Gweedore

Gaoth Dobhair or Gweedore is an Irish-speaking area on the northwest corner of County Donegal. Its main settlements are Bunbeg and Derrybeg on the coast, Brinlack further north, and Dunlewey inland, with a population of around 4000 in 2025. The main reason to visit is its scenery, with a rugged coastline and cloud-wracked mountains.

55.044-8.341 Donegal Airport (CFN ^IATA) has flights from Dublin and Glasgow, and car hire.

See Letterkenny and Derry for other inter-city travel routes.

Local Link Bus 271 runs from Letterkenny via Churchill, Glenveagh National Park, Dunlewey, Crolly, Loughanure and Dungloe to 54.983-8.4422 Burtonport for the Arranmore ferry. There are seven daily.

Local Link Bus 966 runs four times a day from Falcarragh via 55.147-8.1743 Magheroarty (for Tory Island ferry), Derrybeg, Bunbeg (for Gola Island ferry), Crolly and Loughanure to Dungloe.

You need your own wheels for this scattered district.

• 55.151-8.2821 Bloody Foreland wasn't a scene of slaughter, but the rocks are red in the setting sun. Pity about the encrustation of holiday cottages.
• 55.092-8.3672 Gola Island 1 km offshore lost its permanent residents in the 1960s, but has several holiday homes (which may be available as self-catering lets) and caravans. The main attraction is the bird life around the sea arches on the north coast. "The Cricket" ferry sails Jun-Sept from Bunbeg, with one sailing M-F and hourly Sa Su. It's just a small launch for foot passengers and their dogs.
• 55.0253-8.14773 Dunlewey Centre or Ionad Cois Locha is by the dam dividing loughs Nacung and Dunlewey. There's a restored weaver's cottage, a kiddie play-park, and they run boat trips and other activities on the loughs. They're open daily 10:30AM-5PM.
• 55.033-8.1124 Errigal or An Earagail at 751 m / 2464 ft is Donegal's highest mountain. It's very prominent so you can admire it from several angles. To climb, start from the car park on R251 towards Letterkenny, and follow the track north over bog and scree. You turn west to reach the true summit first, then it would be churlish to begrudge the extra 40 m to the secondary peak. Say an hour to go up and 40 min to get down. Don't refer to it as "Mount Errigal", that's a shibboleth.

• Golf: Gweedore GC is on the coast by Derrybeg, looking out to Gola Island. It's 5607 m, par 71.

Cloughaneely GC is a nine-hole course at Falcarragh.

• Dunlewey Kayaking venture out on Dunlewey Lough.
• Practice your Irish: any attempts will be appreciated in this Gaeltacht area.
• Earagail Arts Festival is held in July at various venues across the northwest of the county.

• Gallagher's Food Store in Derrybeg is open M-Sa 7:30AM-7PM, Su 8AM-6PM.

• Pepper's Diner in Bunbeg is open M-F 10AM-9PM, Sa Su 10AM-11PM.
• Caifé Kitty in Bunbeg is open W Th 9ː30AM-5PM, F Sa 9ː30AM-8PM, Su 10AM-4PM.

• Teach Hiudái Beag, Bunbeg F92 YF61, ☏ +353 86 060 6039. Daily 11AM-midnight. This cosy atmospheric pub often has trad music. (updated Sep 2026)
• Sean Óg Bar is also in Bunbeg.

• 55.0486-8.22261 An Chúirt Hotel (Court Hotel), Gweedore F92 AP60, ☏ +353 74 953 2900. Spacious rooms in a great location, but tired fittings and indifferent food. B&B double €150.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 55.0301-8.14072 Errigal Hostel, Dunlewey F92 YR12, ☏ +353 74 953 1180. Comfy welcoming hostel. Bunk €32.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 55.0711-8.29843 Teac Campbell, Glassagh F92 AE08, ☏ +353 74 953 1535. Stylish friendly guesthouse. B&B double €120.  (updated Sep 2026)
• 55.1153-8.28744 Teac Jack, Glassagh F92 CD71, ☏ +353 74 953 1173. Smart B&B with good food. B&B double €150.  (updated Sep 2026)
• See Dungloe for accommodation in The Rosses further south.

As of Sep 2026, the villages and roads through Gweedore have 5G from Three and Vodafone, but a poor patchy signal from Eir.

• Sail to the islands: to Arranmore from Burtonport, to Gola Island from Bunbeg or to Tory Island from Magheroarty.
• Letterkenny is the hub for most of Donegal.