Glenveagh Castle and National Park
It takes about 45 minutes to drive from the Avish to Glenveagh National Park in Donegal, and it’s like a bit like going to Scotland for the afternoon. The scenery changes dramatically as you drive from Letterkenny, from heather-covered hills and turf roads to craggy mountains, glens and lakes. Glenveagh Castle was built in the late 19th century in the style of a Scottish Keep, and the estate even has own herd of red deer.
Glenveagh is located 24km north-west of Letterkenny and can be reached via the villages of Kilmacrennan or Churchill. Access from Letterkenny is by the (N56) road through Kilmacrennan, turning left on to the Gweedore road (R255), or alternatively via Church Hill, and past Gartan and Akibbon lakes (R251). This route passes close to Newmills and the Glebe Gallery - both of which are also well worth a visit.
Glenveagh is located 24km north-west of Letterkenny and can be reached via the villages of Kilmacrennan or Churchill. Access from Letterkenny is by the (N56) road through Kilmacrennan, turning left on to the Gweedore road (R255), or alternatively via Church Hill, and past Gartan and Akibbon lakes (R251). This route passes close to Newmills and the Glebe Gallery - both of which are also well worth a visit.
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This really is a spectacularly beautiful place – 16,540 hectares in all, and some of the finest gardens in Ireland. You should visit any time of the year on a good, bright day. It is open all year round.
Admission to the National Park and visitor centre is free. Cars are not allowed beyond the visitor centre. You can walk to the castle and gardens along the lake shore or take the paying shuttle bus service.
Admission to Glenveagh castle is by guided tour only and takes about 45 minutes. Morning and afternoon teas are served in the castle tearooms all season. Admission to the gardens is free of charge, and there are great walks all around. If you’re lucky, you might spot an eagle.
For more information, click here to access the Glenveagh National Park website.
Glebe House and Gallery
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Glebe House, just a few miles from the Glenveagh Estate, is one of Ireland’s hidden treasures. Not only has it a great garden for roaming around and activities for children, it's home to a fine collection of 20th-century paintings that belonged to its owner for some thirty years, artist Derek Hill. There are some 300 original works by artists including Picasso, Yeats, Bonnard, Kokoshka, Annigoni and Pasmore.
Derek Hill bequeathed his entire art collection and Glebe House itself to the Irish State in 1980, on condition that the collection remain intact and in place. The paintings are displayed higgledy-piggledy, exactly as they had been when Hill lived there himself, and it's a privilege to step into this unique home.
The House is Regency, built in 1828, decorated with William Morris textiles, Donegal folk art, Japanese and Islamic art, and the gardens overlook Lough Gartan.
The Glebe Gallery, with temporary exhibitions of the work of local artists, is open at Easter and between June and September. Entrance is free of charge and there are tea rooms on the ground floor. Access to the house is by guided tour only. Telephone No: +353 74 913 7071
For more information click here to access the Glebe House website.
Derek Hill bequeathed his entire art collection and Glebe House itself to the Irish State in 1980, on condition that the collection remain intact and in place. The paintings are displayed higgledy-piggledy, exactly as they had been when Hill lived there himself, and it's a privilege to step into this unique home.
The House is Regency, built in 1828, decorated with William Morris textiles, Donegal folk art, Japanese and Islamic art, and the gardens overlook Lough Gartan.
The Glebe Gallery, with temporary exhibitions of the work of local artists, is open at Easter and between June and September. Entrance is free of charge and there are tea rooms on the ground floor. Access to the house is by guided tour only. Telephone No: +353 74 913 7071
For more information click here to access the Glebe House website.
