Skellig Viewpoint – Wild Atlantic Way

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Jamie Kavanagh

Skellig Viewpoint in County Kerry is an excellent opportunity to take in some of that amazing Atlantic coastline while also viewing the Skellig Islands. Skellig Viewpoint forms part of the Wild Atlantic Way in County Kerry and is rapidly becoming one of the highlights of the route. The islands have always been a local attraction with people coming from all around to watch the birds and to check out the archaeology.

There are three sandstone rocks that make up Skellig Islands but only two are named. Skellig Michael and Small Skellig stand proud against the battering of the Atlantic Ocean and are what draws so many visitors each year. Skellig Michael is the archaeological site, with an ancient monastery on it. Michael is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

To support the site, the Skellig Experience Centre was built to tell the story about the islands and the monks that lived upon Michael. It also discusses the seabirds on Small Skellig and the lighthouse nearby too, offering a complete overview of this loveliest of regions.

Small Skellig is for the ornithologists. It plays host to the second largest colony of gannets in the world and the Ring of Kerry is never without a pair of binoculars or two watching what’s going on.

If you’re lucky and the weather is agreeable, boat trips run regularly out to the Skellig Islands from the mainland. It takes around 45 minutes to get there and you can climb the 600 steps from the dock to the monastery if you’re feeling energetic enough!

Your boat will likely also make a circuit of Small Skellig to take a look at the island and the birds on it. It’s a great way to get up close and personal with this Irish landmark and offers some amazing scenery to boot.

County Kerry has a lot to see and do in its own right too. It even has its own “Kerry Way” which is a 214km long path that loops around Killarney. Kerry Way forms part of the Wild Atlantic Way but is a walkable, self-contained section.

The Kerry Way passes through Glenbeigh, Caherciveen, Waterville, Sneem and Kenmare, each of which is worth a visit. It takes approximately nine days to complete if you don’t stop too long admiring the view, absorbing Irish culture and sampling the local produce!

The Wild Atlantic Way has been designed to take in some of the very best of Ireland and Skellig Viewpoint is certainly one of them. Add in the Kerry Way and you have a great excuse to stay even longer to enjoy everything Ireland has to offer.

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Downpatrick Head – Wild Atlantic Way

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Jamie Kavanagh

Continuing along the Wild Atlantic Way route having visited Fanad Head, we move on to Downpatrick Head. Another part of an amazing coastline on the northern edge of Ireland.

Located a couple of miles north of Ballycastle village in County Mayo, Downpatrick Head is an impressive area of coastline that includes a lovely coastal walk as well as drive. Downpatrick Head itself is a rugged landscape that includes cliffs, a rock stack and thousands of wild birds.

Highlights includes the ruins of an ancient church, a holy well and a stone cross. All remnants of what was a church of St. Patrick. It is believed that St. Patrick himself founded this church, so plays an important role in local and national religion. You can often see pilgrims wandering around the ruins, walking in the footsteps of a saint.

There is a statue dedicated to St. Patrick in the grounds of the church. It was built in the 1980s to replace an original that had stood for decades before.

From Downpatrick Head itself, when the weather is agreeable, you can see the Staggs of Broadhaven. This is a small collection of islands beyond the solitary stack just off the coast. The big stack is called Dún Briste (broken fort) and stands hundreds of metres tall, holding out alone against the might of the Atlantic Ocean.

From a purely aesthetic perspective, the setting is amazing. The wild sea crashing against the solitary rock stack circled by seabirds all day long. From a geological perspective, you can see the layers and layers of rock from the various ages of the earth. If ever you wanted to see how the earth around you is formed, this is it.

Near Downpatrick Head is Céide Fields, a Stone Age field system and visitor centre. The location shows the old fields, ancient stone walls, settlements and tombs. All have remained in fantastic condition thanks to the peat soil in the area.

While not as old as Dún Briste, it shows how long this green and pleasant land has been home to humans and how we have constantly tried to mould the landscape to our own needs. It’s well worth a visit if you have the time.

Downpatrick Head is an amazing piece of landscape included within the Wild Atlantic Way. It’s dramatic, isolated, ancient and historic. It has something for everyone and plays an essential part of the whole that is the Way.

Remember, Holidaycottages.net has a huge selection of holiday cottages in the north of Ireland. Check them out if you're planning to walk the Way!

Join us next week as we visit Skellig Viewpoint!

