LIVING OFF GRID
Here at Lackan Cottage Farm that’s what we do, and we want to share how we do it here on our off grid permaculture smallholding with you. We’ll tell you our journey brought us to Lackan, how we’ve overcome the challenges of turning uninhabitable and derelict buildings into a comfortable home and bare, rushy grassland into a thriving, productive and beautiful habitat using permaculture principles.
We are Steve, Claire and Lyra, and it is through our experiences of living off grid for the last 10 years that we’re able to help others who want to learn more about resilient living and permaculture. We believe in teaching what we know, and our journey has involved everything fro living in a truck to rebuilding cottages, and setting up our own off grid systems and food supply. We do everything ourselves, and we love to help others do the same.
Trees
planted
We plant trees to offset the impact of your journey here
Coming on one of our one or two day courses will give you a valuable insight into living a more resilient life, but here at Lackan we are able to go a step further. Get unique tailored insight into all aspects of life off grid. Stay in Birch Cottage, our unique off grid cottage that proves you can have beautiful comfortable but self reliant home. Or spend time in our tiny home horse truck. Combine a stay with a full tour of the smallholding and find out how you can begin to build a more resilient life.
Sustainable Cottage Experience
Birch Cottage is our example of how you can live in the future – right now. An off grid self sustaining building with views of the woods on one side, and Mourne Mountains on the other,. Birch Cottage is the perfect place to unwind and relax.
Learning experiences
Our practical resilience, and off grid living courses cover a wide range of topics including – shelter, food growing, renewable energy technology, water, heating and fuel, within the context of creating a truly sustainable system using permaculture design.
Tiny Home Experience
Tiny homes are making the news! So many people are taking the plunge and building tiny homes to give themselves freedom. Our converted horse truck house is a chance to experience truly off grid living.
ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND THOUGHTS FROM LACKAN
Who turned the sun off?
Weeks like the one we've just had are an off-gridder's nightmare. After some lovely cold autumnal days, it is now seven days since we saw anything approaching sunshine, and output from our solar PV is negligible, to put it kindly. It is weather like this that leads to...
The hobbity bit
When I say that 2025 wasn't a good year, I forget that somehow we managed to finish what was really quite a big job. It all started when out of frustration at the never ending rodent problem down at the wood store end of our living room, I decided that the way to go...
Meet Minou
Something that was on my list for last year and which got moved to this year is to visit some of the many folk that I've supplied with energy systems, or simply advice, or met along the way, and record their stories, in writing, in pictures and maybe video, with the...
Sustainable cottage experience
Birch Cottage
What was once a small derelict cottage is now a comfortable, beautiful and healthy space to live, thanks to local natural materials and renewable energy technology. Warm, cosy and practical, yet with almost no running costs,
Birch Cottage is our example of how you can live in the future – right now. With views of the woods on one side, and Mourne Mountains on the other, Birch Cottage is the perfect place to unwind and relax.
STAY – AND CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER
BOOK DIRECT ON THE WEBSITE FOR THE BEST RATES
Tiny Home experience
Off Grid Horsebox
Tiny homes are making the news! So many people are taking the plunge and building tiny homes to give themselves freedom. Our converted horse truck house is a chance to experience truly off grid living. Solar power, upcycled materials, woodburning stove, outdoor composting toilet.
Tucked away in a quiet corner of the farm with great views of the mountains. Enjoy a digital detox, unwind and celebrate a different way of life.
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