Around Inch Island. |
| Location: Mountain Bike routes Inishowen Grade: D - Length: 32m |
| First ascent: AT |
| Route Description: |
| Burt, Co.Donegal. Map 1:50,000 Sheet 7 The Ride. This is an attractive route on minor trails and roads, no more than 20 minutes from Derry, taking in the island, over 3 embankments, and a nature reserve via an old railway line. Terrain. The route is mainly on minor roads and good tracks, and there are few hills. Time 3.5 hours, Distance 32k; Ascent 100m Approach From Derry/Londonderry towards Letterkenny. Start at Kernan\'s cafe on the main Derry/Letterkenny Road N13 at Newtowncunningham. Gr C 311 167. Route. Continue out towards Letterkenny to the end of the village, turning right at Gr C 304 167. Take the first right turn, approx 1k along this road, and continue to the end of the road to the Blanket Nook railway embankment, which is crossed on a narrow grassy track, going rightwards under an old bridge at the far end. Turning uphill, there is an old graveyard on the right (worth a visit) and beyond this, keep left and left again, to round Finwell Hill on its North side. Continue downhill to the junction at Gr C 327 206, turn left through Carrowen to the newly renovated Farland Bank amenity area/carpark. A good gravel track across this, leads to Inch Island and along the shore to a new car park on the lake side, from which the road can be accessed at Gr C 345 232. Either continue on the track to the main causeway or turn left, and begin a clockwise circumnavigation of the Island. The road climbs past Inch Castle, and descends to the scenic Mill bay. You can either cross the Island on a minor road at this point, or continue around the coast to the road end at Binalt. There used to be a track connecting Binalt to Inch Fort,(still marked on some maps) but this is now sadly overgrown. A circuit of Inch can still be made by crossing a couple of fields just below it, and to do this, go up a lane just before the road end, which turns and runs parallel to the coast. At a gate, go into a field (you will see the overgrown track above on your right), cross the field and another to gain a track at the far end, which leads to a minor road and thence to the road just above the pier.Turn right, and take the coastal road, which is joined by the short cut after about 3 km. Cross the causeway, and keep right at the other side, towards Burnfoot. A new track almost immediately leads off to the right. There is a wonderful footpath (renovated railway embankment with bird watching hides) leading all the way back to the Farland Bank. Show extreme courtesy to pedestrians, as this is heavily used! Retrace your route through Carrowen, keeping right at the first fork, through the crossroads, and turn sharply right at Gr C 328 198, towards the prominent Burt Castle on the hill. The route circles the hill to the North and West, before taking off SW, on a couple of \'dog legs\' to join the main Derry Letterkenny road(N13) just East of Kernans Filling Station/Cafe. |
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Route Number: 3380