Overview
The Sturrall is an 800-metre blade of rock running out into the Atlantic off the south-west corner of County Donegal, and reaching its far tip is the longest rock climb in Ireland. For almost everyone, that is a fact to admire from the clifftop rather than a plan. Known in Irish as An Stural and to local climbers as ‘the mother of all ridges’, it stands between Glencolmcille to the south and the road-end at An Port to the north, a grey spine that narrows in places to a couple of metres with the sea on both sides. It rises to about 180 metres at its highest point. This is one of the emptiest stretches of the Wild Atlantic Way, and one of the most serious.
The ridge and the climb
The first recorded ascent was made around 1890 by the English climber Walter Parry Haskett Smith, who took the skyline ridge from the landward side. The far harder sea-level route came much later: on 17 March 2012, Iain Miller, Theresa Hughes and Aaron Entringer completed the full approach for the first time. It is a proper expedition rather than a scramble – a 6 km walk-in, a 300-metre scramble down to the water, a 200-metre sea passage, then a 750-metre graded rock climb (XS) out along the ridge to the summit. That combined line is what gives the Sturrall its billing as Ireland’s longest rock climb.
For most visitors: the view
You do not need to set foot on the ridge to get the point of the place. The walk out along the clifftop from An Port, or in from Glencolmcille, brings you to a vantage where the whole headland lies in front of you, dropping sheer on either side. From the high ground the view runs from Malin Beg in the south to Tormore Island in the north, taking in the sea stacks off Maghery, Owey, Gola and Tory. Late afternoon and sunset give the best light, and the calmer evenings of early summer the steadiest conditions.
Getting to the headland
There are two ways in, both unmarked at some point. The simplest is the free car park at An Port to the north, from which a clifftop path leads toward the base of the ridge. The other starts at the Church of Ireland at Straid (Glebe), near Glencolmcille – eircode F94 AC92; park at the church and walk about 2 km down the paved road to the trailhead, after which the ground is open and unmarked. Either way, carry a map or GPX file, because the paths fade in and out of the grass.
Wildlife
The cliffs and ledges hold busy seabird colonies through the breeding season – razorbills, guillemots, skuas, kittiwakes and gannets among them. Fulmars nest here too, and they are territorial: get too close and they will spit a jet of foul-smelling stomach oil at you. Keep your distance, for their sake and your jacket’s.
Photography and drones
Bring a wide-angle lens for the sweep of the headland and a polarising filter to cut the sea haze; the cover-image vantage sits at about 54°43’51” N, 8°44’27” W. If you are flying a drone, check the wind forecast first – Atlantic gusts come out of nowhere on this coast, and the cliff edge is unforgiving.
Doing the climb
If you do intend to climb, treat it as the serious outing it is: vertical drops on both sides, loose rock in places, and a sea passage that only opens at low tide. A helmet, harness and rope are the minimum, and most people go with a guide. Unique Ascent, based locally, runs the Sturrall as a bespoke day out with equipment, instruction and route-finding, and publishes a Donegal sea-stack guidebook that covers the approach. It is no place for young children or anyone uneasy with heights, and it is off the table entirely in high wind or heavy rain.
Practical information
Getting there – An Port is about 1 hour 20 minutes from Letterkenny via Fintown, Glenties and Ardara, or just under an hour from Donegal Town. The Glencolmcille roadhead is also reachable by car.
Parking – The An Port car park is free but small; arrive early to get a space and to start before the midday wind builds.
Nearby – Glencolmcille village has the An Chistin café and the Folk Village, a reconstructed clachan that lays out the area’s Gaelic and pre-Famine life. The Slieve League viewing platform is about 25 minutes’ drive; Glenties, good for a meal afterwards, about 40.
Access – Free and open, but remote, unmarked and not wheelchair accessible. Carry a charged phone, a map or GPX file, and tell someone your route and expected return before you set out.