When Vagabond & Driftwood Small Group Tours of Ireland head to County Cork, they invariably book a night at Gougane Barra. For many of their travelers, a stay here is the highlight of their trip.

Five generations of the Lucey family have run this classic Irish country house hotel set on a remote, mountain-ringed loch in the middle of nowhere in County Cork.

The owner, Neil greets you in Irish – this is part of a Gaeltacht, a designated Irish speaking region  – as you enter one of the coziest lobbies in the country. There’s a small lounge with a warming fire, and an equally small bar where Neil will pull you a pint of Murphy’s stout. Your only mandate after a day spent walking or cycling is to make it to dinner.

The proprietress, Katy, is a chirpy blur between her Aga stove in the kitchen and the dining room, using the legendary Aga to produce such delights as a roast supreme of free-range chicken on traditional potato stuffing with crispy thick slab local Irish bacon and rosemary gravy, followed by a most amazing traditional baked apple crumble warmed with homemade custard.

The guest rooms are simple and comfortable, but what they may lack in luxury is compensated for by million dollar views of the loch and the surrounding mountains. You can keep your Egyptian cotton sheets, I’ll take this view and my room any day.

The next morning, we ventured on a wettish walk into adjacent Gourgane Barra National Park, Ireland’s first National Park, which opened in 1964. It was followed by Katy’s cooking demonstration – “We try to do Irish food with a twist,” she told me –  as she made brown bread and Irish stew, two classics but with subtle “twists.” The bottle of poteen – traditional Irish moonshine – that was mysteriously produced and passed around seemed to be an unexpected twist and raised the enjoyment level considerably.