Saturday 15th June 2024
Day 1: WAW – Muff to Tullagh Strand

Strange dreams of tumbling roads filled the night, no doubt my mind processing yesterday’s long journey. Despite this, I woke up feeling refreshed. With the rain clearing, I set off in the Beast for Derry Walls. A very convenient car park by Magazine Gate led me directly onto the walls, allowing me to easily circumnavigate the town and return right back to my car.

The Derry Walls were built during the period 1613-1618 by The Honourable The Irish Society, as defences for early seventeenth century settlers from England and Scotland

It was a pleasant wander, the streets quiet, with shops just opening, and surprisingly, lots to see on route. From street art …

To fine views, buildings, gardens, and cannon

Breakfast was the next order of business, but perhaps Derry wasn’t the ideal spot for a traditional Irish fry-up. With Costa, Cafe Nero, and various bistro-style cafes dominating the scene, I opted for a quiet little craft cafe. They offered “breakfast crepes” with cheese and salad—whoever heard of such a thing! “Can I have the bacon and eggs with brown sough dough” …. No

Sigh, I opted for sourdough toast with jam, a 5/10 from me, not even homemade. Where is the dark chunky Irish bread that i love, they even snuck in a white slice. Clearly its not rural enough for a fine Irish breakfast, so I headed to Muff.

‘Muff‘, the northern gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way, certainly didn’t disappoint. After yesterday’s hectic events, it was wonderful to gently cruise along virtually empty roads, unencumbered, and simply soak in the views. All I had to do was follow the plentiful signs.

but don’t be complacent, you can still go astray, as did I … many times

At Inishowen Head, I’d hoped to find the trailhead for a walk up to Crocknasmug and Crocknabronta. The road to the trailhead was closed, and I decided against hiking it as it would have taken up most of the day. My route took me up to Magilligan Point, with great views across the bay, then down a series of tricky hairpin bends to the rather impressive Kinnagoe Bay.

The crystal-clear waters were perfect for a paddle. I collected some shells and enjoyed a brief siesta before tackling the steep climb out. This would have been the ideal overnight stop, if only it were later in my journey.

My planned route should have taken me to Culdaff Beach, then up to Glengad Head, and finally onto Malin Head (Cionn Mhálanna), my intended end stage for the day. However, I somehow drove across through Carndonagh to Ballyliffin instead. It was a very nice drive, but definitely not where I needed to be.

Redirecting, I drove to Malin Head which turned out to be a beautiful drive. I cruised past picturesque coves and numerous long-deserted crofts, and I imagined myself owning one. Many are nestled by isolated beaches with no public access—perfect.

Finally, at Malin Head… my advice would be to avoid driving right to the very top. It’s absolute car carnage up there, with two tiny car parks overflowing and vehicles bumper-to-bumper along the verges and roadway.

It’s Ireland’s most northerly point, home to a signal tower once used by Lloyd’s insurance company (though not as impressive as ours on the Lizard). This tower sits atop the rocky formation known as Bamba’s Crown, and everyone, of course, wants to stand on it.

Instead, I’d advise parking further down and taking the walking trail to Hell’s Hole. This subterranean cavern is where the sea rushes through a narrow neck and into a sea cave, creating a thunderous noise. Sadly, the tide was out when I visited.

If you continue walking along the coast, you’ll find magnificent views and a gannet colony on a rocky outcrop. I sat for a while, soaking in the peace and quiet, before walking back to the van.

Back on the road, the route travelled along Trawbreaga Bay, back to Malin, Carndonagh and Clonmany.

Tullagh Strand was my stopover for the night. Nestled among larger vans, I felt right where I needed to be, among my tribe. Some much-needed food and a snooze followed, and a refreshing swim ended my day perfectly.

Road trip tuuuune:

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