Latest news with #WildAtlanticWay
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Beautiful UK region is home to 'world's best road trip' beating iconic Route 66
Brits looking for an adventurous scenic drive can check out the world's best road trip destination with no need to go abroad - and there are routes you can do in just a few hours The world's best road trips for families have been revealed, and it's great news for Brits who won't have to go too far if they want to check out the top spot for themselves. That's because the Scottish Highlands have topped new rankings of the world's most scenic drives, beating out iconic routes including the USA's Route 66 and Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way. Considering the Highlands are already famed for their rugged and wild but breathtaking landscapes, it's not difficult to see why they're top of the list. There are various routes that you can explore whether you want to follow the well-trodden paths, or try going off into more remote parts of the spectacular region. For example, the Moray Firth Route can be completed in under two hours, with sweeping vistas across the likes of Beauly Firth, Cromarty Firth coast, and Dornoch Firth. Meanwhile the Highland Tourist Route offers up plenty of gorgeous landscapes in just under three hours, covering 116 miles. Oh, and that includes a chance to take in the Cairngorms, a must-visit in the Highlands. Another popular drive is the North and West Highland Route which can be completed in under four hours and is renowned for the remote landscapes it covers between Ullapool and John o' Groats. However, if you only do one drive then you may want to make it the North Coast 500. Hailed as the "ultimate Highlands road trip experience" by Visit Scotland, this 500-mile-long route can be completed in just under 14 hours if you aren't going to stop, but it's not one to power through. Instead, it's worth spreading the drive across various days to enjoy the historic castles, lush green valleys and azure waters that make up the unrivalled landscape. Highlights include Dunnet Head, Handa Island, If you're thinking of planning a trip, then you may want to check out Visit Scotland's useful guide to the nation's best scenic drives. With so many gorgeous destinations, it's therefore no surprise that the Scottish Highlands were unveiled as the best destination for a scenic drive, in a recent study by Ocean Florida. The research found that for Brits aged 29-44, road trips evoked some of their favourite memories. Meanwhile for those aged 18-28, road trips were top of the list for a 'dream holiday', with the US often featuring heavily on their bucket lists. (In fact, five out of the top 10 road trip destinations were in the USA. Capturing photos in front of iconic landmarks, curated playlists and scenic stops were all among the top reasons for wanting to enjoy a road trip amongst intrepid explorers. You can check out the world's top 10 best road trips for families below: Scottish Highlands, Scotland Route 66, USA Great Ocean Road, Australia Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1), California, USA Ring Road, Iceland Miami to the Florida Keys, USA Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland Florida Fly Drive Adventure, USA The Romantic Road, Germany Blue Ridge Parkway, USA
BreakingNews.ie
02-07-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Wild Atlantic Way voted world's second-most 'Instagrammed' road trip
The Wild Atlantic Way has been voted the world's second most 'Instagrammed' road trip. A study by used car retailer Cinch examined the 40 most iconic driving routes across six continents and whittled them down to the top five, which have accumulated the highest number of photos posted on Instagram. Advertisement The Wild Atlantic Way spans from Donegal to Cork and has 1.9 million mentions on Instagram, mostly containing images of the breathtaking coastline. The world's longest defined coastal route spans 2600km and takes days to complete, passing through nine counties and three provinces. It is split up into 14 stages. It also has a 4.8-star TripAdvisor rating and was only beaten to the top spot by Route 66 in the US.
