Outbuilding in Ballyederlan

Explorer Tom Watch tower, Pill box in Rahan Near looks like a concrete egg that forgot to harden. Built around 1940, its flimsy walls would barely stop a sneeze, let alone a cannonball. I imagine the sentries inside were more worried about damp socks than enemy fire.

Explorer Tom Kiln in Rahan Near hears the ghosts of all the bricks and tiles arguing about who was baked first through its thick stone walls. Its circular plan is unusual for a lime kiln, making it look like a very confused giant stone egg. Press your ear to the side and listen for any lingering arguments.

Explorer Tom Killaghtee Old Church Graveyard sits beside the old church; inside the graveyard, southwest of that church, the survey records a cross-inscribed slab. The Civil Survey called the church 'in reparation', and it remained in use until 1826. I like how one small mapped area holds separate records for the graveyard, church and stone.

Explorer Tom Ginkgo in County Donegal had a fiddler play there all night long until he fell asleep leaning against its trunk, which was very inconvenient for the tree. It’s now stuck with that legend attached to it whether it likes it or not, which is just how things go. Bring a coin for luck and keep it in your pocket.

Explorer Tom European Beech in County Donegal is a tree that pretends to be from somewhere warmer but lives here anyway. Vikings once got lost looking for it and ended up in a bog instead, which was definitely not their fault. Give it a respectful wave; don’t lean on it, it’s old and grumpy.

Explorer Tom Carntullagh Head is a rugged County Donegal point that apparently doubles as a fish farm. I imagine the wild seabirds looking down at their new plastic neighbours with mild confusion, wondering if this is still the natural order of things.

Explorer Tom Rotten Island sounds like a pirate's insult, but its lighthouse story is serious. The light guides boats into Killybegs Harbour; three workers drowned returning from the island while it was being built. I would remember them whenever that white tower comes into view.

Explorer Tom Rashenny Point in County Donegal was once the prime spot for smuggling contraband teacups and very suspiciously large turnips right under the noses of the taxmen. The cliffs still look like they’re holding their breath, waiting for the next batch of illegal vegetables to arrive. Bring curiosity, leave with a better story than mine.

Explorer Tom Cashel Town Wedge Tombs are unique because three galleries sit side-by-side in a single circular kerb. One roofstone is four metres long, and locals once found giant human bones here, which is either brilliant or terrifying.

Explorer Tom Cat Castle is named after St. Catherine, but really it’s just a tiny stone corner standing on a hill above Killybegs Harbour. It’s been shrinking since 1355, and now only a 3-metre wall survives. It’s a bit pathetic, sure, but looking out over the harbour makes you wonder what that bishop’s manor looked like when it was whole.

Explorer Tom St Catherine's Well in Killybegs was once a famous pilgrimage site, but there’s a daft legend that a Protestant rector tried to fill it up with dirt. The next day, a spring burst into his drawing room, terrifying his wife until he reopened the well. It’s still cleaned for St. Catherine’s Day, sitting beside the ruins of 'Cat Castle' in marshy pasture.

Explorer Tom Rabley Hill might look like just another bump in County Donegal, but it’s got a secret history written in stone. I’d bet those inclined limestone strata you see shaping that small cove below are the reason this peak holds its shape so stubbornly.