Solo Trip to Donegal
A solo journey across west Donegal for a week, stunning landscapes, colossal mountains, wildlife galore, and so many memories.
I decided to randomly book a 4 night trip to Donegal by myself. I booked a place called the Corcreggan Mill in-between Dunfanaghy and Falcarragh. I am so glad I had randomly booked this and made the decision to do my first solo trip across multiple days, I had a blast over the course of the week, so enjoy my adventure as I take you through it.
🗺️ Quick Links
Day 1 - Wildlife, Storm, Food and People
🚗 Journey to Donegal
So from Antrim to Corcreggan Mill it took around 2 hours to drive.
There are a few things I made sure to bring with me for my trip:
- A outdoor bag with:
- Binoculars
- Waterproof trousers and jacket
- Plant and bird identification books
- Hiking boots
- Clothes and all the other usual stuff for a holiday.
I took off in the morning, towards Derry. When I was looking on the maps for the Journey I decided to stop midway at Grianan Of Aileach, a historical landmark with panoramic views and historically significant.
☀️ Grianan Of Aileach & Inch Island
Grianan Of Aileach is on top of a small mountain which you drive to the top off, this was a fun drive! I didn't spend much time up here but the views from the fort over Lough Foyle and Lough Swilly were enchanting. You can stand at the top of the fort and fill the wind while looking all around you at the mountains, fields and loughs. You can fully immerse yourself in the beauty of Ireland here.
From Grianan Of Aileach you can see Inch Island and the walkways, I decided to drive to it to see what It's all about as the walkways looked cool.
When I got there, I found out it was a nature reserve, this was a pleasant surprise so I got changed into my birding gear in the car (this was a struggle at least nobody seen me in the buck as it was empty).
Inch Island, this may now be one of my most favorite places on the planet thus far. Straight of the bat, I saw Compass Jellyfish, Goldcrests, and Little Egrets. I knew I was in for a treat. The wildlife here is not only abundant but thriving, so many places to watch birds, see insects, and just take in Nature as a whole. I saw so much so Ill just list some of it below:
- Coots and their chicks
- At least 20 cygnets
- Lots of house sparrows. (I got a close up video of them from a bird hide 😁)
- Moorhens
- Lots of Butterflies
- My first Whooper Swan
- and so much more
I loved it here so much, I was truly in my element, I was walking around the loop smiling to myself.
I did not realize though the loop was 10km... but that was fine, until I was about 3/4 of the way finished and BOOM. Thunder. I looked up from whence I came Grianan Of Aileach and there was thunder clouds falling over the mountain. I would not have usually been bothered, but this was so close, the thunder was making my ears ring, and the sky was flashing. The weather was threatening and the birds that were once recently calm where also all scattering. I ended up sprinting to my car as the wind started to pick up and the storm was ever approaching, I made it of course as Im writing this blog now. I could have ended up as a pile of black ash!
🏡 Arrival at Corcreggan Mill
I made it through the storm and finally arrived at my accommodation. Corcreggan Mill is a beautiful spot to say the least and in the most perfect area. The mill itself is gorgeous and there is some history behind it, there are also different ways of staying like, in a old converted railway carriage or in a tipi tent.
I am so glad I picked here, as the grounds were lovely, it was easy to get too from all the places I was visiting, the staff were brilliant, the rooms are nice, and the shared lounge was so special. I often sat in it reading with some tea as you got to meet fellow travelers, felt like something straight out of lord of the rings.
What was also nice is one of the owners Siubhán could speak as Gaelige, so we conversed a bit which is special to me as I am learning. This is very important to be due to the cultural aspect of being Irish.
🐟 Food, Cliffs and People
After all that exploring, I was starving. I headed to Something Fishy in Falcarragh. When I say I could still taste the sea from the fish supper, it felt and tasted like the guy had just pulled it straight out of the ocean just before serving. It was for sure the best I have ever had.
I decided to take it down to Ballyness pier which was only a short drive to the coast through Falcarragh, so I sat at the pier, no one else around eating my amazing fish and chips looking out at the beach and sea.
