Overview
Bunglass Point gives you the Slieve League cliffs without the queue. It sits at the eastern edge of the cliff complex in southwest County Donegal, where the plateau breaks off and drops sheer into the Atlantic. This is the view most photographers and walkers actually want: the serrated skyline of cliff faces falling away to the water. And they are cliffs worth the trip, 601 m (1,972 ft) high, nearly three times the Cliffs of Moher and the second-highest sea cliffs in Ireland after Croaghaun on Achill.
History and heritage
Two bits of Irish history sit along the approach and the point. As you drive in, a squat stone signal tower stands at Carrigan Head, one of a chain built around 1804 to watch the Atlantic for a French invasion fleet during the Napoleonic Wars. Then, right beside the upper car park, stone slabs still spell out ÉIRE on the ground, one of scores of markers laid along the coast during the Second World War to tell airmen they were over neutral territory. Worth a moment before you turn to the view.
Walking the cliffs
Bunglass Point is the high point of the main Slieve League coastal walk, and it doubles as a gateway to harder inland routes.
The coastal walk (easy to moderate)
From the lower Slieve League car park, a marked 1.5 km trail climbs steadily to the Bunglass viewing platform. Reckon on 30 to 45 minutes, with viewpoints opening onto the ocean along the way. It’s well-trodden and fine for families and casual walkers, but the ground is uneven and rocky in places. Wear sturdy footwear; it gets slippery when wet.
The Pilgrim’s Path (strenuous)
The Pilgrim’s Path is a different proposition, starting from a separate inland car park near Teelin. This 6 km route takes roughly three hours round-trip, climbing steeply through heather and loose stone to the summit. Beyond the summit area, the ridge continuation towards Bunglass is the stretch known as One Man’s Pass, where the crest narrows hard between two drops – it is not part of the ordinary round-trip, and strong winds or low cloud make it genuinely dangerous, so leave it alone unless you’re comfortable with exposed ridge walking in clear, calm conditions. There’s a gate at the trailhead to keep livestock in: dogs only on a short lead, this is sheep ground.
Getting there and parking
By car – From the Slieve League visitor centre, follow the signposted road towards Bunglass. After about 1.5 km the road narrows and winds along the clifftop, climbing with a couple of hairpin bends, then ends at a small car park beside the viewing platform. A metal gate near the end of the access road may look closed; it’s only there to keep sheep off the road, so open it, drive through and close it behind you. The catch: in peak season, roughly July to September while the shuttle runs, only visitors with limited mobility are allowed to drive up to the upper car park. Everyone else parks at the lower car park or the visitor centre and walks or rides the shuttle. Outside those months you can generally drive the whole way.
Parking charges – This is the part the old “free all year” line got wrong. The lower car park is charged (reported at around €5 for three hours or €15 all day), and reported tariffs vary by car park and season, so bring change or a card and don’t count on parking for nothing.
Shuttle bus – In summer a shuttle runs from the Slieve League Visitor Centre up towards the viewpoint, roughly €6 per person, which saves the narrow drive and the parking scramble on a busy day.
Public transport – The nearest reliable bus stops are in Carrick, about 5 km away, served by Local Link and Bus Éireann routes; a local taxi covers the short drive from there to the point.
Practical information
- Facilities: there are no toilets, cafés or visitor centres at Bunglass Point itself. The nearby Slieve League visitor centre has the Ti Linn Café, a gift shop and toilets. Bring water, snacks and a picnic if you plan to linger.
- Weather and safety: Atlantic weather turns fast. Fog, mist or strong wind can drop visibility to near zero and the cliff edge gets hard to see. Stay behind the safety railings, keep well back from the drop, and check the forecast before you set out.
- Dogs: well-behaved dogs are welcome but keep them on a short lead everywhere here, for the drops and the livestock both.
- Accessibility: the viewing platform and trails are uneven and steep in sections, not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs.
Nearby
- Slieve League Visitor Centre – a few minutes’ drive away, with trail maps, the summer shuttle and the Ti Linn Café for a warm drink afterwards. (Slieve League)
- Maghera Caves and Assaranca Waterfall – both near Ardara, about 35–40 minutes’ drive north, and they pair well as a second stop on a Donegal day. The caves sit off Maghera Beach and access is strictly tide-dependent, so check a local tide table and wear wellingtons. (Assaranca Waterfall)
Come early. Morning gets you a parking space and catches the light on the cliff faces before the midday haze sets in.