Dunree Cist

Explorer Tom Dunree Fort is a coastal battery with a two-storey gatehouse and sunken magazines that look like they’re hiding secrets from Lough Swill. It’s got high cement walls and pillboxes that are ready for action, even if nobody’s been there in ages. Go check out this impressive redoubt and see if the gun emplacements are still pointing the right way!

Explorer Tom Dunree Centre is one building in the Fort Dunree grounds, where the fort's story takes six exhibition chapters to tell. I would give them proper time: a place that has watched over Lough Swilly for so long deserves more than a quick look at the view.

Explorer Tom Dunree Lighthouse keeper's house in Dunree has a favourite song that it hums every time a ship passes by, mostly because it’s lonely and needs a friend. It’s got that classic 'I’ve seen things you wouldn’t believe' look, but it’s really just waiting for someone to bring over a decent cake. Ring y

Explorer Tom Dunree Head is always having a rivalry with more famous places further south, convinced it’s actually cooler because it gets to see the sunset first without all the crowds getting in its way. It doesn’t need your approval, but it does appreciate when you show up just as the light starts to get golden and dramatic. Go at sunset and thank me later.

Explorer Tom Knockalla Fort guarded the Donegal coast and Lough Swilly during the Napoleonic Wars. Its building record describes a rounded two-storey tower, a dry moat, firing holes and gun mounts on the roof. That is a lot of defence in one place. The record names five other forts nearby; I wonder how their views joined up.

Explorer Tom Urris Hills in County Donegal sounds like it's having a proper chat with the Gap of Mamore, judging by that caption. It’s a mountain that seems to know exactly where its boundaries are, even if the trail doesn't.

Explorer Tom Wild Atlantic Way:Ballymastocker Strand in County Donegal would post on social media that it’s 'too majestic for your average selfie stick,' which is exactly the kind of arrogance we’ve come to expect from it. The sand there holds grudges against anyone who digs too deep, and the sign above it looks permanently unimpressed by your efforts. Bring a map, get lost anyway, that's the fun.

Explorer Tom Ballymastocker Strand Viewpoint would bring a very aggressive bag of crisps and a blanket with no pattern to any party, just to make sure everyone feels slightly uncomfortable. It’s the kind of place where you stand around wondering if you should be doing something more productive, like swimming, but the wind says otherwise. Grand place for a sulk or a snog, your call.

Explorer Tom Ballyannan Portal Tomb is perched on Aghaweel Hill, offering a sprawling view across Lough Swilly to the Fanad mountains. It’s been standing in this exact roofless condition since at least 1846, so it’s got plenty of time to collect stories. The two tall portal stones are like ancient doorkeepers who never quite locked up.

Explorer Tom Mamore Gap has an imaginary twin across the sea that argues with it over who gets the better sunset every single evening. It’s a whole thing, really, and the wind carries their bickering back to us like free entertainment. Toast it with a cup of tea and move on to the next.

Explorer Tom Wych Elm in Donegal is the site of a fierce fairy dispute over parking rights, as they argue about who gets the best branch view under its sprawling canopy. It’s a sturdy tree that has seen more seasons than you have teeth, standing firm while the small folk throw their tantrums below. Bring sandwiches, the gulls will thank you.

Explorer Tom Stragill Beach in County Donegal ended up in this specific spot because it took a wrong turn at Buncrana and was too stubborn to admit its mistake. It’s been pretending ever since that this is exactly where it always wanted to be, despite the traffic. Whisper a secret at it, it's kept worse.