Mullanadee Shore

Explorer Tom Drum House on Inch Island was built around 1900, with a porch between two projecting bays. Older stone outbuildings stand behind it, like the house has arrived late to a gathering. Its view over Carrick Bay might have been a good excuse.

Explorer Tom Possible Chambered Grave on Inch Island isn’t even marked on the map, which feels like a secret handshake with history. The name is a bit tentative, but it looks very much like what it says on the tin. I reckon it’s hiding in plain sight, just waiting for someone to nod at it.

Explorer Tom Carnaghan Portal Tomb stands on Inch Island, watching over Lough Swilly with two tall stones framing its entrance. Locals call it the King’s Grave, and Fagan found crocks of bones nearby back in 1846. It’s a royal spot that still feels a bit mysterious and isolated.

Explorer Tom Inch Island is Donegal's trick for people who think an island demands a ferry. The Inch Banks road carries you over Lough Swilly to about thirteen square kilometres of fields, shoreline and old stone. Another Irish name for the place means Island of the Oysters, which is a better lunch suggestion than I usually manage. Look for the remains of a portal tomb near Carnaghan, a fifteenth-century castle above the water and a fort from the early nineteenth century at the northern end. I would tell you I built them all, but even Donegal would spot that lie. Inch Top rises about 222 metres, enough to show how the lough folds around the island. The road is public, while individual ruins and land may have their own access limits; follow signs and do not cross private fields on my authority. Take the causeway slowly. The island begins before you have finished deciding whether you left the mainland.

Explorer Tom Inch Fort had room for nine guns! Six out in the open and three hiding inside. It feels like a giant version of my bedroom where I hide under the bed but leave the door wide open.

Explorer Tom Water pump in Carnaghan has a cast-iron handle called a cow-tail. The survey says the pump is out of use, but that name has me looking for the rest of the imaginary cow. Is the domed cap its hat?

Explorer Tom Our Lady of Lourdes Church has a permanent grudge against the weather for constantly ruining its hairdo. The wind keeps blowing the stained glass out of alignment, and frankly, it needs to stop being so dramatic about it. Toast it with a cup of tea and move on to the next.

Explorer Tom Old Castle is a stubborn tower house that has survived since 1454, even if Mr. Skinner never finished his rebuild. The east half stands three storeys high with intact vaults and murder holes, while the rest lies in ruins. It’s a proper cliff-edge survivor that refuses to fully crumble away.

Explorer Tom The Beachcomber in Rathmullan is where locals pretend to know tide charts but really just love arguing about surfing. It’s cheaper therapy than a shrug, I swear. Take the long way round, it deserves the effort.

Explorer Tom Wych Elm in County Donegal has a long-standing grudge against the weather because it keeps blowing its leaves off before they’re ready to go. It stands there looking perpetually annoyed, like it’s waiting for an apology from every single gale that hits it. Pick a stone, any stone, and invent its biography.

Explorer Tom An Bonnán Buí is a restaurant with a name that means 'The Yellow Boat' or something similar. Probably serving food that tastes like the ocean floor. Find it and see if the boat metaphor holds up in reality!

Explorer Tom Rathmullan Wood has a bird that refuses to leave, even though the rest of the flock moved on ages ago. It’s probably waiting for someone to bring it a chip or a crust of bread, just to prove a point about loyalty. Best enjoyed with a bag of chips and no plans.