Donegal · Hard · There and back

Muckish (An Mhucais) from the Muckish Gap

A steep climb from the Muckish Gap up the south-west shoulder to the big cairn and trig pillar on the broad, stony top of Muckish.

Distance
5.0 km (3.1 mi)
Ascent
430 m
Time
About 3 h
High point
661 m
Grade
Hard

Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.

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Move along the height chart to see each point on the map.
Muckish (An Mhucais) from the Muckish Gap
Alistair Cunningham · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The walk

From the roadside shrine at the Muckish Gap on the R256, follow the track north-east across boggy ground, climbing gently round the south-west side of Muckish (An Mhucais, 'the pig's back'). Where it steepens, take the eroded path straight up the south-west shoulder to the summit plateau, and cross it north-east to the big cairn and trig pillar. Return the same way. We do not use the Miners' Path up the north face: guides describe a scramble, rock steps and exposure.

It is 5 km there and back with 430 m of ascent; allow about 3 hours. The grade is Hard: the shoulder is steep, eroded and loose, and the plateau is rough and stony.

There is no waymarked trail: Muckish is open commonage on private land, walked by the landowners' goodwill, and a Special Area of Conservation. Low down the track crosses wet bog. In cloud the plateau has no landmarks, and crags fall from its north side: carry a map and compass, and keep away from the edges. Winter snow and wind make it a serious mountain.

There is no car park: guides describe a small roadside parking area by the shrine at the gap, on the old road between Creeslough and Falcarragh. We found no bus to the gap.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.

Good to know

  • Muckish, An Mhucais or 'the pig's back', is a long flat-topped quartzite mountain of 667 m at the north end of the Derryveagh range.
  • Fine white quartz sand was quarried high on the north face until the mid-1950s and sent away for glass-making; the Miners' Path follows the old workings.
  • The broad summit plateau carries a large cairn, a trig pillar and an iron cross, with views to Tory Island, Horn Head and Errigal.
  • The start at the Muckish Gap is on the old road between Creeslough and Falcarragh, near the Bridge of Tears where emigrants once parted from their families.

Summits on the way

  • Muckish 667 m

Getting there

Start: Muckish Gap on the R256. 55.08964, -8.00282

Directions to the start

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Places to stay nearby

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Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.