After I had scoffed that, I went for a wee stroll along the beach as I was already there, I started seeing load of glass along the beach. Not just normal glass but like, oranges, blues, greens and so much different patterns. I treasure trove of sea glass, I went and got a Lidl bag from my car and ended up spending an hour picking it up. I'm going to make a special piece of art from this as a memoir for my trip.
After that I went up to Horn Head, this place is truly magical. You can basically drive up a mountain up to some cliffs and see straight out into the atlantic ocean, with the beautiful Tory Island in the forefront.
There are a few viewpoints you can do from here, I walked up to do a small hike to Napoleons Tower (this was a tower built to watch for a french invasion), although it looked a bit far and difficult. There were 2 women also thinking exactly what I was and I said "If you do it I will do it", then we went to it together. They were amazing craic, so interesting, one was over from the states looking at Irish Mythology and the other was also interested in this but is also a botanist. We had great conversation there and back from Napoleons tower and even got a selfie together
Day 2 - Castles, Rain, Ruins, Beaches, and more People
Firstly I slept very well, I was knackered and the bed was nice to sleep in. To start off the day I went to Coffee Go Leor which is a small wee cafe in Falcarragh, they have nice food and coffee.
💡 Scenic Drive Tip
Drive along the R256 for stunning views
🏰 Glenveagh Park and Castle
I then drove to Glenveagh National Park. I wanted to the Lakeside Walk, which is a 3.5km trail along this long lake that has a castle at the end.
Glenveagh National Park and the Castle are so picturesque, I loved it here. The weather was not the best as you'll hear in a moment, but the walk along to the lough to the castle if stunning, they have trees and plants marked out in irish and english for a wee learning experience which is cool.
As I was starting the walk I met these 2 women, all 3 of us were walking the wrong way and it was pretty funny. It turns out they are from near Antrim and one went to the same secondary school as me, small world! We chatted for a bit and had some good craic then they walked on ahead as I was taking in the views and getting lots of pictures.
Well... Here comes the rain, not just a drizzle but a whole flood. I was pouring and I did not have my waterproofs on, they were in my bag 🙁. So the fabric shorts I was wearing got drenched, and my ankle socks as well, I was soaking. I finally made it up the to the castle after walking 20 mins in the rain and went straight to get changed. Everyone who got soaked was laughing at each other, true donegal weather this was. One thing I could not bear was my socks being wet, I went into the gift shop at the castle and bought some 10 euro wool soaks with sheep on them. These are now my dedicated hiking socks 🐏.
Luckily, the rain died down and I got to explore the castle grounds, it was so stunning. The castle was a beauty to behold, and my favorite part was the flower gardens. Just a magical well kept place. There is also a viewpoint which you can hike up to view the castle from above, I really recommend this although It's very very steep. It felt like I was hiking up a vertical wall, at least I had my sheep socks haha.
Not long after that I got some food from the cafe at the castle and was walking back after. I ended up bumping into the same 2 girls from the start and we walked back together exchanging stories, fun moments, travel tips and having some craic in general. They were saying for their accommodation they arrived at night and stuck their hands through some letterbox and it turns out they were at wrong place haha. Imagine being home at night and seeing a hand going through your letterbox.
💡 Waterproofs
Maybe bring extra socks and ensure your bag is waterproof, that is storing your waterproofs
⛪ Series of Small Stops
After that big trip, I wanted to just visit a bunch of places in the same area and take some photos.
Starting off Sword in the Stone termon is really close to Glenveagh Castle, so I parked real quick to get a photo. Just note parking here is like parking on the moon, the road on the side is full of craters so be careful.
Next up was the whole area near Dunlewey. This are is stunning with views of Errigal, other mountains and Dunlewey Chruch as you will see below. When driving around Donegal you will see lots of Viewpoints where you can park you car to have a picnic or take some photos, I stopped at Dunlewey View Point first before reach the church and I got more gorgeous views. Dunlewey Church is such a gothic looking church ruin. When down at the church your almost in a valley of mountains with Mount Errigal standing tall in the distance. I had a grounding feeling here, like somewhere of ancestral origin.
Driving around this area is a trip in itself, the views of Mount Errigal, the Donegal countryside, the sea, just everything is utterly stunning. I was driving around gawking at the scenic landscapes.
