The Great Outdoors - Iconic Peaks, National Parks, Old railway walks and Atlantic watersports

Mountains dominate the interior of the Donegal landscape, with the Derryveagh mountains staring straight at us here at Breac.House, running all the way down to the Atlantic ocean. Between the high peaks there are also many beautiful valleys to explore, as well as some lovely coastal walks. Apart from the walks around Horn Head which are available from our doorstep here at Breac.House, which we can advise you on when you are here, the attached are some of our favourite walks :

- Climb the iconic peaks : We have two wonderful mountains nearby, Errigal (Donegal’s highest mountain) and Muckish, which can be hiked in a few hours (allow 3 to 4 hours in total) There are a variety of routes but all are very rewarding from the top, particularly if it is a clear day.

Muckish Old Railway walk : A more leisurely but very picturesque option is to walk the old railway line which once connected Letterkenny to Burtonport. Starting at the new trailhead car park at the base of Muckish mountain and walking west towards Errigal, this is a beautiful flat walk through the heart of the Derryveagh mountains. Plenty of perfect picnic spots along the way. Diversions also possible using trails to Lough Augher or Loch na bPoll. Railway walk Map

Ards Forest Park : an active forest park which runs to the shores of Sheephaven Bay, there are kilometrres of trails here to suit all walkers – we particularly like the marine trail around the coastal path which lovely views of the bay, sandy coves. Horn Head and Muckish mountain. Bookending the marine trail is a lovely little ice-cream cabin (in Summer) or a coffee shop at the Ards Friary.

- Adventure climbing : If you really want to experience the ultimate in adventure in Donegal, check out Ian Miller of Unique Ascent . He can bring you to the most inaccessible and thrilling spots around (booking well in advance is essential as he is in heavy demand).

Watersports : The Donegal coast is home to some of the best Atlantic coastline for watersports such as surfing, paddleboarding, kayaking etc. We are fortunate to have two great local watersport schools (Narosa and Jaws) who do a range of private and group watersports activities. This is something not to be missed.