Malin Head – Wild Atlantic Way

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Jamie Kavanagh

The first stop on our tour of the Wild Atlantic Way is to Malin Head. Located on the Inishowen Peninsula, it’s Ireland’s most northerly point and the exposure creates some exceptional views.

Malin Head in County Donegal has one of the most dramatic coastlines of anywhere. It’s famous for the coastal landscape as well as lovely golden beaches and the Way takes in some of them from the outset.

Malin Head is the headland that features Banba’s Crown, the actual most northerly point. Banba was a mythical Queen of Ireland and features in local folklore. The Crown itself features a weather station, part of the BBC’s Shipping Forecast network.

The Crown also features The Tower. The Tower is a now abandoned building built in 1805 for the Admiralty and was later used as a signal station to communicate between Europe and the USA. It was one of the most important data links between the two continents for many years until undersea cable was laid to provide telephone connections.

This is a great spot for spending time, having a picnic, enjoying the view, taking pictures of doing whatever it is you like to do. It’s the most northerly point in Ireland, next stop north is Greenland!

Just north of Malin Head is Inistrahull Island featuring a working lighthouse that still illuminates the night sky every 30 seconds. The lighthouse is over 200 years old and is one of the last surviving working houses anywhere in the UK.

East of Malin Head is Ballyhillion beach. Ballyhillion beach is a sequence of raised beaches, a legacy of when County Donegal was compressed under a glacier during the last ice age.

Travel along the beach across some of the largest sand dunes in Europe to Five Finger Strand from Knockamany Bens and see the wreck of the Twilight at low tide. It sank on its way to Derry in 1889 and is a focal point for photographers and sightseers alike.

This first step on the Wild Atlantic Way sets the scene nicely. There is all the dramatic coastline you can handle, there are historic buildings, lovely beaches, nice places to spend time and lots to see and hear. It’s an ideal segue into seeing more of Ireland and the best way to start a tour.

If you’re planning to travel the Wild Atlantic Way or visit Malin Head, holidaycottages.net have some quality accommodation within easy reach. Check them out!

Wild Atlantic Way

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Jamie Kavanagh

The Wild Atlantic Way is a dramatic 1500 mile coastal route on the west coast of Ireland. It stretches from County Donegal to Kinsale, County Cork and is one of the most spectacular routes anywhere in the world. It takes in the Atlantic coastline, the Irish countryside and more spectacular scenery than you can shake your camera at.

The Wild Atlantic Way includes 15 signature points. They are:

Malin Head
Fanad Head
Downpatrick Head
Skellig Viewpoint
Old Head of Kinsale
Keem Strand
Killary Harbour
Cliffs of Moher
Loop Head
Mullaghmore Head
Radharc na mBlascaoidí – Blaskets View
Sliabh Liag – Slieve League
Sliabh Liag
Derrigimlagh
Dursey Island
Mizen Head

Each offers some fantastic vistas of either the Atlantic Ocean or the lovely Irish countryside. The road between them is in excellent condition and is very well signposted. A lot of effort has gone into making the Wild Atlantic Way a proper tourist destination and it shows.

Following the way, you traverse seven Irish counties, hundreds of towns and villages, some unexpected sights, heritage sights and get to experience more of that famous Irish hospitality than you will anywhere else.

Driving the Way is definitely the way to go. There isn’t a pothole in sight, the roads twist and turn, include long straights, ascents and descents and provide a driving experience to be adored. The scenery isn’t bad either!

The Wild Atlantic Way is the longest established coastal road in the world and despite it being 1500 miles long, will seem like it’s over in a flash. The Way has fifteen distinct highlights which we will mentioned in each of the following fifteen posts.

However, including the hotels, rest stops, restaurants, scenic areas and markets, there are as many places to see as there are miles to drive.

Of course, you don’t have to drive it. There’s no rush here. There’s no urge to complete. There’s just a relaxed way of life that is content to experience life as it happens. You could cycle, bus or walk it if you preferred.

Given the sheer size of the Wild Atlantic Way, we would suggest planning your route carefully, including some of our holiday cottages along the route. Do yourself a favour though, don’t rush. Don’t try and pack the entire journey into a week. Do it the Irish way. Take your time, see the sights, experience the life and get to your destination when you’re good and ready!

For the next fifteen posts we will be highlighting a signature destination along the Wild Atlantic Way. Join us next time for the first instalment, a visit to Malin Head!