Telegraph
20-06-2025
- Telegraph
Why there's so much more to Ireland than golf
Ireland is rightly known for its superb golf courses – it has world-famous names located in every corner of the country and the 153rd Open is being hosted at Royal Portrush. But what if playing 18 holes just isn't your bag? Put simply, that isn't a problem. There's a lot more to discover here, from mountainous offshore islands criss-crossed with hiking trails to whisky trails and fine dining on the island's seemingly inexhaustible larder of premium ingredients. Explore the Wild Atlantic Way Want to enjoy the great outdoors? With its lofty sea cliffs, pristine beaches and rugged mountainscape, Achill Island is an enticing place to visit, just offshore from County Mayo, and can easily be reached via a road bridge. And it's easy to get to this part of Ireland from Great Britain too, with a range of flights available into Ireland West Airport Knock, Donegal and Derry (as well as the multiple daily connections to Belfast and Dublin. Hillwalkers will be thrilled by the landmarks they find here. There are some major peaks to summit, including 2,200ft Slievemore and 2,190ft Croaghaun, the latter famous for its steep north-eastern face, which plunges dramatically down into the Atlantic swell. These are challenging routes, taking around three to four hours to climb up and return back down; for something less strenuous head up to Minaun Heights, at 1,530ft it offers panoramic views across the island and over the sweep of Keel Beach and can be reached via car and then a short, steep 15-minute walk up to the top. Keel Beach is perhaps the island's most famous, and is a glorious place for a swim or to explore in a sea kayak. This is also one of Ireland's best places to learn to surf, with beginner-friendly waves and a range of surf schools offering lessons. Alternatively, head to Keel Lake, just inland of the beach, where the calm, shallow waters are ideal for stand-up paddleboarding, as well as trying your hand at kitesurfing or windsurfing. After all that activity you'll be ready to relax, perhaps on one of the island's five Blue Flag beaches. Head to Dugort village and you can soak up the sun on Achill's twin beaches of Silver Strand and Golden Strand; you can even kayak between the two, passing seal colonies and seabirds. As night falls, head to the pub for an evening of hearty food and Irish craic. Try Lynott's Pub in Cashel, a village on the east side of Achill Island, for a quintessential Irish experience, with a traditional-cut stone-wall interior, plenty of lively debate and regular live music sessions. In Keel, head to The Annexe Inn for a proper pint of Guinness and nightly traditional music sessions. Tory Island and Slieve League Alternatively, sail out to Tory Island in Donegal instead. This is a vibrant Gaeltacht (Gaelic-speaking) community nine miles off the north coast and surrounded by the tempestuous Atlantic. It's a wildly beautiful place where you can visit Iron Age forts and medieval round towers, spot puffins and join traditional céilís – sure to see you twirled around the dance floor by an islander or two. Also in Donegal are the soaring sea cliffs of Slieve League, some of the highest in Europe and rising to 1,960ft above the Atlantic. You'll start at the Cultural Centre, where you can board a shuttle bus to the cliffs themselves; here you'll find numerous designated viewpoints as well as the stomach-knotting One Man's Pass trail, which leads brave hikers up to the highest part of the cliffs. Whether you brave the pass or not, you'll take in spectacular views of Donegal Bay, as well as the Giant's Desk and Chair rock formation at the base of the cliffs. The Causeway Coastal Route This coastal driving route loops around the coast of Northern Ireland, taking in striking sea views and some of the country's most famous sites. The Giant's Causeway is truly unmissable and best visited first thing, when you can spring across its incredible basalt columns in the early morning calm. Continue afterwards to tumbledown Dunluce Castle, an atmospheric medieval ruin atop the cliffs, then on to the Old Bushmill's Distillery. This is the world's oldest licensed distillery and offers tours that uncover the ancient whiskey-making process, taking you through from mash tun to pot still to whiskey barrel. Bushmill's is part of the Northern Ireland Spirits Trail; pick up a Distillery Passport here and see how many you can tick off on your adventures. There are 13 in total, from the Titanic Distillers in Belfast to the Wild Atlantic Distillery on Northern Ireland 's north-west coast. Incredible coastal scenery The coastline of Donegal, in Ireland's north-west, is a windswept wonderland of towering sea cliffs, pristine white-sand beaches and crashing Atlantic waves. Here you can take to the saddle for a thrilling horse ride along two kilometres of sandy beach at Tullan Strand, or head out on a sea safari by Rib with True North Boating, getting up close to marine life such as bottlenose dolphins, basking sharks, minke whales and grey seals. The highlight just might be Malin Head, Ireland's most northerly point and a glorious place for a coastal hike. Located at the far end of the Inishowen Peninsula, this is a fantastic place for spotting seabirds (look out for peregrine falcon, barnacle geese and the rare corncrake) and come nightfall, one of Ireland's most likely locations for the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, to appear, lighting up the inky night sky with undulating waves of neon pink and brightest lime. Further south, in County Sligo, there's yet more dramatic coastal scenery