Rock Farm Slane in Ireland offers eco-friendly glamping accommodations like yurts and shepherds huts, along with activities focused on sustainable tourism. Guests can explore the historic Boyne Valley area by renting e-bikes to visit sites like Slane Castle and ancient monuments. The farm harvests rainwater and greywater and uses composting toilets. Activities include tree climbing and visiting the nearby sites is a fun way for ecotourists to experience the nature and history of the region in a low-impact manner.

1. Super Easy and Fun Ways to Be an Ecotourist in Slane,
Ireland
monkeysandmountains.com /ecotourism-slane-ireland
Kermit the Frog once said, it’s not easy being green. While I can’t speak for frogs, I
do concur that many ecotourists feel the same. Fortunately Rock Farm Slane,
located in the historic Boyne Valley makes being green not only easy, but also fun!
Greenwashing, is a practice when a company or organization spends more time and money claiming to be “green”
through advertising and marketing than actually implementing business practices that minimize environmental
impact, according to the Greenwashing Index. It abounds in the tourism industry, especially in the hospitality
industry. We’ve all seen the signs in hotel rooms about reusing our towels – which I’m all in favour for, but when
that’s all a hotel is doing and then pretends it’s green, it’s a bit of a stretch.
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2. Rescue horses at Rock Farm Slane.
These efforts seem downright measly after a visit to Rock Farm Slane. They offer Gold-Certified Ecotourism luxury
camping,
also known
as
glamping
between
April and
November.
You
choose
between
staying in
one of the
five yurts
(see top
photo if
you don’t
know what
a yurt looks
like) or one
of the 2
shepherds
huts.
Everything
about the
accommodation is eco-friendly. The soap is handmade locally, the communal toilets are compost toilets, in which
pee and poo is separated and treated through ecological waste processing. Later, it gets spread on the hazel
bushes as fertilizer! Trust me, this is one toilet bowl that you actually want to look into, to see how it works!
Much of the food is grown locally on the farm and what can’t be grown is sourced from nearby.
Instead of electricity in the huts and yurts, guests are given a lantern as a light source.
One of the most impressive aspects though was how Rock Farm Slane harvests grey water. You’ll see large cells
which look like weed beds. The discharge is absorbed by the plants and after ~15 years, it’s scraped off and used
as compost.
Rain water, naturally abundant in Ireland, also plays an important role in the ecological operations. It’s collected and
used in the toilets! Most recently, the owner Carina, who holds a Masters degree in Environmental Technology, has
created a natural swimming pool strictly by harvesting rain water! And yes, it’s a completely separate system from
the gray water pools, so there’s no chance of contamination!
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3. Piglets at Rock Farm Slane.
The other really cool aspect of Rock Farm Slane is the community aspect. They participate in the WWOOF (World
Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) program, in which volunteers work in exchange for room and board. There’s
also a large communal kitchen and lounge area, where guests can prepare their own food and hang out with each
other!
Despite, all the ecological innovations at Rock Farm Slane, you will never feel preached to. I hung out with the
owner Carina for most of the day and throughly enjoyed her company! She’s incredibly welcoming and while very
passionate about ecotourism, she doesn’t push it on you.
What’s an ecotourist not to love? Did I mention the views of the nearby Rock Farm Slane Castle that you can see
from some of the yurts!
E-
Biking
Through the Boyne Valley
It’s not just the accommodation that’s eco-friendly, the activities are also designed with the ecotourist in mind. Rock
Farm Slane is located in the Boyne Valley, an area filled with 9000 years of history and historical sites. Traditionally,
people have explored the sites by car, driving from site to site, even though many of them are not very far from each
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4. A natural swimming pool made entirely from rain water.
other. At Rock Farm Slane, you can rent an e-bike. An e-bike has different levels you can adjust to get more help,
which is especially useful on hills. You can either explore the sights with a guide or on your own. You can spend as
little as a half day or several days exploring the famous sights like the UNESCO World Heritage Site Brú na
Bóinne Newgrange and Knowth ancient monuments, the famous Slane Castle (where Vikings is also filled), and the
Hill of Slane,
I went with Carina and we explored a few of these, on an e-bike of course:
Tree Climbing
When is the last time you climbed a tree? For me, it was probably when I was a kid, which is why I was so excited
for this activity! An instructor teaches you the ropes, and the very important knots to keep you from falling. You will
slowly work your way up a stunning mature oak tree. It’s hard work, and it takes a few minutes to find your rhythm,
but once you do, your feet are off the ground and you’re climbing a tree!
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5. One of the communal areas where guests can mingle with each other while glamping at Rock Farm Slane.
Your reward for getting to the top is stunning views of Slane Castle and the Boyne Valley! Not to mention re-
connecting with nature in a way that you probably haven’t done since you were a kid! At the time of writing, Rock
Farm Slane was the only place offering this tree climbing activity in all of Ireland, so it’s a special treat!
I think even Kermit the Frog may agree that at Rock Farm Slane it is not only easy
being green, it’s also a lot of fun!
Note: Thank you to Rock Farm Slane, EcoTourism Ireland and Tourism Ireland for making my visit possible. As
always, all opinions expressed are my own.
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6. View of Slane Castle from Rock Farm Slane
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7. Me e-biking through the entrance to the grounds of Slane Castle.
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8. The front of Slane Castle is a short e-bike ride away from Rock Farm Slane.
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10. You may recognize the back of Slane Castle from the TV show “Vikings”.
The surrounding buildings around Slane Castle are being converted into an eco-friendly Irish Whiskey Distillery, where whisky tours will also be available.
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11. The village of Slane in Country Meath, is just a few minutes from Rock Farm Slane by e-bike.
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12. While e-biking to Slane, you’ll want to stop to observe the four Georgian houses at a crossroads.
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13. Far stretching views from Slane Hill. Fortunately it’s a relatively easy climb on your e-bike.
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14. 16th Century Monastery at Slane Hill, which I reached via e-bike.
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15. Cemetery of the 16th Century Monastery at Slane Hill.
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16. Me tree climbing for the first time since I was a kid at Rock Farm Slane.
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18. Corina showing off the rope and harness system used to keep tree climbers safe.
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