EZTrip.com International Destination Guide and Hotel Listings

The harbour village of GREENCASTLE has a pleasant view across to the extensive golden sands of Magilligan Strand on the Northern Irish side of Lough Foyle. At dusk you'll see the area across the water begin to sparkle with lights like a ship at sea - these are the lights of the prison camp, just hidden behind the dunes. A highlight of village life are the regular visits by cruise ships. Next to the harbour, in the old coastguard station, is the newly-refurbished Maritime Museum and Planetarium (June-Sept daily 10am-6pm; £2/¬2.53), which recalls maritime travel from a bygone era. Amongst the range of maritime memorabilia, pride of place goes to a nineteenth-century rocket cart used to fire flares to aid survivors of wrecked ships. By the road to Stroove are the ruins of a fourteenth-century Richard de Burgo castle, built on a rocky knoll to allow the Anglo-Normans to guard the narrowest part of the lough. It was briefly captured in 1316 by Edward Bruce of Scotland who had himself crowned King of Ireland. The castle was retaken shortly afterwards and remained in De Burgo's hands until 1333 when his grandson William, the Brown Earl, was murdered and Anglo-Norman control of the northwest ended. Later the castle fell into the hands of the O'Dohertys, but it was badly damaged by an attack by their rival Calvagh O'Donnell. Though there were subsequent attempts at renovation, by 1700 the castle was a complete ruin and has remained so ever since. Nearby is Greencastle Fort , a lookout post built during the Napoleonic Wars which unsurprisingly affords good views across the estuary, though nowadays it houses a bar and restaurant with B&B (tel 077/81426; £55-70/¬69.84-88.88). You can also stay right next door to De Burgo's ruin in the Castle Inn (tel 077/81426; £33-40/¬41.90-50.79), which also has a restaurant and traditional sessions on Fridays, and at Brooklyn Cottage (March-Oct; tel 077/81087; £33-40/¬41.90-50.79). As you'd expect, seafood is available in abundance and, in addition to the restaurants above, the place to aim for is Kealy's , reckoned to be one of the best in Donegal.

At STROOVE (pronounced Shroove ), the scenery jumps into a more exciting gear, with lovely clambering walks along its coastline to the lighthouse. There you'll have to return to the road to reach the small beach, from where doughtier walkers can resume the clamber as far as the cliffs of the awesome Inishowen Head . An easier way to the head is simply to follow the road until it turns left, where you go straight on up the hill; a car can make it up the first couple of miles, but after that you run the risk of getting stuck in a rut. From the head, it's a beautiful but tiring walk to isolated Kinnagoe Bay , one of the most secluded sandy beaches around, tucked between the rocky walls of headland against which the waves throw spray as delicate as lace. The alternative route here entails going back to the main road and following it to the right turn by the thatched cottage in Stroove - this will take you along the narrowest of roads over the headland and through two beautiful glens. A plaque by the roadside at Kinnagoe records the sinking of La Trinidad Valencera during the Spanish Armada and other ships around the coast. Forty of its crew died in the water and most of the remaining three hundred survivors were killed outside Derry by an English army. The wreckage was recovered and is on display at Foyle College in Derry. Kinnagoe Bay House (April-Oct; tel 077/81280, mconway1@iol.ie ; £33-40/¬41.90-50.79) is a fine place to stay with wonderful views of the Bay. Back in Stroove, the Drunken Duck Seafood Bar (tel 077/81362), offering good food and fantastic views, is well worth a visit.