Tory Island Ferry
From the pier at nearby Magheroarty (5km), visitors can take boat trips to Tory Island. www.toryislandferry.com. The island is a bird watchers' paradise, with its towering cliffs rich in so many different forms of bird life.
Beaches
Magheroarty was voted as the third best windsurfing location in the world in 2007 and surfers from many parts of the world come to ride these great swells each year, particularly in the months of September and October.
Both beaches are a walker's paradise and offer great views of the islands of Tory and Inisbofin
The area boasts some of the finest stretches of beaches in Ireland with the golden sands of Magheroarty and Falcarragh only a couple of kilometres from the hotel.
Glenveagh National Park
This beautiful national park is home to herds of red deer and golden eagles. Just a 20 minute drive away from Gortahork, it includes a 14,000 hectare deer park set amongst a dramatic mountain range around Lough Veagh. Here also is a visitor centre with audio-visual displays and Glenveagh Castle surrounded by one of the finest gardens in Ireland.
There are guided tours of the Castle and a restaurant with traditional teas available.
+353 76 100 2537
An tSean Bheairic - Falcarragh Visitor Centre
This historic building was once the old police barracks now providing historical and tourist information. It features a coffee shop also providing lunches and during the summer months there are regular music sessions. visitors.www.falcarraghvisitorcentre.com
The Way Atlantic Way
The wild Atlantic passes the front door of the hotel on its way to Dunfanaghy and beyond.
is Irelands first long-distance and worlds longest touring route stretching from Malin Head in Donegal to Kinsale in Co. Cork. For more information on the scenic route, click on the link www.wildatlanticway.com
Muckish Mountain
This mountain is well known nationally and internationally and is so named because of its iconic shape, that of a pig’s back. “Muc” is the Irish word for a pig. It is 667 metres high and is the third highest mountain in Donegal after nearby Errigal (751 metres) and Cruachgorm (674) in the Bluestack Mountain range in South Donegal.
Errigal Mountain
Errigal is Donegal’s highest mountain standing at a height of 751 metres and was voted Ireland’s most iconic mountain in 2009. The Irish word for Errigal is, “An Earagail” which means,”oratory”. It is the highest peak in the Derryveagh mountain range. Errigal is the most southern of the mountain chain named, “The Seven Sisters” by locals.
Tory Island – Oileán Thoraigh
Lying nine miles off the coast of Donegal, Tory is the most remote and most magical of all the Irish islands. Although only three miles long and one mile wide, Tory boasts two towns, An Baile Thoir (East Town) and An Baile Thiar (West Town).
Glenveagh National Park and Castle
You shouldn’t leave this part of Donegal without paying a visit to Glenveagh National Park and Castle. It is the premier tourist attraction in Donegal, and you will be amazed that such a stately building is to be found in what is, probably, the most remote corner in the whole county.
Dunlewey - Dún Lúiche
The Irish translation of Dunlewey is Dún Lúiche meaning the Fort of Lú, the Celtic God of Light.
Dunlewey is regarded as one of the most scenic areas in Ireland, if not in the world, and is particularly popular with couples who want to get married in the local Church of the Sacred Heart and to be photographed using the scenery of Dunlewey as a backdrop. Dunlewey is a painter’s and a photographer’s paradise with its varied landscapes, and Mount Errigal towering over the whole area. It is indeed a magical place and a visit there is a must.
Droichead na nDeor - The Bridge of Tears
Droichead na nDeor (The Bridge of Tears) is a small stone bridge situated near Muckish Mountain on the road to Glenveagh National Park. In the nineteenth century, before the railway was built, local people emigrating to America, Britain and Australia crossed this bridge on foot on their way to the port of Derry, which was the main departure point for Donegal emigrants. The emigrants were accompanied by family and friends as far as this bridge. Here they parted. This walk had all the finality of a funeral, as most of the emigrants would never return.
It's position along this lonely road is a haunting reminder of the bad old days. Your trip to Gortahork would not be complete without stopping to ponder for a while at this unique landmark,
The Cloughaneely Stone
who lived on Tory Island, went to the mainland and seized a local chieftain, Cen Faelad, and laying his head across a large white stone he severed it with one blow of his sword. The white stone is called Cloch Cheann Fhaola (The Stone of the Head of Cen Faelad) or the Cloughaneely Stone. The stone weighs a ton and a half and in 1774 Wybrants Olphert of Ballyconnell House, managed to raise the Cloughaneely Stone on to a sixteen-foot-high pillar. This is the stone that gave this area its name. It is well worth a visit.
You can view at Reception or download our Places of Interest Folder that has detailed information on the many places that you might visit while you are staying with us here in Ostán Loch Altan Places of Interest Brochure