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DUNLEWY |
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Heading east on the N56 from Gweedore, the imposing and starkly
beautiful mass of Errigal Mountain becomes increasingly prominent. From
a distance the mountain appears to be snow-covered, but as you skirt the
northern shore of Lough Nacung it becomes apparent that the white
colouration has geological, rather than meteorological, causes. The
minor R251 road leads to DUNLEWY , where the An Earagail An Óige hostel
(tel 075/31180, mailbox@anoige.ie ) sits by the lough at the foot of the
mountain. Here too, in the former Dunlewy Hotel , is the independent
Lakeside Hostel (March-Oct; tel 075/32133). Quite often the area is
shrouded in mist, but on a clear day the beauty of Errigal is
unsurpassable, its silvery slopes resembling Hokkusai's images of Mount
Fuji. A hike up to the top is a must and there's a waymarked trail from
the road up the southeast ridge. The climb to the summit is well worth
it for the stupendous views : virtually all of Donegal, and most of
Ulster, is visible and you could easily spend several hours just sitting
and absorbing the contrasts provided by coastline, loughs and mountains.
Back down in Dunlewy village, there's a post office, shop and McGeady's
bar. The lane next to the Lakeside Hostel leads to Ionad Cois
Locha/Dunlewy Lakeside Centre (Easter-Oct Mon-Sat 10.30am-6pm, Sun
11am-7pm; tour of farm and outbuildings £3/¬3.80, boat trip £3/¬3.80,
combined ticket £5/¬6.33), an impressive visitor centre on the lough
shore. There's an excellent restaurant here and a book-cum-craft shop,
with maps of the area on sale. It's very child-friendly outside with a
small farmyard 'zoo', adventure playground and pony rides on offer. For
adults the highlight is the re-creation of the home of the notable local
weaver, Manus Ferry. The boat trip around the lough is a pleasure for
all ages. It's worth keeping a look out for details of the centre's
weekly concerts during the summer, as it manages to attract some major
names.
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