Neus · Co. Donegal
Malin Head marks the northern start of the Wild Atlantic Way. Visitors find a lighthouse, a tenth-century cross, and wide views of two seas at this low, rounded headland.
Malin Head, County Donegal — photo by luckystudio
Malin Head sits at the far northwestern corner of the island. Here, the Atlantic meets the gentler water of Lough Foyle. It is the starting point of the Wild Atlantic Way. Most people drive here first when planning to follow the route. That makes sense. It is a proper, uncomplicated introduction to the west coast.
The headland is low and rounded. The view is the point. From the lighthouse, you can look across to Scotland on a clear day. Looking south, the Donegal coast stretches toward the Blasket and Erris horizons. The lighthouse dates from the 1890s. It sits on its own small promontory. The grounds are open and easy to walk.
Down in the village of Malin, the Malin Cross stands. It reminds visitors that this was a place of real importance in the early medieval period. It is a tenth-century high cross. The village is small. It sits at the head of a sheltered harbour. Boats have worked the Lough Foyle fishery there for centuries.
The strait between Donegal and Scotland is one of the best places on the island to see bottlenose dolphins. The headland is a good spot for them in calm weather. Seabirds are present year-round. The open water to the north is why the lighthouse was built in the first place.
The light is best in the early morning. The sun comes over from the east then. The headland is in full view. The place is quieter than most of the coast in summer. The walk around the lighthouse takes a pleasant half hour in any season.
Free to visit. The lighthouse grounds are open in daylight. The lighthouse itself is not generally open to the public. There are a couple of small cafés and a shop in the village of Malin. The nearest substantial services are in Buncrana, about twenty minutes back down the coast road.
Waar logeren
Stay on the Inishowen Peninsula and turn the journey to Malin Head into more than an out-and-back drive.
Bekijk de actuele beschikbaarheid voor je data. Beschikbaarheid en prijzen komen van de aanbieder, niet van ons.
Slieve League in southwest Donegal drops roughly 600 metres into the Atlantic, making it one of Europe's highest sea cliffs. The full scale is best experienced from the foot, reached via a two-hour walk from the Meenaleck car park.
Ardara is a small south-west Donegal town on the N56, named by The Irish Times in 2012 as the best village in which to live in Ireland. It serves as a practical base for the Bluestack Mountains and the west coast.
Buncrana is Donegal’s second-largest town, sitting on the Inishowen shore of Lough Swilly. It features the historic O’Doherty’s Keep and a rich textile heritage, serving as a practical base for exploring the peninsula.
Bundoran, County Donegal’s most southerly town, is a historic seaside resort named after the Doran River. It is a National Geographic top 20 surf town and the site where Mícheál Ó Cléirigh helped compile the Annals of the Four Masters.