Overview
Gartan is where Colmcille – Columba, one of Ireland’s three patron saints – was born, on 7 December 521, before he left Donegal to found his monastery on Iona. The place he came from is a quiet spread of water, woodland and low mountain on the western edge of Glenveagh National Park, fifteen minutes by car from Letterkenny on the R251. Two things bring people here now: the early monastic site by the lough, and an outdoor-education centre that has run adventure courses on the southern shore since 1988.
If you have only an afternoon, walk from Wilkins Bar on Church Hill out to the monastic site and back – about two and a half hours at an easy pace, and the best way to tie the saint’s story to the ground that shaped it.
The monastic site
Nothing of the original 6th-century monastery survives. What stands today – within the earthen ring of a much older hill fort, said to have been given to Colmcille by his family – is a 16th-century chapel, a holy well, a scatter of stone crosses and a small graveyard. Two of the crosses mark stations on the turas, the pilgrimage that still runs each summer from 9 June to 15 August. A short distance off at Lacknacoo lies the ‘flagstone of loneliness’, where tradition says Colmcille slept his last night before sailing for Iona.
The site is best understood alongside the Colmcille Heritage Centre on the shore of the lough, which traces the saint’s life from Donegal to Scotland through artefacts, woven banners and stained glass, and is run by Donegal Education and Training Board. We can’t confirm fixed opening hours for it, so it’s worth checking ahead before you make a special trip.
The outdoor centre
The Gartan Outdoor Education and Training Centre, owned by Donegal ETB, sits on the southern shore within an 87-acre woodland estate. It runs across two wings: the West Wing has 10 en-suite rooms looking straight out over the lake, while the East Wing offers hostel-style rooms for larger groups. There are dining rooms, lecture rooms, an indoor climbing wall, free Wi-Fi, disabled access and free parking on site.
The activity programme covers most of what the landscape allows:
- On the water – canoeing, kayaking, sailing and windsurfing on the lough, plus surfing and coasteering trips to the nearby coast
- On land – archery, mountain biking, orienteering and hill walking
- Climbing – the indoor wall and guided rock climbs in the surrounding hills
- Team development – structured courses for schools, colleges and corporate groups
Equipment and instruction come as part of the package. One thing to be clear on: this is a booked-group operation rather than a drop-in attraction, and casual catering is limited, so plan and reserve ahead – especially for school trips and summer water-sports sessions.
Walking the lough
Way-marked trails start near Wilkins Bar on Church Hill (R251), with easy shoreline walking around the lough and the longer historical route out to the monastic site, which takes about two and a half hours there and back. Some stretches cross uneven ground and loose stone, so wear proper footwear.
Nearby
- Glenveagh National Park – right next door: 16,000 hectares of mountain and moor, a Victorian castle and gardens, and a red deer herd.
- The Derryveagh Mountains – the range that frames the lough, with Errigal and the wider Donegal highlands beyond.
- Letterkenny – the nearest town, fifteen minutes away, for shops, food and beds.
Time a visit for the turas between 9 June and 15 August if you want to see the site as a place of pilgrimage rather than a ruin; otherwise, pair it with Glenveagh next door and make a day of the two.