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 is a round lime kiln from the 1800s that really knows how to bake. Most are square, but this one chose to be cool and circular. Stick your head out the window and give it a cheeky salute!

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 is basically a dinosaur wearing a leafy coat, surviving things that would kill other trees instantly. It’s exotic, weird, and definitely not what you’d expect to find in Donegal. Pack a picnic and an excuse for why you’re talking to a tree so loudly.

Explorer Tom European Beech in County Donegal is just a tree, but a fancy one that thinks it runs the place. It’s probably been there longer than the local council has had a proper meeting. Perfect spot to practise your best tour-guide voice, say 'ahoy' and see if it flinches.

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 thinks its secret talent is competitive napping, and honestly? It’s good at it. The headland is just vibing out there in the sun. Take the long way round, because this spot deserves the extra effort and scenic drive.

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.