Jeannie Morrison, had to make a decision on the future of the cottages, at Ballydugan near Downpatrick, entrusted to her by the family. The unusual quality of the cottages at Ballydugan is the way they form a “clachan” or cluster of dwellings on either side of a narrow road.

On one side is “Huddleston’s”, an ochre-painted stone cottage, with Orchard and Buttermilk cottages in a straggling row.

Jeannie consulted with Rural Cottage Holidays (Hearth) a company set up initially by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board to encourage sustainable tourism through the restoration of some of the numerous derelict cottages around the Ulster countryside.

The decision was made and Jeannie enthusiastically set about employing her considerable talents to retain a variety of interesting features and adapting them using her artistic flair in the course of the conversion into holiday cottages. She knew exactly what she wanted and was fortunate that Noel Killen, a specialist builder in restoration work, was able to fit her into his busy schedule.

Noel Killen is well known for his work in restoring Ballydugan old mill and converting it into a restaurant preserving it’s popular features and it is well worth a visit.

If you want a relaxing holiday with an abundance of places to visit, while living with the charm of yesteryear and the comfort of today Jeannie will be happy to hear from you.