In the 2001 DreamWorks classic Shrek, the ogre plays unwilling host to a menagerie of fairy tale refugees. Now, millennials looking for a nostalgic getaway can stay in a real-world recreation of Shrek’s swamp.
Located in a secluded wood in the Scottish Highlands, the property is listed on Airbnb and set to begin welcoming guests in mid-October. The kicker? Though Shrek successfully evicts his hapless squatters in the original film, the property’s host is Donkey—“Identity Verified”. And yes, in the morning he’s making waffles.
As in the film, the rental is laden with moss and grass and sits beneath the roots of a giant tree. The requisite wooden placards warning trespassers to stay clear of Shrek’s property stand in a clearing outside.
Shrek’s bedroom in the Scottish Highlands. Image: Alix McIntosh.
The décor inside is swamp chic: loose dirt flooring, chairs made of twine and rickety wood, a lime green crocodile skin rug, a patchwork bedspread. Dare we say there’s something vaguely Art Nouveau in building a fireplace out of a tree’s hollow.
“Shrek’s Swamp is lovely,” Donkey said. “You know what I like about it? Everything. The overgrown landscaping, the modest interiors, the nice boulders, all of it. I can’t wait for guests to experience this muddy slice of paradise for themselves.”
The living quaters. Image: Alix McIntosh.
The amenities are fittingly threadbare. There’s no wifi, air conditioning, television, or kitchen (presumably, guests are comfortable eating food raw or driving into town for a fry up). Shrek’s outhouse provides visitors “the ultimate privacy” and comes with a bucket. One luxury is the addition of electricity, though visitors can also rely on the light of earwax candles.
The property is operated by Ardverikie Estate, which saw Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visit in 1847 and more recently has featured in The Crown and No Time to Die. In a promotion to celebrate its opening, Airbnb is offering a free two-night stay between October 27 to 29.
Will this remedy the reputation hit Airbnb is suffering as cities around the world accuse it of distorting their housing markets? Probably not. But a millennial not fond of a Smash Mouth singalong is hard to find.
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