Walk · Co. Sligo
Benbulbin
Benbulbin is a 526 m table mountain in the Sligo country, characterized by a flat top and a sheer face. It is the peak referenced in Yeats’s poetry and serves as the primary hiking destination for the area.
The loop
Start in Sligo town. The self-drive circuit takes you around the Sligo country and back to the same spot. It is the simplest way to see the whole of Yeats country in a single day. The classic path heads north to Drumcliff first. You see the poet’s grave there. Then the road rounds Benbulbin. You come down through the Glencar country next. Finally, you return along the shore of Lough Gill to Strandhill. The beach and the surf sit at the west end.
What it covers
One loop covers a lot of ground. At Drumcliff, there is the poet’s grave and the high cross. Benbulbin offers its face and its top. The walk up is an optional extra. For a drive day, the view from the road is enough. Glencar brings the waterfalls. Lough Gill gives you the reflection. Strandhill beach ends the run, with the headland at its west end. If you want a longer version, add Rosses Point and Coney Island to the north. Do this at low tide.
A note on the route
“Sligo Loop” is a name applied to more than one itinerary. Published distances vary. The core circuit runs to about 95 km. Longer Yeats-country-and-Lough-Gill versions run past 180 km. Take the day slowly. The distance question takes care of itself. The stops, not the miles, are the point. The coastal arm of the loop runs along the same stretch of coast that the Wild Atlantic Way follows through the bay. That is part of the route’s Donegal–Mayo section. So the drive day doubles as a look at the longer route.