EU Ecolabel
Ard Nahoo Eco Retreat
Leitrim
GlampingRetreat
€€ Eco Accommodation in County Leitrim: Certified Stays
County Leitrim has three independently certified eco properties across two distinct accommodation types: two glamping and retreat properties with international eco certifications in the rural north, and one EU Ecolabel certified town hotel in Carrick-on-Shannon. For Ireland’s least populous county, this is a remarkably strong certified eco accommodation offering.
Ard Nahoo Eco Retreat: EU Ecolabel Certified
Ard Nahoo Eco Retreat near Dromahair holds the EU Ecolabel, the European Union’s official environmental certification scheme for tourist accommodation. The EU Ecolabel, known as the EU Flower, requires demonstrated performance across energy, water, waste, biodiversity, and chemical management, and is independently assessed to EU-wide standards.
Ard Nahoo is an eco retreat and yoga school offering three self-catering eco cabins built from Irish timber and insulated with hemp. The cabins are powered by on-site wind turbines, heated by wood pellet stoves, and furnished with up-cycled and handmade fittings. The property also operates as a yoga school and wellness retreat and is recognised as one of Ireland’s top sustainable wedding venues.
The combination of construction materials (Irish timber, hemp insulation), renewable energy (wind turbines), heating (wood pellet stoves), and the EU Ecolabel certification makes Ard Nahoo one of the most thoroughly documented eco properties in Connacht. It sits in the hills near Dromahair in southeast Leitrim, a landscape of drumlin hills, loughs, and broadleaf woodland.
Pink Apple Orchard: Ecotourism Ireland Gold
Pink Apple Orchard near Drumkeeran holds Ecotourism Ireland Gold certification, assessed against the criteria of the Sustainable Tourism Network and GSTC-recognised as equivalent to international sustainability standards. Gold is the highest level of Ecotourism Ireland certification.
The property is a family-run glamping retreat near the southern tip of Lough Allen, built by hand from locally sourced materials. Accommodation includes handcrafted Celtic-inspired yurts, a Hobbit House with a grass roof, a tipi, and a gypsy wagon. All structures were built on-site. Eco-dry composting toilets operate across the site. There is no WiFi on the property, a deliberate policy reflecting the retreat’s commitment to nature connection and genuine digital disconnection.
Lough Allen is Leitrim’s largest lake, at the heart of the Iron Mountains landscape in the northern part of the county. The surrounding area of drumlins, lakes, and quiet roads is characteristic of a part of Ireland that sees relatively few visitors and offers a quality of rural immersion that is becoming increasingly rare.
Bush Hotel: EU Ecolabel in Carrick-on-Shannon
Bush Hotel in Carrick-on-Shannon holds the EU Ecolabel, one of only a handful of Irish hotels to hold this European award. The EU Ecolabel for tourist accommodation is awarded by a national competent body following independent assessment against strict EU-wide criteria covering energy efficiency, water reduction, waste minimisation, and chemical management. It is one of the most rigorous third-party environmental standards available to accommodation providers in Europe.
Bush Hotel is a 3-star family-run property in Carrick-on-Shannon town centre with a tradition of hospitality going back over 200 years. Carrick-on-Shannon is the principal town of County Leitrim and one of Ireland’s leading inland waterway destinations, sitting on the River Shannon at the heart of the Shannon-Erne Waterway. The town is the centre of cruiser hire and waterway tourism in the northwest, with sailing, fishing, and cycling routes accessible from the hotel.
The EU Ecolabel at Bush Hotel makes Carrick-on-Shannon the only town in County Leitrim with a certified eco hotel option, and one of very few towns in the western midlands with this standard.
Leitrim’s Certified Eco Landscape
Three certifications are represented across Leitrim’s certified properties: EU Ecolabel (twice, at Ard Nahoo and Bush Hotel) and Ecotourism Ireland Gold (Pink Apple Orchard). All three are internationally recognised or EU-level credentials. This concentration of high-quality certifications in Ireland’s least populous county reflects a genuine commitment from independent operators rather than large-group compliance programmes.
The three properties form a natural route through the county: Bush Hotel in the south at Carrick-on-Shannon, Pink Apple Orchard in the north near Lough Allen, and Ard Nahoo in the east near Dromahair. Each offers a very different experience: a traditional town hotel, a handbuilt glamping retreat, and an EU-certified off-grid yoga school.
Leitrim Within Ireland’s Eco Landscape
Leitrim is one of Ireland’s least visited counties, and one of its most rewarding for travellers who prefer quiet roads and genuine rural landscape over well-known scenic destinations. The county borders Sligo (three certified hotels), Roscommon, Longford, Cavan, and Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. The Shannon-Erne Waterway passes through the county, connecting it to a network of navigable waterways stretching across the midlands.
For eco travellers who want to combine the northwest’s certified hotel cluster (Sligo, Donegal) with more distinctive smaller properties, Leitrim’s three certified options make it a natural stop on a longer itinerary.
Find Your Certified Stay in County Leitrim
Three certified eco properties: Ard Nahoo Eco Retreat (EU Ecolabel), Pink Apple Orchard (Ecotourism Ireland Gold), and Bush Hotel Carrick-on-Shannon (EU Ecolabel).
Certified Stays
