School is very much out for the summer and families across the country are heading to the coast or sunnier climes for their annual holiday

The County High Point List is a project that takes you all around the island of Ireland, climbing to the highest point within each county. Some of these are epic hikes, where you climb through towering mountains - and some take you on a journey through time instead. Overview: Distance: 600m from upper car park to summitElevation gain: 60mFormat: Out and back trailTime: 15 - 90 minutesStart / End / Parking:A) There is a small car park at the foot of the hill, here.B) Slightly further down the road is the Loughcrew Megalithic Centre with ample parking.Trail difficulty: EasyThis trail is very accessible, but steep for how short it is. It begins with a series of wooden steps, and then is a well worn grassy path to the summit. Read about trail grading in Ireland here.Trail quality: 4/5Very well maintained. A sheep-shorn hillside, with way-markers every few meters. Views: 4/5For its location, it offers great views of the surroundings. Buggy/Wheelchair friendly: No - you could probably bring a buggy but it would require work.Dogs allowed: On a lead When did I walk this route: March 2025External resources: My route from this walk on StravaGPX FileLoughcrew Megalithic Centre Info Page The County High Point of Meath is a little-known yet ancient neolithic cairn at Loughcrew. Cairn-T, to be precise, or Sliabh na Caille. These small but prominent hills are a palimpsest of the past, with layers upon layers of the last 5,000 years enshrined in stones.And Im here, adding my footsteps to the many who have gone before, to gaze at rocks as the sun rises on the Spring Equinox.In Ireland, the Spring equinox generally happens around March 20th each year. It marks the point when the sun crosses the celestial equator from south to north - and the 24 hours of that day are split perfectly between day and night. From then until the autumn equinox at the end of September, the days are always longer than the nights. In so much of Irish history and folklore, the equinox and areas that mark it have had cultural and historical significance - a particularly good example being this cairn that Ive come to see. On this special morning, the sunrise illuminates carvings inside the passage tomb, similar to Newgrange in winter. For many, this event symbolises balance and renewal.Standing in the freezing sunlight of that early March morning were many people like me, there to witness an ancient piece of Irish heritage and feel connected to the changing seasons. There were others of varying pagan and spiritual beliefs looking to give thanks to the old gods and mark the returning sun - and there were OPW staff, wrapped up well to oversee us all and make sure the cairn was protected for another year. View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize The name of the hill, Sliabh na Caille, means the hill of the witch, and I was told a few stories by one OPW member of the legends that surround the hill. One of them is that the witch was something of a giant, and as she came bounding across the land with her apron full of rocks, they fell out in her haste and created the hills and large stone piles. More interesting still is her throne or chair that is placed just to the side of Cairn T. If you walk three loops around the whole Cairn, returning each time to the witches chair, you can ask her for a wish or blessing. View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize I wanted to be on the summit of this small hill before sunrise, which was at 06:29am. For me, this meant that I needed to sleep somewhere close-by the night before. Luckily, the Loughcrew Megalithic Centre is a whole 230m from the trailhead, and has a campsite. Like the majority of campsites in Ireland, they are closed during the winter / off-season months, but they do open specially for the Spring Equinox every year. This year it landed on a Thursday, so once I finished work on the Wednesday I drove east, arriving after nightfall. View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize Sarah, a lovely woman whos part of the family who run the centre, met me and showed me around the site, and gave me some general advice for the following morning. The campsite was really nicely laid out, with a really big kitchen and clean bathrooms. I was almost sad that I was only staying the one night, and wouldnt need to use any of their facilities. View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize Getting up at 5:30am the following morning left me with plenty of time to get dressed, munch a quick snack and walk up the hill in the pre-dawn light. There were a few other people walking too, and what I would call a medium gathering standing around the summit by the time I arrived. As the day got brighter more sleepy heads crested the hill, with possibly close to 100 people there as the sun shone down the passage tomb. Due to structural damage to the roof of the passage tomb, the outer gate remained locked. As the sunlight hit the back wall and illuminated the carvings, everyone on the hill crowded forward to get their chance to peer in. Joining the queue, I wondered if I would be able to get any good photos with everyone else being so eager to get to the front. Stopping by an OPW officer, I asked how long the sunlight would fill the chamber, oh, at least half an hour! Id say you can let everyone rush forward, and then as it dies down youll be able to get a quieter moment. Taking his advice, the initial panic did die down and I took my time looking at the other-worldly carvings shining back at me. Of course, Cairn T isnt the only site worth seeing here. Sliabh na Caille, or Mountain of the Witch/Hag, is the name of the whole group of surrounding hills, which are home to an incredibly rich archaeological complex. They are so numerous that the major sites are labelled with a letter of the alphabet - hence Carin T. Below are some photos of artwork in one of the other passage tombs on the same hill as Cairn T, as well as the Hags Seat. View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize Leaving the summit once the sun was well risen, I walked back down to the centre and their cafe and gift shop. I bought two books on the area and sat with a coffee and scone, listening to stories and folklore being swapped all around me. In general, I would recommend doing this county high point during the summer months when there are plenty of guided tours and people to explain the history and folklore. Find info on guided tours from: OPW & Heritage IrelandThe Loughcew Megalithic Centre In researching whether there are other talked about routes up this hill (many a local seemed to walk up from another road, but as I couldnt find any explicit permission Ive not mentioned it as an option), I did notice that you can use google street view the whole way up the trail and around the summit. You can see every dimple and grassy tuft from the comfort of your own home and decide if it is a walk for you! Further exploringOther trails in the area: Mullaghmeen, Westmeaths County High PointCorn Hill, Longfords County High PointDn a R Forest ParkDiscover Boyne Valley Heritage SitesFavourite Local Coffee / Food Options:The Happy Cup Cafe, Oldcastle Loughcrew Megalithic Centre Cafe