to explore. Make time for Benbulben, a steep-sided, flat-topped mountain that can be climbed in around four hours, as well as a detoxifying soak at Kilcullen Seaweed Baths, where you can climb into its restorative warm seawater amid harvested seaweed and bathe overlooking the dunes of Enniscrone Beach. Gazing up at the stars County Mayo is one of the more beautiful and undiscovered parts of Ireland, and after sunset you'll find it cloaked in the very darkest of night skies. Stargazing here is unforgettable, and is at its best in the Mayo Dark Sky Park, a protected area of Atlantic blanket bog, mountains and forest that is Ireland's first International Dark Sky Park. There are three signature viewing sites; the darkest is at Brogan Carroll Bothy, around 20 kilometres north of Newport town, which offers a range of walking loops from the Letterkeen trailhead car park. Lace up your boots for a post-sunset hike here and prepare to be amazed by the incredible constellations stretching across the sky overhead. Golf offers and packages For island of Ireland golf offers and packages visit our partners at: Golf Escapes, Golf Escapes – Northern Ireland, Your Golf Travel, Golfbreaks & Golfbreaks – Northern Ireland
Wales Online
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Timmy Mallet completes cycle around island of Ireland
Timmy Mallet completes cycle around island of Ireland While on the 6,000km cycle of roads, paths and greenways, he discovered a family link to Blacksod Lighthouse in Co Mayo that has deeply affected him TV presenter Timmy Mallett visiting the Parliament Buildings at Stormont (Image: Liam McBurney/PA Wire ) TV host Timmy Mallet has praised the "profoundly gorgeous" kindness of people after completing a cycle around the coastline of the island of Ireland. While on the 6,000km cycle of roads, paths and greenways, he discovered a family link to Blacksod Lighthouse in Co Mayo that has deeply affected him. The colourful personality is known for his children's television series in the 80s and 90s and cover of Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini. He embarked on a cycle circumnavigation around Great Britain in 2023 to raise awareness of people's potential after the death of his brother Martin, who had Down's Syndrome and died in 2018. He began a cycle along Northern Ireland's and Donegal's coast in March last year, before returning to cycle around the whole island. "This is the completion of my cycle circumnavigation of the island of Ireland," he said at Stormont on Monday. Article continues below "I kicked off in lashing rain in March last year when I aimed to see if I could do a cycle circumnavigation of Northern Ireland." He said he then decided he would add the "forgotten county" of Donegal. "Further north than Northern Ireland, but in the south. I love that nuttiness," he said. "Five hundred and fifty miles after completing Donegal, I thought to myself I'd like to come back and see if I could do the Wild Atlantic Way." He said he put aside two months to do as much of the Wild Atlantic Way as possible, and got as far as Kinsale in Co Cork. "I phoned up Mrs Mallet and she said 'I'm having the bathroom done, so just keep going, I'm not ready to have you home yet, Mallet'." He said it was "an absolute joy" to complete the circumnavigation of the island. He added: "There's something about the kindness and generosity on this island that is really lovely. It's profoundly gorgeous, this welcome that comes across the whole of Ireland. "I am thrilled to say I have got a squillion new friends in Ireland and I love it. It's almost in the DNA of the Irish actually to say 'welcome, come on in, we're your friends'." He said Ireland had "an understanding of differences" and celebrated things that bring people together. He added: "I'm inspired on this journey by my brother Martin (who had) language and learning difficulties. He never let Down's Syndrome define him. He'd say 'You and me, I'm happy.' "That's about being in the moment, celebrating the here and now of living. It reminds me that all we have to do in life is reach our potential. We don't have to be the best in the world, just the best that we can be." He recounted highlights of the trip, including a family connection at a Mayo lighthouse and a person who helped during Wacaday filming 35 years ago. "I went to Blacksod Lighthouse in Co Mayo which has got a family connection for me that I didn't know," he said. "The weather forecast for D-Day was supplied by Maureen Sweeney in June 1944 and my mum was working at supreme headquarters, at the time, on the weather forecasting for D-Day. "And Maureen's grandson Fergus tells the story of how a squeaky-voiced English lady phoned up to check Maureen's reports. That was my mum. "This connection of two women, in a cataclysmic world event, doing their bit for freedom has had a profound impact on me. "I also loved the journey down further south, in Dingle, where I meet Jimmy Flannery who had taken me, 35 years ago during the Wacaday filming, to meet and swim with Fungi the dolphin. "And here he is there still and we shared happy memories of that day of filming 35 years ago in 1990. "On the border between North and the Republic, I came across that lovely conundrum, if you like, where somebody's house is in the UK but their garden is in the Republic. "They were living with it all day every day and enjoying the best of both sides of that wee border." Article continues below He added: "I'm coming back, I love you. Keep 'er lit. This is a gorgeous, gorgeous country." Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly met with Mallet at Stormont on Monday.
