1 DERRY TO DONEGAL
DISTANCE: 230 miles – set aside seven hours.
WOW FACTOR: This north-western tip is the remotest part of Ireland with towering cliffs, hidden bays and secluded beaches. From the clifftop at Slieve League, look down on crashing Atlantic waves from almost 2,000ft.
PITSTOP: Take the coast road from Malin Head to see the sand dunes – some of the biggest in Europe – around Five Fingers Strand. Then find the whitewashed St Mary’s chapel among the dunes.
OVERNIGHT: Try a full Irish breakfast at the smart Castle Murray Hotel (castlemurray.com), watching waves batter the ruins of McSwyne’s Castle. Double B&B from £123. McGrory’s of Culdaff (mcgrorys.ie) – Ulster Gastropub of the Year – has two live Irish music bars, and the food’s not bad either. Enjoy its open fires, exposed stone walls and luxurious Irish bed linen. It’s a short walk to the local Blue Flag beach and a ten-minute drive to Ireland’s most northerly point at Malin Head. A double B&B is from £73. Or stay in one of seven elegant bedrooms above the acclaimed The Mill restaurant (themillrestaurant. com) in Dunfanaghy, a cosy former artist’s house with open fires. Double B&B costs from £52.
COSY EATS: Kitty Kelly’s is an old farmhouse near Slieve League converted into a seafood restaurant. Locals recommend the scallops.
FLY: Direct to Carrickfinn from Glasgow with Loganair, or to Derry from five other UK airports.