Slí Croí Inis Eoghain

Official walking route

Explorer Tom

Slí Croí Inis Eoghain has a heart in its name and, remarkably, something like a heart in the shape of its route. I can make a silly speech about Inishowen loving its walkers, but the honest attraction is better: a double loop across open bog and gravel track, with wide views that reward your climbing. The old turf banks give this little walk a working history as well as a clever outline on the map. Sport Ireland describes a 7.6-kilometre moderate circuit, beginning and ending at the Sliabh Sneacht Centre near Drumfries. Its double-loop shape is unusual enough to make checking your direction worthwhile at the meeting points. The recorded climb is about 203 metres, so the route has real rise despite being a manageable half-day outing. Gravel trail gives way to open bogland. Local people still use tracks here to reach turf banks, a link with the years when peat was widely cut to heat houses. Do not treat those banks as exhibits to climb over or pieces of land without an owner; they are part of the living place. The best reward is the room in the view. There is a different pleasure in broad Inishowen ground from the drama of a single cliff or castle: ridges unfold, the sky gets busy, and every turn alters the shape of the hills. Follow the red arrows, then stop where you can safely see how the two loops fit together. The route's heart shape is easiest to appreciate on a map, while the feeling of it comes from walking the separate arcs. I planned to announce myself as the official keeper of the heart, but the bog had already appointed the rain and wind. The community group that developed these walks is North West Community Development. Its current walking network includes this route, while Sport Ireland publishes a detailed route map. Local listings do not always agree on the measured distance, so use the current map and the 7.6-kilometre Sport Ireland listing for this exact marked circuit, rather than trusting a short name on a sign. Allow the listed two hours only as a guide; wet ground, stops and weather can lengthen it. A person who enjoys the views slowly has missed nothing. The route is public and outdoors, not an indoor visit with fixed entry hours. Start from the Sliabh Sneacht Centre area and confirm the present trailhead and parking before you set off. Wear boots that can handle wet bog, carry a map as well as following red arrows, and bring a windproof layer. Sport Ireland permits dogs on a lead; keep them close around grazing land and do not disturb turf work. After heavy rain or strong wind, assess the route afresh instead of treating an old description as a weather guarantee. Walk one heart-shaped turn at a time and you will find that Inishowen has room for both the earnest hiker and the cheerful fool who keeps stopping to admire it.

Path conditions and access can change. Check the official route page before setting out.

Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 7.6 km
Walking time: 2 hours

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What is recorded here

Sport Ireland records Slí Croí Inis Eoghain as a loop route, 7.6 km, graded moderate, with a listed walking time of 2 hours in County Donegal. This page keeps the official start point; the route's local history and the places passed along the way still need to be added.

From Sport Ireland Outdoors 1878

Places near here

Photo credits

David Dixon, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
Maker not stated on source page, www.heartlandtravel.co.uk
Maker not stated on source page, www.flickr.com
Maker not stated on source page, www.insidehook.com
Richard Webb, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Maker not stated on source page, www.dreamstime.com
Kenneth Allen, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
Maker not stated on source page, www.tuatha.ie
Andreas F. Borchert, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

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