Climbing Barrclashcame is not easy. Not that we experienced any overly technical elements when climbing Barrclashcame. The route we took wasnt even the longest of distances. The difficult thing about climbing Barrclashcame relates to the fact that we didnt have any obvious trail to follow. For the majority of the route this meant hiking through []The post Climbing Barrclashcame A tough Mayo Hike with Stunning Views appeared first on Wild Irish Walks.

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A gorgeous hike and dip in the southern uplands of Scotland, near the town of Moffat. This dramatic waterfall is one of the UKs highest, plunging 60m down into the Moffat Water Valley. Overview: Distance: 5km Elevation gain: 320mFormat: Out and back trailTime: 1hr - 2+hrs (depending if youre swimming)Opening times: daily, all yearStart / End / Parking: Trail Head Car Park is 5 - for the National Trust for ScotlandTrail difficulty: Easy +This trail has a well built path, but it is very steep. Give yourself plenty of time and take breaks if needed. Read about my trail grading here.Trail quality: 5/5, very well maintainedViews: 5/5, gorgeous for a short out and back trailBuggy/Wheelchair friendly: NoDogs allowed: On a lead When did I walk this route: July 2025External resources: National Trust for ScotlandGPX FileFind the route on HiiKER View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize Recently I went to the borderlands of England and Scotland to visit some family. It was a whirlwind trip, and on my final day I only had a couple of hours to spare as I made my way back to the west coast for an early ferry the next morning. The dramatic contours of this valley immediately jumped out at me as I looked at where Id be driving near, and so I detoured to Grey Mare's Tail Waterfall Car Park. The trailhead is open year round, and there is a 5 fee for the upkeep to the National Trust for Scotland. I parked up with the other cars and vans of varying sizes, and headed up the trail in glorious sunshine. This is a small but mighty hike - you do the majority of the climbing (200m) in the first 1km, with the remaining 1+km to the lake twisting through hummocky uplands. View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize Because of the lumpy terrain, you cant see the lake until you arrive right on the shore. Surrounding the loch are the peaks of Lochcraig Head, Mid Craig and the summit of White Coomb (821m). There are several little solo shores along the twisting sides of the lake, and I had a corner all to myself for my swim. View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize This whole area is a nature reserve, and on the way up Id smiled and waved at the wild goats across the river from me. As I sat on a rock post swim, I noticed a large bird of prey carrying some food circle above me. My first wild Osprey! The Scottish National Trust reports that you can also find peregrine falcons, ring ouzels, rare upland plants, and Britains rarest freshwater fish, the vendace. I met solo walkers and rag-tag families, with some only making it a short way up the hill before stopping to take photos and head back down. There is a short trail on the south side of the river (same side as the car park), that brings you a short ways in towards the bottom of the waterfall, although not the whole way (it looked like it became too rugged for safe walking). View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize A wonderful short but intense walk, it was exactly what I needed before driving on to Stranraer. This trip has made it even more apparent how much I would love to spend a while hiking in Scotland. Until the next time! Further exploringOther trails in the area: Rockcliffe Coastal WalkCriffel by the Ardwall pathFavourite Local Coffee / Food Options:Zolas Bakery & Cafe, Galashiels (incredible!)The Glen Cafe at St. Marys Loch (very close to the trail)Apples for Jam, MelroseOther curiositiesFelicity Bristow Studio - Bookbinders, Melrose

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