The houses in Donegal are scattered – like crumbs in a green and blue cloth. And just like crumbs, they tend to be irritating.
Wherever there is a beautiful view, (and there are plenty of those,) you’ll see a white, new-build bungalow. Now, I guess I would do the same if I had some land that looked over a lough or a cliff washed by the Wild Atlantic – but although it must be lovely for the people living in the building, to me all these white bungalows are just annoying. The plus point – a lot of these houses are holiday homes and some of them will be available to rent on Airbnb or some other home stay site. I hope they have included a picture of the view for you!
But then virtually all of Donegal is gorgeous … Just walking out of the door of my little Airbnb cottage – my heart sighed. In fact, I was uplifted by just looking out of the window. Who wouldn’t be moved by these views …
But then how to get to them … one thing I discovered was that Ireland is a good customer to the sellers of barbed wire. It is everywhere – I’ve even seen barbed wire protecting more barbed wire. What this of course means is that access to the countryside is somewhat limited, there is a link explaining the situation in more detail here:
So where can you walk? Well there are walking trails, albeit mainly on roads – but then the roads in Donegal are quiet compared to UK ones … although admittedly I was there in March and the situation may be somewhat different in August. There are the beaches – such as the one at Dooey … and I have seen people walking along the river-sides so that is doable. I also walked some of (a fairly limited stretch) of the Bluestack Way – and I believe that can take up to 3 days to complete.
Just a word of warning if you do decide to cross the countryside on foot. I remember a quote about the Sahara – that it was pleasant to the eye but hard on the foot. A similar thing could be said about the land in Donegal – except it is not hard. It can be exceptionally soft. There are some squishy bits and then there is the bog. So. unless you are well shod and know what you are doing, I would stick to proper footpaths and not strike out on your own. It is probably as well to tell people where you are going to – if off the beaten track – and an expected time of arrival home, so that if anything does go awry, they can be looking for you.
Also make sure you are well covered up and wearing stout shoes – not just for the terrain but to protect yourself from tick bites and lyme disease. More information on this here: https://www.mountaineering.ie/hillwalking/ticks/default.aspx
There are also cycle trails – and these can also be spectacular with some pretty wild roads to cycle on, with sheer drops to cliffs below. Check your brakes! You can google for information about individual cycle trails on-line and there are some information boards in car-parks across the county. There are also cycle hire companies in Donegal – if you haven’t brought your own with you.
I will post elsewhere about travelling around Donegal by car … but here are just a few more pictures of the place I came to love.
