Overview
The thing to know about Purple Mountain before you start up it is that the top is not waymarked. The ridge running north from the 832-metre summit to Tomies is a web of faint tracks over loose sandstone and heather, and in low cloud – common here – people lose the line and get into trouble. This is a proper hillwalk on the eastern side of Killarney National Park, not a signed trail, and it wants a map, a compass and a decent forecast.
The name comes from the rock. Purple Mountain is built of Old Red Sandstone, which throws a purple-red cast in morning and evening light, and that colour gave it its 19th-century English name. Older maps called the whole massif Tomies; the place-name scholar Paul Tempan traces the Irish form to Tuamaidhe, after two burial cairns on the summit. As the English name spread, the older one slid down onto the neighbouring peak, Tomies Mountain. At 832 metres, with 597 metres of prominence, Purple Mountain ranks as a Marilyn and an Arderin, and comes in as the 21st-highest peak in Ireland. Its eastern half lies inside the national park, where the lower slopes still carry pockets of oak woodland, remnants of the forest that covered Ireland before people cleared it.
Walking routes
Three approaches are in regular use, all of them needing a solid level of fitness and some navigation.
The classic Gap of Dunloe loop
The popular one: a 14 km circuit of 5 to 6 hours from Kate Kearney’s Cottage. It follows the road through the Gap of Dunloe, past Black Lough and Cushnavally Lake to the Head of the Gap, then climbs east past Lough Glas to a 793-metre subsidiary top. A short ridge leads to the main summit, then on to Purple Mountain NE Top (757 m), Tomies Mountain (735 m) and Tomies Rock (568 m), before dropping down the steep gullies of the Tomies Chimneys. On a clear day it gives the full sweep of the Lakes of Killarney, MacGillycuddy’s Reeks, the Black Valley and, further off, the Beara Peninsula.
The direct summit ascent
If you only want the summit and not the full day, take this one: 7 km and 3 to 4 hours from the Head of the Gap, straight up to the summit and NE Top and back the same way. Parking at the Head of the Gap is only a handful of roadside spaces, so it suits early starters – or you can take a jaunting-car up from Kate Kearney’s and start from there.
The Tomies Chimneys variation
A rougher 9 km, 4 to 5 hours, again from Kate Kearney’s, tackling the Tomies Chimneys gullies first, up to Tomies North Top, along to Tomies Mountain and across the ridge to Purple Mountain. More solitude, a more technical descent, and more route-finding through the heather.
Navigation and conditions
The ridge between Purple Mountain and Tomies North Top is not marked on the ground. Carry the OSI Discovery Series map 78 or the 1:25,000 MacGillycuddy’s Reeks sheet, and a compass or GPS. The lower paths around Lough Glas are clear enough; higher up they fade into faint tracks over loose sandstone. Weather turns fast at this height – May to September is the steadier spell, though afternoon cloud builds up, and winter brings ice on the ridge and strong wind. Check a mountain forecast and pack waterproofs, boots and spare food.
Facilities and guided walks
There is nothing on the mountain itself, and any water taken from streams should be treated. Kate Kearney’s Cottage at the trailhead has a café, hot food and toilets, and makes the obvious base before and after. For a guided day, Kerry Climbing runs ascents graded strenuous, and Roam Wild does a 5 to 7 hour guided hike at around €70 a head (minimum two people), covering the Gap ascent, the summit ridge and the descent, with commentary on the geology. Dogs are not allowed on the guided walks. Bookings for Roam Wild go through 087 605 1642 or roamwild.ire@gmail.com.
Getting there
From Killarney, take the N72 towards Killorglin, turn left at the Beaufort junction and follow signs for the Gap of Dunloe to Kate Kearney’s Cottage, where the car park holds about ten vehicles. Get there before 9am in season – the spaces go early, and the Gap road fills with jaunting-cars and cyclists as the morning goes on.
Nearby highlights
- Lakes of Killarney – boat trips and lakeside trails a short drive from the trailhead.
- Gap of Dunloe scenic road – the glacial valley itself, with narrow bridges, small lakes and horse-drawn jaunting-cars.
- Muckross House and gardens – a 19th-century estate and mountain garden in the national park, an easy afternoon after the hill.
- Black Valley – a remote, quiet valley south of the Reeks.
If cloud is forecast, save Purple Mountain for another day: the ridge is exposed and unmarked, and it is no place to be guessing your line.