Belfast Telegraph
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
‘For a small island, it has an enormous coastline': Timmy Mallett cycles 3,500 miles around Irish seaboard
Former children's TV presenter Timmy Mallett aimed to 'bring a smile with every mile' as he cycled more than 3,500 miles around Ireland's entire coastline. The English broadcaster is best known for presenting roles on TV-am and the Wide Awake Club, as well as for his 1990 number one hit 'Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini'. Recently, the 69-year-old has taken to the coastal roads of the island of Ireland, after circumnavigating all of Great Britain in 2023. Having cycled all 905 miles around NI last year, he initially returned this year to tackle the Wild Atlantic Way. However, with bathroom renovations still ongoing at home, his wife encouraged him to tackle the whole of the island. Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph at the Titanic Slipway — his starting point three months ago — Mallett said he was largely inspired by his late brother Martin, who passed away in 2018. 'I have two big brothers: Paul, the eldest, and Martin,' Mallett explained. 'Martin, with language and learning difficulties, never let Down's syndrome define him. 'You found that Martin would live every minute of the day in the moment, the here and now. 'I realised that with Martin, with his gift for living in the now, it was really important. He would say: 'Ah, buba, you and me. I'm happy.' 'So, this is a journey about inspiring people to reach their potential. We don't have to be the best yet, just the best that we can be. 'I am keen on curiosity. I think curiosity is a fine and fabulous attribute that we don't pay enough attention to. 'I like seeing what you can find on your own around the corner. 'I cycled round the coast of Waterford. I came to 'Norn Iron' to see if I could do a circumnavigation of it. Nine-hundred and five miles later, [I realised] it's an enormous country. That is when I heard a small voice: 'Don't forget the forgotten county' — Donegal, further north, which is weirdly in the South. So, I did another 550 miles covering the coast of Donegal, all those finger peninsulas. 'That is when I wondered if I could do some more, to go down the Wild Atlantic Way. 'Two months later, I go to Kinsale, and Mrs Mallett said: 'Well, I am doing the bathroom in the house... Why don't you just keep going to see how far around the rest of the country you can go?' 'That is what this moment [arriving at Titanic Slipway] is about, because I have now cycled around the entire coast of the island of Ireland. For a small island, it has an enormous coastline. It transpires that I have cycled over 3,500 miles. That's a lot of coastline.' With such a famous face on the road, Mallett was stopped 'every kilometre, every day' by fans. 'It's a wonderful and joyful moment, because I make it a rule to always stop. I have found that this island... the Irish have a profound gift for kindness and generosity. There is a warmth of a welcome that is truly lovely. 'There is something special to somebody around these islands. Some highlights would include going to Blacksod Lighthouse in Co Mayo. 'There, I came across the grandson of Maureen Sweeney. In 1944, Maureen had been sending weather reports which she didn't know were crucial for the D-Day landings. 'Now, at the same time, my mum was working at the Supreme headquarters on the weather forecasting for D-Day. 'Maureen's grandson Fergus says that on that day, when she sent her weather forecast, a squeaky-voiced English lady picked up the phone to check the report. 'And I love the fact that these two women had a role in this titanic struggle of the time in D-Day. 'It was lovely to hear the other side of that story 80 years later. I think it has been an important pilgrimage.' When asked about his transition from TV presenter to adventurer and painter, Mallett described his life as having 'different aspects'. 'I think that we all have different aspects in our lives, and talents can be important for us to develop. 'I've been lucky enough. I had a great TV career, I had a number one hit record throughout the world, and now my art is collected across the globe. 'The important thing really is to reach our potential, make the most of each and every day, and to bring a smile. Bring a smile with every mile.'
