Donegal has been named as the 8th best place in the world for a weekend adventure in a Land Rover.
The magazine Land Rover Owner International’s October edition has included Donegal in their top 10 list of brilliant short trips.
Donegal is the only place in Ireland to be on the list, and was highlighted for its rugged landscape and remote roads.
The October Edition of LRO (UK)
Photos by Donegal photographer Paul Doherty capture Donegal in all its glory to appeal to Land Rover and Range Rover enthusiasts.
This is set to be yet another tourism boost for the county, as LRO Magazine is an influential magazine with an international readership of almost 30,000.
The opening image for the list is of the LRO team touring Falcarragh along the old railway leading to the foot of Muckish Mountain. LRO assistant editor Mark Saville is pictured driving his Land Rover Series I Plimsoll in this opening page (below), and he is followed by a Series III, Defender 90 and the amphibious Defender 110.
LRO (UK) Photo by Paul Doherty
Muckish is the main attraction mentioned in the page celebrating Donegal. The page, titled Delightful Donegal, describes the landscape as ‘beautiful’.
“This beautiful north west corner of Ireland is simply stunning. The coastline takes some beating, whether you’re marvelling at wild, rocky cliffs towering over the Atlantic waves or strolling along remote bays bordered by shimmering golden sand.”
The feature recommends a climb to the summit of Muckish and a trip around the byways of the Derryveagh Mountains.
“…you’ll really feel like you’re getting away from the rat race here – it’s one of the most sparsely populated corners of Ireland.”
Greenlane Donegal, a local adventure company run by Shane Gallagher, gets a mention, and Donegal’s hospitality is greatly praised.
“The cliche is that the Irish treat every visitor like an old friend. However it’s not just a cliche – it’s also a fact. They do hospitality very well, which extends to the portion sizes in restaurants – make sure you’re hungry…”
A pint of the black stuff is recommended to toast to a good drive, as the feature says the Guinness really does taste better in Ireland.
LRO (UK). Photo by Paul Doherty
On this page (above) a convoy of Land Rovers is pictured in Downings and Glen Valley is visible in the background.
The LRO team have visited Donegal several times in recent years and fell in love the the natural beauty of the region.
They were first drawn to the north west after Donegal Roaders, Denis Ferry, Leslie O Donnell and Paul Doherty travelled across the Irish Sea from Scotland to Donegal in an amphibious Land Rover in 2015.
This trip caught the attention of the LRO editors who wanted to have a run in the prototype.
Denis Ferry, who runs Ferry’s Garage Motor Repairs at Mountain Top, told Donegal Daily that they have enjoyed showing the editors around the best of Donegal’s mountain roads, bog roads and byways during their trips.
Denis said the Wild Atlantic Way has brought many drivers to the area who are looking for unique road adventures.
“Over this summer I’ve had over 9 groups of different nationalities coming to the approved garage at the Mountain Top. It is amazing to see the amount of people who are coming to travel the Wild Atlantic Way. It’s great because it is easy to follow, there is no language barriers, all you have to do is follow the signs north or south,” Denis said.
Denis said Land Rovers are vehicles that have ‘great character’ for travelling across Donegal.
The magazine says a “weekend away is good for the soul” and recommends for readers to pack a bag and head off somewhere new. Now that Donegal is added to this list, we might well see a rise in Land Rovers on the roads this autumn.
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