Our 7-day Donegal Bluestack Way self-guided walking tour is a 96 km route through some of the most remote and dramatic areas of County Donegal in the northwest of Ireland. Along the way, you will experience the unspoilt wildness of the Donegal countryside as you hike across the Bluestack Mountains, a range of rolling, green hills.
Starting in the town of Donegal, you will meet enchanting places such as Lough Eske, the ancient coastal district of Glencolmcille, stunning cliffsides alive with birds and wildflowers, and an idyllic riverside route that eventually reaches the tour’s close in the charming village of Kilcar.
For guests considering an extended Irish adventure, please browse our full range of Self-Guided Walking Tours of Ireland.
Prices / Dates
Price: €783 per person sharing
Single Supplement: +€403
Solo Traveller Supplement: +€85
Tour Dates: 1 April to 15 October
Tour Grade: Easy to Moderate
Accommodation: Guesthouse
Included / Excluded
- 6 nights bed & breakfast
- All accommodation is pre-booked in approved family-run guesthouses or B&Bs with all rooms en-suite.
- Breackfast is supplied each day.
- Maps and route notes, both trails have been walked and checked by Christopher from Footfalls.
- Luggage transfers daily while you walk with a small day pack.
- All information on trains or buses needed to get to your first accommodation in Donegal town and back at the end of the tour from Kilcar village.
- 24-7 Emergency Telephone support
- Public transport to the beginning of the tour and back at the end
- Packed Lunches
- Evening Meals
- Drinks and Snacks
- Personal Equipment
Take public transport from Dublin to Donegal Town where you will spend the next two nights. Public transport takes approximately 3 hours 30 minutes from Dublin.
Your tour of the Donegal Bluestack Way starts with a taxi transfer to the townland of Owenboy. The trail takes you back across the foothills of Banagher to cross the River Eglish and along by the beautiful shores of Lough Eske, finishing back in Donegal Town.
Distance: 19.2 Km / 11.9 miles, Ascent: 477 m / 1564 ft, Approximate walking time: 5 / 6 hours
The scenic trail today takes you along an old bog road, through farmland and across the foothills of the Bluestacks Mountains to finish your day in the village of Glenties.
Distance: 21.6 Km / 13.4 miles, Ascent: 624 m / 2047 ft, Approximate walking time: 6 / 7 hours
From the village of Glenties, you will walk along quiet roads to arrive at the banks of the Owentocker River. Following the bank of the river, this meandering walk brings you into the village of Ardara. Ardara is a designated Heritage Town and also a well-known centre for the manufacture of Donegal homespun tweeds. You will stay overnight in Ardara.
Distance: 12.3 Km / 7.6 miles, Ascent: 132 m / 433 ft, Approximate walking time: 3 / 4 hours
Complimentary taxi to the start of your walk.
Today’s trail takes you further west along by the base of Slievetooey Mountain to follow the Glen River to the townland of Port. Port is one of the remotest and least visited corners of Ireland. From here the trail takes you south to the side of Faugher Mountain where you will have some beautiful mountain and sea cliff views. Your day finishes in the village of Glencolmcille, a Gaeltacht area (Irish speaking).
Distance: 24 km / 15 miles, Ascent: 659 m / 1977 ft, Approximate walking time: 7 / 9 hours
(Today's walk can be shortened to 20 km)
From Glencolmcille, the trail takes you through the hills of Contycro and Screggacula, passing Lough Unshagh and Lough Unna and into the small village of Carrick. Carrick is situated in the Gaeltacht area of South West Donegal, an area renowned for river fishing, sea angling and is rich in folklore and archaeology. It has a long tradition of hand-woven tweed and knitwear and many festivals are held there throughout the year.
From Carrick, the trail takes you south-east to the village of Kilcar, a quiet village that is also part of the Gaeltacht. While you are in Kilcar you will have a chance to visit one of Donegal’s finest hand-weaving and clothing manufacturing company, a skill that has been handed down from generation to generation.
Distance: 17.5 km / 10.8 miles, Ascent: 680 m / 2230 ft, Approximate walking time: 5 / 6 hours
After a hearty Irish breakfast, you will depart for home.
