beckons for all kids in the covered, heated swimming pool.
Stay out in the gravelled garden to eat around the terrace table for 20. There’s a coal barbecue to ensure they get a bellyful of fun. At night, the firepit awaits for memories made around toasted marshmallows. Inside, the TV snug offers Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, and superfast Wi-Fi’s on tap for serial streamers.