Donegal Holiday Cottages Places to See

Donegal and especially North West Donegal is like an undiscovered land. It remains, to this day, largely unspoilt. Some things have not changed in over 100 years. There are many awe inspiring places to see on Cruit Island itself and also around the rest of Donegal and beyond.

Donegal is home to mountains, lakes, parks, beaches, galleries, museums, market towns and many places of historical interest. There is truly something for everyone.

Cruit Island

The first thing you see when you arrive on Cruit are the bridges that connect it to the mainland. A roadbridge and a footbridge remain standing defiantly side-by-side year after year despite the often harsh winter weather. The Red Strand offers tremendous views of the wild Atlantic Ocean. Close by are Burtonport, Kincasslagh and Dungloe, all of which
are well worth discovering for their
own individual charms.

Glenveagh National Park

Glenveagh National Park is situated on the eastern side of the Derryveagh Mountains in the north-west of County Donegal.

The Park contains 14,000 hectares of mountain, raised bogland, lakes and woodlands and is dissected by the valley which gives the park its name, Glenveigh (*Gleann Bheatha*) meaning Glen of the Birches.

Mount Errigal

Mount Errigal, situated in Donegal, is the tallest peak of the Derryveagh Mountains in the Northwest of Ireland with a height of 751 metres (2,466 feet). Mountain climbers often use Errigal as a means of training for larger climbs, but anyone of reasonable fitness can undertake the challenge. The record time for reaching the mountain peak is 55 minutes. This record was set by professional mountain climbers.

Gaeltacht

The Donegal Gaeltacht is in the West of the County and is the largest Irish speaking district in Ireland. Thirty thousand Irish speakers live between Fanad, Gweedore and Glencolmcille, An Gaeltacht Láir and on the islands of Toraigh (Tory) and Árainn Mhór (Arranmore). In these areas Irish is the spoken language of everyday life and is reflected in the song, literature and folklore of the people. Dungloe is the most populated town in the Donegal Gaeltacht.

Museums / Galleries

Donegal is a county rich in culture and heritage. You can sample the great history of the Donegal people in various museums, galleries and visitor centres around the county. These include the Folk Village in Glencolmcille, Dunfanaghy Workhouse, Donegal County Museum, Tullyarvan Mill, The Waterwheels in Ballyshannon,
St. Conals Heritage Centre in Glenties, Historical Society Museum in Dunfanaghy and the Inishowen Maritime Museum.

Shopping - Letterkenny

Letterkenny is Donegal's largest town and
is home to some of the larger retail outlets including Penneys, Tesco, Dunnes, Super Valu, TK Maxx, Next, New Look, Tempest, Benetton, Paco, Jack & Jones, A-Wear, Atlantic Homecare, Homebase, Argos, Aldi, Lidl, Boots, Heatons, Lifestyle Sports and many more. Letterkenny also has many restaurants and take-aways including McDonalds, KFC, Abrakebabra and Donegal's own Four Lanterns.

Fintown Railway

Fintown Railway is the only remaining railway line in County Donegal. Here, nestling deep in the heart of spectacular mountainous scenery steeped in tradition, myth and folklore, and running along the crystal clear waters of Loch Finn you are invited to relive those nostalgic days when Donegal had about 200 miles of narrow gauge railway operated by the County Donegal and Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway Companies.

Historical Interest

There are many historical sites of interest around Donegal, which are very interesting for a day out. These include the Ardara Heritage centre, Dunfanaghy Workhouse, The Seat of Power Visitor Centre in Lifford, Dunlewey Visitor Centre, An Grianan Ailigh Visitor Centre, The Courthouse and the Cathedral in Letterkenny, Donegal Railway Heritage Centre and the Flight of the Earls h Heritage Centre in Rathmullan.

Beaches

Cruit Island has dozens of beaches dotted around its coast, some of which are so secluded that they are rarely disturbed. See how man you can discover! The Red Strand is a sight to behold with its panoramic Atlantic views and the Caravan strand is ideal for swimming. Close by is Keadue strand and there are scores of beaches along the rest of Donegal's coastline just a short drive away.