In 2022, our clients Jillian and Gary King enjoyed a two-month tour of the UK and Ireland, and one of the highlights for us was following the fascinating blog they wrote about their journey as they travelled around the two countries. We previously reported on the UK leg of their tour, but Mr & Mrs King were so impressed by Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way that we thought it was time for a follow-up!

View from Grianán of Aileach

The Wild Atlantic Way runs for 1600 miles (2600 km) all along the west coast of Ireland and is one of the longest defined coastal routes in the world. It weaves its way from the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal in the north, to the pretty town of Kinsale in County Cork.

The Kings enjoyed a driver guided tour of the northern section, and then continued along the Causeway Coast to the world-famous Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. According to Jillian and Gary, wow means wow! "Spending time traversing Ireland’s incredible coastline was definitely one of the highlights of this trip."

First stop was the ancient Grianán of Aileach monument, one of the best-known landmarks in Inishowen. There are many examples of ringforts such as this across the Irish countryside, and most originate from the 6th or 7th centuries. Situated high on a hilltop, the view from the fort of the inlet leading out into the Atlantic is breathtaking.

Grianán of Aileach ringfort

The next destination was Dunree Head, which is reached following a drive along a twisting clifftop along the side of the Urris Hills. The Kings said they were glad NOT to be in the driver’s seat! Along with the great coastal views, this is the site of Fort Dunree and a small but really nicely done Military Museum.

Great coastal views from Dunree Head

The following part of the journey was through the spectacular Gap of Mamore, which offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains and coastline. Home to Donegal’s ‘Magic Road’, one of Gary King’s favourite moments was driving over this natural phenomenon, where the car is sitting in the photo below.

‘Gravity Hill’ in the Gap of Mamore

Called ‘Gravity Hill’ you can experience an optical illusion. A slight downward slope appears to be sloping upward… cars left in neutral will appear to roll uphill!

Shortly afterwards, Jillian and Gary stopped for a beautiful hike to Glenevin Waterfall, a hidden gem, with the entire trail following a babbling brook.

Jillian and Gary at Glenevin Waterfall

The next destination was one of Ireland’s most visited attractions, Doagh Famine Village, a museum devoted to exploring life for the families that lived off the land in Donegal up until about 1950, as well as during the famine in the mid-1800’s. One of the highlights of the museum visit for the Kings was the guide, who lived in one of the small cottages with his family growing up in the 1930s and 40s.

Doagh Famine Village

According to Jillian and Gary, “Just hearing about the frugality and struggle of living (literally) off the land (where a diet consisted of oat porridge, potatoes, barnacles that were shelled with the meat boiled into a milk, some preserved, salted fish, sloak – an algae picked from the rocks, and in the summertime some fresh vegetables and rabbit meat) was sobering.”

The final destination on the day trip along the Wild Atlantic Way was Malin Head, the most northerly point of mainland Ireland. Here sits a watchtower built by the British to guard against France during the Napoleonic Wars. It was also used as a lookout during both World Wars, even though Ireland remained neutral. The white writing on the edge existed to let planes flying overhead know this was Ireland, not Britain, so please don’t drop any bombs here!

Malin Head - the most northerly point of mainland Ireland

The next day saw the Kings in Northern Ireland, exploring the fabulous Causeway Coast. First stop was evocative Dunluce Castle, a medieval structure that sits at the edge of a basalt outcrop, surrounded by extreme drops on all sides!

Spectacular Dunluce Castle on the north coast of Northern Ireland

The pièce de resistance for Jillian and Gary for this part of their tour was the Giant’s Causeway. Deservedly a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Kings thought it was amazing! They took a pleasant hike down to the famous landmark, which is comprised of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption.

Gary at the Giant’s Causeway

To end their tour of the Causeway Coast, the Kings enjoyed a lovely hike in Ballycastle along the beautiful white sand coastline.

Summing up, Jillian and Gary said: “All in all, we were BLOWN AWAY by our first leg of sightseeing along the Wild Atlantic Way of Ireland. Make this a definite item on your bucket list!”

The lovely coastline of Northern Ireland at Ballycastle

To read all about the Kings’ adventure of a lifetime, go to https://garyandjillian.me/ and if you or your group would like to enjoy your own tailor-made dream vacation in the UK and Ireland, please do contact our friendly team today.

All photos with kind permission of Jillian and Gary King.