House in Culoort

Explorer Tom White Strand is probably white because it hasn't been cleaned since 1954, or maybe it’s just naturally that pristine. The guesthouse beds are likely made with feathers that belong to very angry geese who demand respect in return. Bring a map, get lost anyway, that's the fun.

Explorer Tom Post box in Ardmalin wears its 'ER VII' royal cipher with absolute confidence. I reckon that tiny crown is still pretending to rule the whole crossroads, even if nobody has bowed to it since Edward VII’s day.

Explorer Tom Keenagh Bridge has been spanning the river with a single limestone arch since c. 1860, its rock-faced voussoirs showing off serious mid-century masonry skills. It’s a rugged little survivor in the wild landscape north-west of Malin. The quality of that stonework tells you exactly how much pride those original builders took in their craft.

Explorer Tom At Seaview Tavern, the seafood is the star: crab, oysters and fish of all kinds up at Malin Head. Tom's only problem is choosing what to eat first. He may have to come back for round two.

Explorer Tom Wee House of Malin Cave is measured at only 2.75 metres deep, yet the local saying gives it room for everything that goes in. That is one ambitious little house. The recorded cave sits beside Malin Well and the old church; I would let the story stretch the walls while leaving the real rock alone.

Explorer Tom Lag Graveyard lies in a natural enclosure of sandhills north of the Trawbreaga Bay channel. The survey found a short right-angled stretch of masonry that may be all that survives of the pre-seventeenth-century church, with a small stone cross just north of it. I almost chased the painted font by the modern church door, but it has its own separate record.

Explorer Tom Five Finger Strand is all wild sand dunes and rocky fingers reaching out like a desperate hand for help. It’s the kind of place that makes you feel tiny and gloriously unimportant. Bring a pen pal, they'll be jealous.

Explorer Tom Behold Malin Tower, a square-plan structure that has served as everything from a signal station to a radio hub! It stands proudly on a rocky outcrop near Malin Head, offering some absolutely unobstructed views of the Atlantic.

Explorer Tom Malin Head is the end of the world, or at least the end of Donegal. The wind tries to blow your brain out. Bring a camera and your most suspicious face to catch the gulls in action.

Explorer Tom Malin Head is the most northerly point on the Wild Atlantic Way route, making this visitor information spot a true geographical milestone.

Explorer Tom EIRE 80 sign was written for eyes in the sky, not for someone standing beside it. The stones told wartime pilots they were over neutral Ireland, and 80 named Malin Head's lookout post. I would take the ground view slowly; this lettering had a much larger audience than most signs.

Explorer Tom Carrickabraghy Castle sits on a rock where the Atlantic probably splashes right up its nose. I bet a Viking once stood there, held his shield high, and shouted 'we live here now' while trying not to slip on the wet stones.