🍕 Food and an Unexpected Trip
I got back to the Mill and rested for a bit (it was well deserved!). After a while I asked the receptionist what do they recommend and they said the Rusty Oven in Dunfanaghy was very good. The problem was this place was booked up online for at least a week. I was going to just get a takeaway and I asked in there any chance they had space for one person, and they did! What's that lesson? If you don't ask you won't get.
Well I am so glad I went here, staff was fantastic, sitting outside on a sunny day with a gorgeous wood-fired pizza with a creamy and cold pint of Guinness from Patsy Dan's Bar. This felt so nice and needed after a couple days of exploring and adventure.
After that amazing feed, I went back to the Mill and rested for another bit, I was stuffed to say the least. Not long after though I went into the shared lounge for a cup of tea and to chill. There were 2 Canadian girls there, they were so interesting and were on a long trip around the coast of ireland. We had good chats then I was saying I was going to go across to the beach just outside the Mill. I offered did they want to join me and they did, although plans changed a wee bit.
At first I though it would be fine to just walk to the beach across from the Mill but you have to walk through farmers land and the owner of the mill said to just park at Lurgabrack Nature Reserve and there is a trail across the dunes. So we went there, chatted and had a lovely walk through the dunes to the beach, and back. Just an fyi this path was like slug haven, almost like the slug distribution center.
When we got back from the scenic beach walk, one of them suggested we go around the nature reserve, at first it was so pretty. It was like stepping through different worlds, the canadian even said it reminded her of Canada. We continued to walk and it was taking surprisingly long for a short walk. So we asked someone and it turned out we were walking in the wrong direction. We then had to walk all the way around the dunes again and back! Take into account it was sunset, so it was getting dark and we were all in the Canadians car. Definitely a memory I will never forget.
Day 3 - Beaches, Lighthouses and amazing food
Today I wanted to do a wee coastal drive and view some of the beaches as it was a good sunny day and that's what I did!
I started my day by driving to Ards Friary. This is a lovely place for walking as It's midway into the Ards Forest and there is a coastal route to the beach. I had a great time here. I walked along the coast to the the Luck Shell Beach, which is a beach that is very secluded and peaceful, then I walked up through the forest and back. It was stunning throughout here, golden sands, teal water, forest lining the beach, so so good.
After that I drove to Doe Castle, which is an amazing free historic landmark. Donegal has a lot of history and this landmark holds a lot so I really recommend going here if you want to learn about the MacSweeneys and the O'Donnels.
One place that was recommended to me that I had to visit was Murder Hole Beach, and I am so glad I went. This was the most scenic drive, driving up around the peninsula. There is a small fee of 5 Euro to park here, but it is very worth it. You hike for a small bit through farmers land, then you will have such a picturesque view of the beach. Just look at the photos below, I cannot even describe the beauty of here.
💡 Fanad Head Lighthouse
Continuing on our journey, I drove to Fanad Head Lighthouse. This is a must see! Everything about here is great, there is a small ticket price but you have to do it so you can ascend the lighthouse.
Once you get your ticket, you can go around some WW2 buildings that have some history and get a lot of amazing photos of the lighthouse and surrounding area. Then when going up to the lighthouse I got the chance to do a virtual reality experience, that walked me through what it was like being on the HMS Saldanha, which was the ship that sank there. It was pretty cool, children would love it as there is a talking parrot which was said to be the only survivor of the ship.
The tour of the lighthouse was great, the staff were very knowledgeable and friendly. It was so interesting seeing how it used to function and learning about lighthouse keeping in general. As part of the tour they walk you through a lot of the history, play a small presentation and then you get to go up to the top of the lighthouse, which is the best part. I forgot I was a bit afraid of heights and when I realized I was ascending more or less and vertical incline I was a bit scared. But I am glad I went up as seeing how the still functioning lighthouse operates, and you also get an amazing view. A nice thing was someone asked how high we were and the staff member that knew I was a bit scared whispered it to her, how kind!
🍷 Cove Restaurant
This was the only thing I had pre-booked in advance as you had too. Everyone recommended that you have to go here if you could get a table, so I emailed and the owner was able to get me a seat for one at Cove Restaurant and I am so glad I did this, as this might be the one of the best meals of my life.
