Creevy Coastal Walk

Official walking route

Explorer Tom

Creevy Coastal Walk begins at a pier and soon puts Donegal Bay on magnificent display, with a clifftop path that demands both admiration and sensible feet. I tried to convince the sea to hold still for a photograph; it refused, which is fair enough when it has Sliabh Liag, St John's Point and Mullaghmore to show off. The current Sport Ireland route is a 4.4-kilometre moderate loop from Creevy Pier, usually taking around an hour and a half. Follow blue arrows on white markers west from the pier toward Kildoney Point, on past Barr House, and then back by country roads and Gillespie's Lane to the coastal path. Creevy lies west of Ballyshannon, and the pier is the named start and finish for this particular circuit. There is also a longer Creevy shore path in older guides; do not mistake its ten-kilometre description for the distance of this newer loop. The scenery deserves the praise. From safe points along the route you can look across Donegal Bay toward Sliabh Liag, St John's Point and Mullaghmore. Sea birds are part of the daily life here, and Sport Ireland says dolphins may sometimes be seen offshore. 'May' is doing honest work in that sentence: wildlife arrives on its own timetable, with no booking desk. The changing water and sky supply enough entertainment even when the animals are elsewhere. I suspect the gulls run a small gossip service from the pier, but that is only my invention. This coast has a strong community story as well. The Creevy cooperative helped develop walking access around the pier, and an older council guide describes a longer shore path built through local effort. The Irish Times recorded the cooperative's work on a three-mile shore walk on either side of Creevy Pier in 1999. That earlier achievement helps explain the walking landscape you see now, but the current blue-arrow loop has its own line and length. Respect the work by sticking to the marked path and leaving fences, gates and wildlife undisturbed. Sport Ireland warns of cliff edges, steep slopes, uneven surfaces, soft ground and loose stone. Those words matter more than the modest total climb. Keep well back from edges, take extra care after rain and avoid the walk in dangerous wind or poor visibility. Dogs are not allowed on the current loop. Boots with grip, a weather layer and the official route map will serve you better than optimism alone. The nearby ruined Kilbarron Castle can be viewed from the eastern side of Creevy Pier, but the ruin itself is not accessible; do not treat it as a stop on this western loop. Return to Creevy Pier with the sense that this shore offers more than a single dramatic photograph. The path, the cooperative's work and the broad bay all belong to the experience. Give it time, keep your feet safe and let Donegal do the bragging when the light opens over the water.

Path conditions and access can change. Check the official route page before setting out.

Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 4.4 km
Walking time: 1 hour 30 minutes

What do you know about this place?Tap to add a comment or ask a question

More pictures of this place

What is recorded here

Sport Ireland records Creevy Coastal Walk as a loop route, 4.4 km, graded moderate, with a listed walking time of 1 hour 30 minutes in County Donegal. This page keeps the official start point; the route's local history and the places passed along the way still need to be added.

From Sport Ireland Outdoors 1621

Places near here

Photo credits

Kay Atherton, Geograph · Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0
Kay Atherton, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
Maker not stated on source page, www.kaizenhospital.com
Maker not stated on source page, en.wikipedia.org
Maker not stated on source page, commons.wikimedia.org
louise price, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
Jonathan Wilkins, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
Maker not stated on source page, yandex.ru

Bunatrahan PierPier/jetty · 5 yd

Explorer Tom Bunatrahan Pier has a metal winch sitting right on the approach road! Built between 1880 and 1885, it looks like…

Creevy Pier HotelHotel · 76 yd

Explorer Tom Creevy Pier Hotel suggests you're staying on a pier that might wobble dangerously in high tide, with the 'hotel' part…

Standing stone in Kildoney GlebeStanding stone · 485 yd

Explorer Tom Standing stone in Kildoney Glebe is hiding in a hollow right next to a stream. It’s basically using the water noise as…

Kildoney Glebe Children's Burial GroundBurial ground · 600 yd

Explorer Tom Kildoney Glebe Children's Burial Ground is a spooky complex of low banks and small upright stones, plus a well just to…

CastleCastle, unclassified · 677 yd

Explorer Tom Castle! Donnell O’Conor demolished this specific castle, but wait, this record is about an older one than what you see…

Dark Cliffs at KilbarronPublicly named cliff or headland · 690 yd

Explorer Tom Dark Cliffs at Kilbarron would absolutely complain to the council about tourists not knowing their place, and honestly…

Kilbarron Castle in ruinsCastle, tower house · 693 yd

Explorer Tom Kilbarron Castle in ruins clings to a precipitous promontory, where the O'Clerys rebuilt their stronghold after 1390. I…

bridge1589 yd

Explorer Tom Bridge in Kilbarron puts raised render around its arch like a grin. Built around 1905 for the narrow gauge railway…

Kilbarron Old Church GraveyardGraveyard · 1747 yd

Explorer Tom Kilbarron Old Church Graveyard features a 15th or 16th century ruin with a 2.4m high E gable that has no window at all.…

Wardtown StrandBeach / strand · 1.7 mi

Explorer Tom Wardtown Strand is where Donegal's southern edge swaps the usual postcard beach for a broad, changing meeting of river…

Tullan StrandBeach / strand · 2.0 mi

Explorer Tom Tullan Strand gives Bundoran two kilometres of sand, rolling surf and the Dartry Mountains lined up across the bay like…

Sandhouse HotelHotel · 2.4 mi

Explorer Tom Sandhouse Hotel in County Donegal is built on sand, so technically you're sleeping on a sinking ship. Enjoy the view…

More walking routes in County Donegal · All of County Donegal

Add to this placeAdd a picture Add a detailed tip Add a story

Explore the map1,095,414 places to discover

Next place · or swipeBunatrahan Pier