Slieve League

From Donegal Town we traveled to Carrick and on through Teelin to the sixth highest sea cliffs in all of Europe known as Slieve League. This was an amazing stop during our travels of the Republic of Ireland. The River Glen flowing through Carrick was quite picturesque. Closer to Teelin the river widens as it flows towards the coast; fishing boats rest at low tide along the river banks.

Slieve League is a mountain on the Atlantic coast of County Donegal, Ireland. At 601 metres (1,972 ft), it has some of the highest sea cliffs on the island of Ireland. Although less famous than the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Slieve League’s cliffs reach almost three times higher.

The Belfast naturalist Robert Lloyd Praeger wrote in 1939:

A tall mountain of nearly 2000 feet, precipitous on its northern side, has been devoured by the sea till the southern face forms a precipice likewise, descending on this side right into the Atlantic from the long knife-edge which forms the summit. The traverse of this ridge, the “One Man’s Path”, is one of the most remarkable walks to be found in Ireland – not actually dangerous, but needing a good head and careful progress on a stormy day….The northern precipice, which drops 1500 feet into the coomb surrounding the Little Lough Agh, harbours the majority of the alpine plants of Slieve League, the most varied group of alpines to be found anywhere in Donegal.

You can explore Slieve League from two different start points by car. There is a parking lot just West of Arduns where there is a gate (green dot). You can walk from here or open the gate and drive in further West to Carrickmacafferty (red dot).

I would recommend saving your energy by driving to far parking lot. There is plenty of trail to explore from there; the views are absolutely magnificent. It is hard to realize the scale of these cliffs through these photos. These cliffs are truly massive and quite impressive; a must see if you are in the Donegal area. If you wish to hike to the summit and back, plan a whole day here as the journey will likely take you 6 hours round trip.