Donegal – the Forgotten County
The county of Donegal is positioned in the Northwest of Ireland and is one of the nine counties making up the Province of Ulster. It is the only county in Ulster that is on the Wild Atlantic Way.
Six of the nine counties in Ulster are situated in Northern Ireland, which is still part of the United Kingdom. The three counties in Ulster that are part of the Republic of Ireland are Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan.
Donegal is quite a distance from other parts of Ireland, also with regard to motorway infrastructure, so it is sometimes referred to as the forgotten county as it is more difficult to access.
What can you see on the Wild Atlantic Way in Donegal
You will notice that the Irish accent begins to sound more like a Northern Irish accent as you move into Donegal, even though Donegal is not part of Northern Ireland.
Having said that Donegal has some of the most spectacular views, roads, harbours and beaches in the entire country.
If you are looking for isolation, peace, views, hospitality and Irish craic then Donegal is the place to visit.
Donegal is home to three Wild Atlantic Way Signature points and many Discovery Points.
Wild Atlantic Way Signature Points in Donegal
You can visit Killybegs, an iconic fishing village, or some of the waterfalls along the route. Make a detour to hike Errigal or visit Glenveagh National Park.
The Wild Atlantic Way ends, or starts, depending on which direction you are travelling in Muff, in Donegal. Muff is located just North of Derry (or Londonderry).
There is so much to see you could easily spend a month exploring Donegal!
Just beware of the midges 😊! Just as in Scotland in the summer months, in some areas the county can get plagued with these tiny little flying insects that can be quite annoying and in some ways worse than mosquitoes. A good dose of insect repellant Smidge keeps them away though. So keep a can with you if you are camping out.
I travelled South to North so on your way back South you can pass through into Derry from Muff and even follow the Causeway Coastal Route in Northern Ireland if you have time or are heading to Belfast.
Donegal Driving Routes Along the Wild Atlantic Way
In Donegal I have created 4 Google map routes, going from South to North along the Wild Atlantic Way. The first one starts at the border with Leitrim. The rest follow on up. Allow a day for each route as the driving times are actual driving times and you will wish to stop along the way.
The route numbers just correspond with the numbers in the summarizing Routes page.
You can of course travel in either direction with these routes.
Route 4. Leitrim/Donegal Border to Narin/Portloo Beach [Blog Post]
Approx. 162 km distance, 3 hrs 31 minutes driving time
Route 3. Narin/Portloo Beach to Rosguill [Blog Post]
Approx. 147 km distance, 3 hrs 8 minutes driving time
Route 2. Rosguill Peninsular to Lisfannon [Blog Post]
Approx. 119 km distance, 2 hrs 17 minutes driving time
Route 1. Lisfannon to Muff [Blog Post]
Approx. 151 kms distance, 3 hrs 12 minutes driving time
Donegal is one of the most beautiful counties on the Wild Atlantic Way. So make sure you try and visit here during your travels. You will not regret it!
Next County – South
Next County – North
I have spent many (fun) hours creating this website to help people travelling the Wild Atlantic Way. If you found it useful and it helped you plan your trip, please consider donating towards my petrol/gas bill! Many thanks!
Last Updated on October 18, 2023 by Gav