Everything about this experience was amazing, the food was utterly amazing, so fresh and the flavours were unreal. The wine was great as well and the owner had great wine knowledge. The staff were brilliant, the decor was beautiful and I also had a view of Portnablagh Pier from my seat.
I really recommend here and please view my full review here
To end this great day off, I decided to go view the sunset at Horn Head. As you can imagine like everywhere so far, stunning!
Day 4 - Ancestry, Art and more Food
I have not mentioned much breakfast as they were all ok, but I have to mention Casa Cafe & Deli.
At this point in the trip, I was craving something nutritional. I went to Casa as they have some healthy stuff on the menu, so I decided to get an Buddha Bowl as the called it. This was absolutely amazing and exactly what I needed. Homemade granola, fresh fruit, natural yogurt and acai sorbet.
💡 Food Craving Satisfied
If you spot a warm pastel de nata anywhere in Case, don't hesitate. You might miss a life-changing bite.
After I decided to head into the Muck n Muffins gift shop. I had a wee nosey and picked up a lovely brass compass, and a wee boat ornament.
📜 Some History
I wanted to visit some ancestral sites while I was in Donegal.
My first stop was Rock Of Doon. The history is cool here, not much to see but It's an inauguration site. Although the only thing I got inaugurated by was the rain. Today was pouring, not just a wee bit of rain but like if all the loughs of Ireland poured down in one day. Luckily I had my waterproofs on this time, learning fast!
The next stop was Kilmacrenan Old Church and Abbey, another historic landmark related to the O'Donnels. It was still pouring but I was able to get a quick few pictures of the gravestones and old church/abbey.
⚠️ Soaked but Smiling
Expect weather shifts, even in summer. Always bring a decent waterproof jacket, or prepare for baptism by Donegal rain.
I made my way to Glebe House and Gallery, but unfortunately it is closed at the moment due to refurbishment (no current opening date), so instead I took a wee walk around the grounds and there was lots of nice flowers ect, that I took photos off.
I was starting to get a bit sick of the rain at this point, so I headed into Letterkenny and went to the Donegal County Museum. This is a great place to learn a lot of history about donegal and while I was there, an exhibit was on for donegals relations with scotland. I learned a lot here and the receptionist was great at guiding me where I should go next. She told me I should go to the Regional Cultural Centre.
🎭 Regional Cultural Centre
This was a lovely place, some nice galleries but I found something that really shook me to my bones.
There was a gallery on which I thought before stepping in was one with painting ect. But no, I walk in and It's pitch black but I could make out 2 sofas in the middle of the room. I sat down and a movie started playing. It was called Augenblick by Vivienne Dick, It is hard to describe this as it was more a feeling than a thought. I felt moved, existential crisis, human, happy, sad, conflicted. I feel like I felt everything, and when I left the room I was almost lost in thought trying to process everything. This is probably the best piece of art I have seen, it honestly provoked so much inside me that the whole way back to Dunfanaghy I was thinking about it.
⚠️ Unexpected Emotions
You might leave this gallery with more questions than answers, and a touch of cosmic vertigo.
🥩 Arnolds Hotel
Previous in the day I was like since It's my last night I might as well get another good meal. So I had booked Arnolds Hotel for dinner.
The food here was brilliant, I went all out and got a steak dinner with a glass of wine, as why not! I am so glad a did as it was perfect and I could not fault it. The staff were brilliant and it was very quiet when I went so I was able to read between my main and my dessert. It is located in a great place, so I would really recommend going here.
See my full review here.
After that great meal, I decided to head back to the beach for a wee sunset walk to finish my last night.
👋 Home Time
The final morning at Corcreggan Mill, how I will miss this place. The morning was all about rest before my long journey back home, so I got breakfast at the mill that morning. It was a continental breakfast and was very fresh and I also had some great talks with Ciaran one of the owners, and he suggested some podcasts for me on my way home!
This trip was wonderful, honestly I was almost in tears driving away because of how happy I was, I saw so many amazing sites, ate lots of brilliant food, meet so many kind people, had some funny moments, and overall I had the best solo trip.
This part of the world is incredibly beautiful, and I am so lucky to live on the same island we call home. Donegal will hold a special place in my heart.