Colmcille Climbers

Fanad, Co. Donegal.  Map OS 1:50,000 sheet 2

The Ride

Whilst the remoteness of this ‘off shoot’ of the Fanad Peninsula is somewhat lessened by the construction of the Blaney Bridge, it is still not often visited, with traffic rarely encountered in its myriad of twisting minor road and lanes.

Terrain, Virtually always surfaced in some fashion, but with many of the lanes having a  grass ‘Mohawk’ up the middle.   Lots of short hills, some of which are steep.

Time 2 Hours. Distance  20 km; Ascent 250m.

Approach

From Letterkenny to Ramelton, and Milford on the R245.  Continue on the R246 through Kerrykeel to a crossroads at Portsalon, but keep straight on towardsFanad Head.  At Kinnalough Gr C 204  453, turn left along the coast for 3 km, and park at Rinboy car park.

Route

From Rinboy, continue West for a kilometre to Ballyhoorisky, and turn right at Gr C 160 443, following a lane which loops around the coast.  About 1.5 km ahead turn right onto another lane at Gr C 161  430, which zig zags its way through some hilly terrain with small loughs and secluded homesteads, to join a yellow road at Tulaigh.

 Turn right, and take this road west towards Mulroy Bay, and then south to the remarkable, and almost landlocked Tully Bay (and even more remarkable bridge, seemingly in the middle of nowhere!). 

Skirting its northern shore, continue through the crossroads  to the chapel and school at Gr C 174 388, and go left.  After about 2 km, the road climbs left over the shoulder of Lurgacloughan Hill to join another similarly minor thoroughfare.

 Keep right, then immediately right again at a T junction, to the fork at Tullynadall.  Keep left, and turn left at Gr C 178 426, keeping immediately right along the west side of L. Kindrum, for about 2 Km, before rejoining the coast road, turning left and back to the car one kilometre away.