Culdaff Walk
Inish Times 13th June 2002 Taken from 'Country Roads' by Sam Mitchell

From the central car park turn right to walk back towards Culdaff on the footpath on the right-hand side of the road. You soon pass a road to the left (1), which you could take if you wanted a shorter walk of 4.3km/2.7miles. Otherwise, continue on along the road parallel to the beach, with views across Culdaff Bay to Bunagee Pier and the rugged coastline extending to Glengad Head. The road passes the end of the access road to the first car park (which has Public Toilets) and then swings sharply to the left (2) alongside the estuary of the Culdaff River. This is a flat, pleasant riverside walk with a considerable variety of bird life in the river estuary, which has mud flats and sand bars exposed at low tide. Culdaff village now comes into view, set against the rolling hills and higher mountain summits of inland Inishowen. The large three-story Georgian house, set in a grove of mixed woodland to the left, is Culdaff House. Built in 1779 for George Young, it was burnt out in 1922, but rebuilt in 1926 and remodelled about 1950. You now pass the entrance gates to Culdaff House; keep straight on through the road junction and then come to a crossroads (3) at the R238. Turn left in the direction of Moville.

This main road climbs gradually uphill out of Culdaff. There is an open view to the right towards the hills and mountains of inner Inishowen, while to the left are the grounds of Culdaff House beyond its roadside boundary wall. Approaching a Y-junction (4), you pass the quaintly names 'Ruddy Weehouse' on your right,. Cross the road (beware of traffic coming round the blind corner of the main road) and turn left at the Y-junction.

This minor road runs straight and almost due east, climbing initially with a moderate gradient before flattening out. To the left is the parkland of mature deciduous trees in the Culdaff House estate; to the right is open, undulating farmland and the square tower of St. Mary's church near Mass Hill; to the front fight is the higher eminence of Bishop's Hill. Keep straight on at the crossroads (5), where the 'short cut' road joins the walk and at the end of which is the rear entrance to Culdaff House, also a small gate lodge. This very straight road now climbs gradually uphill through open fields of good farmland in the broad gap between Knock and Bishop's Hill. To the left a large herd of Friesian cows strip-graze two long fields - each subdivided into strips by electrified fencing - extending up the slope of Knock hill. The road gradient increases slightly and you come to a road junction (6), where turn left following the signpost for Culdaff Bay.

This narrow road continues to climb, soon crossing the 50m contour, with gorse bushes reinforcing the roadside fencing. Dunmore Head now comes into view, while, over your left shoulder, Glengad Head appears and the hill of Croaghglengad. Lovely fuchsia hedges, now in bloom, line both sides of the road as it approaches the top of the rise. The road swings sharply to the left, passing the end of a single farm track to the right,and the beach at Culdaff is now in view. Just on this corner, to the left, is a fascinating house and garden in which there is a collection of beautifully made carved and painted wooden birds and butterflies, placed on the lawn, roof and walls; there is also a model three-masted clipper under full sail. The road now starts to descend gradually in a straight course towards the rocky gorse-covered sides of Dunmore Head. At the end of this straight stretch of road is one of the best views of Culdaff Bay and the coast beyond Buna-gee Pier. The full extend of Inishtrahull is also now in view on the far horizon beyond Glengad Head. Then comes another sharp left-hand bend in the road - here there are two tracks leading off to the right. Continue on down the road as it drops quite steeply towards the coast, with views of the flat or gently sloping elevated bench of land which lies immediately inland of the coastal beaches. This is a raised beach, formed by post-glacial uplift of the land, and it is occupied by fields of grazing sheep, a caravan site and the coast road.

On the way down, you pass an attractive house and garden in which grow a number of quite exotic plant, indicating the relatively mild winters enjoyed by this part of coastal Donegal. At the foot of the road there is a sharp left-hand bend (7). This takes you round onto the coast road, heading in a westerly direction back towards the car park. To the right is the rocky cliff face of Dunmore Head, bright with gorse in bloom, on which seabirds are nesting. The road is relatively flat and winding, with lovely views of the small coves and beaches to your right; also of the rugged coastline lending up to Glengad Head. You pass the caravan site and the third car park. The road then swings round behind the little beach, crosses a stream, climbs gradually, curving to the right, swings left to bring the main Culdaff beach into view and arrives back at the central car park.

Culdaff Village
Culdaff is a very picturesque village which is pre-Plantation in origin, but it owes its present appearance to the Young family, who laid out the village in the 17th century in typical Ulster Plantation style, complete with village green. At he broad end of the green is a plaque in memory of Charles Macklin.

The original settlement at Culdaff was a monastery founded by St. Buadan. The present church of St. Buadan's (Church of Ireland), rebuilt in 1747, occupies the site of the early monastic church. It has gravestones dating back to the early 1700s. The oldest (1713) lies near the entrance to the church, and has a number of interesting items of funary symbolism carved on it - a bell, skull-and-crossbones, hourglass and winged skull. Monks sailed from the Culdaff River to the Isles of Scotland on missionary work. In the riverbed, just west of Old Bridge, is a curious boat-shaped rock (best viewed at low tide) called St. Buadan's Boat, which miraculously transported him safely back to Culdaff after he was expelled from Iona.

The hinterland of Culdaff is particularly rich in archaeological and early Christian remains, which you may wish to visit when in the area. On Mass Hill (2km south-east of Culdaff) is the Bocan Stone Circle (C542476), with access from the minor road south of Mass Hill. It is a 'Druidical' circle, possibly Early Bronze Age (2500-1500 BC). It has a diameter of 60-70 feet (18-21m) but is incomplete, as it consists of a jumbled mass of stones and large boulders with only six significant stones upright. Nearby is the Temple of Dean (C536470), a megalithic tomb (court-cairn) occupying a site on top of Black Hill and offering a wonderful view in all directions. Access is by means of a track running west from the R238 and just south of the road to Bocan Stone Circle. The tomb is quite well preserved with twenty large stones remaining. However, the finest of all the archaeological sites is undoubtedly at Cloncha (C526471). Take the minor road opposite St. Mary's Church (built 1836), signposted Cloncha Church and High Cross. It is again signposted (on the left) about 1.64km/1mile down this road, This is another important monastic site, founded around the 6th century by St. Buadan. The site of the monastery is occupied by a 17th century Plantation church (last used in 1827), though the lintel over the doorway is part of an even older church. Inside the church is a fascinating and beautifully carved stone coffin lid from the tomb of Magnus Mac Orristin. The glory of Cloncha, however, is undoubtedly the High Cross (with head restored) standing in the field west of the church. Both sides of the 3m/10ft shaft are elaborately carved with interlace and geometrical designs; also biblical scenes. Beneath the head of the cross on the East face (towards the church) is a representation of Christ performing the miracle of the Loaves and Fishes. The two figures seated near the centre of the West face have been identified as the desert hermits 'St Paul and Anthony', with two lions and croziers immediately above them. In the same field as the High Cross, but at some distance from it nearer the road, is the large Head of a Cross lying on the ground. Both arms are missing and there are no remains of the shaft. Nevertheless, it is a magnificent wheeled cross, with three intricately carved roundels, and not to be missed.