Page 230 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Ireland

228  IRELAND REGION B Y REGION

coast and looks across to the
cliffs of nearby offshore islands,
including Tory. A short distance
further south, the tiny village
of Bunbeg has a pretty
harbour, but elsewhere the
rocky landscape is spoiled by a
blanket of holiday bungalows.

3 Derryveagh
Mountains
Road map C1. Co Donegal.
The wild beauty of these
mountains provides one of the
high spots of a visit to Donegal.
Errigal Mountain, the range’s
tallest peak at 751 m (2,466 ft),
attracts keen hikers, but the
cream of the mountain scenery
Quartzite cone of Errigal, the highest of the Derryveagh Mountains lies within Glenveagh National
Park. Covering nearly 16,000
1 Tory Island There are ruins of a monastery ha (40,000 acres), this takes
founded by St Columba (see in the beautiful valley occupied
Road map C1. Co Donegal. * 100.
g from Magheraroarty Pier near p38) nearby, or else you can by Lough Veagh, and Poisoned
Gortahork and Bunbeg (daily in explore the island’s Glen, a marshy valley
summer: 074 953 5061; weather dramatic cliffs and enclosed by dramatic cliffs.
permitting in winter: 074 953 1340). sea bird rookeries. The park also protects the
∑ toryislandferry.com largest herd of red deer
E Dixon Gallery in the country.
The turbulent Tory Sound West Town. Tel 074 913 5011. Glenveagh Castle stands
separates this windswept island Open Easter–Sep: daily. on the southern shores of
from the northwestern corner Lough Veagh, near the
of mainland Donegal. Given that visitors’ centre. This splendid
rough weather can cut off the 2 Bloody granite building was
tiny island for days, it is not Foreland constructed in 1870 by
surprising that Tory’s inhabitants Road map C1. Co Donegal. John Adair, notorious
have developed a strong sense @ to Letterkenny. for his eviction of many
of independence. Most of the families from the area
islanders speak Gaelic and they Bloody Foreland, which Fountain at after the Famine (see
even have their own monarch: gets its name from the Glenveagh p223). The castle was
the powers of this non-hereditary rubescent glow of the rocks at given to the nation in the 1970s
position are minimal, but the sunset, boasts magnificent by its last owner, a wealthy art
current incumbent is heavily scenery. The R257 road skirts dealer from Pennsylvania.
involved in promoting the the coast around the headland, Shuttle buses whisk you up
interests of his “subjects” and in provid ing lovely views. The most the private road to the castle
attracting visitors to the island. scenic viewpoint is on the north from the visitors’ centre.
During the 1970s, the Irish
government tried to resettle
most of the islanders on the
mainland, but they refused to
move. Their campaign of resist-
ance was led by Tory’s school of
Primitive artists. This emerged
after 1968, inspired by a local
man called James Dixon who
claimed he could do better than
a visiting English painter, Derek
Hill. Since then, the school of
artists has drawn a growing
number of tourists; the Dixon
Gallery opened in 1992 in the
main village of West Town. Glenveagh Castle overlooking Lough Veagh
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp301–2 and pp320–21

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2)
Date 14th November 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm