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    Glenveagh National Park

    Ireland

    Glenveagh National Park

    Point of Interest

    Glenveagh National Park in northwest County Donegal spans approximately 16,000 hectares of mountains, moors, and lakes; golden eagles have been reintroduced here since 2000.

    by Felix Gillen

    1. Home
    3. Destinations
    5. Ireland
    7. Sligo & Donegal
    9. Glenveagh National Park
    Glenveagh National Park in northwest County Donegal spans approximately 16,000 hectares of mountains, moors, and lakes; golden eagles have been reintroduced here since 2000. At its heart lies Glenveagh Castle on the shore of Lough Veagh, a castle built between 1867 and 1873 with extensive gardens, which was later handed over to the state.Access to the park is free; a shuttle bus runs from the visitor centre to the castle, which you can visit with a guided tour. The castle is closed on some weekdays, so check opening hours in advance.

    Sights in Glenveagh National Park

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Glenveagh Castle

    1Glenveagh Castle

    The castle on Lough Veagh was built from 1867 to 1873 for John George Adair. It later belonged to Henry McIlhenny, who left it to the Irish State; today it is the focal point of the National Park and can be visited.
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    Accommodations in Glenveagh National Park

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    Sligo & Donegal

    Sligo & Donegal

    The Northwest is the most remote and least visited part of the Republic. In County Sligo, the landscape is shaped by the flat-topped Benbulben, surf beaches, and the memory of poet W. B. Yeats; in Donegal, the Slieve League cliffs plunge over 600 meters down to the sea, and in Glenveagh National Park, a castle stands by a lonely lake.The distances are long and the roads are narrow, but beaches and viewpoints are often empty even in summer. Without a car, the region is difficult to explore.
    Slieve League (Sliabh Liag)

    Slieve League (Sliabh Liag)

    The Cliffs of Slieve League (Sliabh Liag) on the southwest coast of County Donegal rise to 601 metres, making them among Europe's highest sea cliffs. From the Bunglass viewpoint, which you reach via a narrow road from Teelin, you overlook the entire cliff face extending to the Atlantic.Experienced hikers can continue along the narrow ridge of One Man's Path, which is dangerous in bad weather and temporarily closed. The visitor centre is located several kilometres from the cliffs; a shuttle bus operates in summer.

    Benbulben is a distinctive, 526-meter-high limestone table mountain north of Sligo town, its steep flanks visible from afar. At its foot, in Drumcliffe cemetery, lies the poet W. B. Yeats buried; his tombstone bears the lines “Cast a cold eye / On life, on death. / Horseman, pass by!”West of Sligo lies the surf spot Strandhill at the foot of Knocknarea, whose summit is crowned by a large cairn. The beach is popular with surfers, but not suitable for swimming due to dangerous currents.
    Giant's Causeway & Causeway Coast

    Giant's Causeway & Causeway Coast

    The Giant's Causeway on Northern Ireland's north coast consists of around 40,000 regularly shaped basalt columns, formed 50 to 60 million years ago by volcanic activity. Together with the adjacent Causeway Coast, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1986; much of the area belongs to the National Trust, which operates a visitor centre with an exhibition.Along the coast are other well-known destinations: the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge over a 20-meter-deep chasm, for which you must book a time slot in advance, and the ruins of Dunluce Castle on the cliffs between Portballintrae and Portrush. Inland stands the Dark Hedges beech avenue, which has been closed to vehicle traffic since 2017.

    Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom; here, you pay with Pound Sterling, and EU citizens need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) for entry, even if there are no checks at the land border with the Republic. The capital Belfast tells of its shipyard history with the Titanic Belfast museum, and of decades of conflict through murals and peace walls.Along the Causeway Coast on the north coast are the basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway, the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, and the ruins of Dunluce Castle. From Dublin, you can reach Belfast by car, bus, or the Enterprise train, which crosses the border without changing.

    Sources & method

    • Photos: Wikimedia Commons, Unsplash. Each photo carries its credit.
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