highland county mayo 25 south harris 26 croagh patrick IRELAND a SCOTLAND uDistance: 8½ miles/13.7km uTime: 4 hours uGrade: Moderate B uDistance: 6½ miles/10.45km uTime: 4½ hours uGrade: Challenging Views across Luskentyre plaN your waLk croagh Patrick plaN your waLk sands to taransay. from Murrisk. Photo: Photo: theoford-sagers steve goodier steve route route s tart/parking Free s tart/parking croagh parking at the roadside, Patrick Visitor centre car grid ref ng090971 park at murrisk, 8km W of is it for me? navigation is Westport, grid ref l919823 simple and gradients is it for me? Easy to follow, chosen by… chosen by… features on OS maps, the old aren’t very punishing. Firm Atlantic Way’, back to wide but rough paths. theo path is still there. Start on the ground in summer, but steve goodier the start. Very steep, tough going ford-sagers west side and take this circuit some patches will become Rising 2507 feet and fairly eroded in places. Of the many sights clockwise to save the most boggy in winter above the Atlantic Start the alternative return is stiles one Ocean, Croagh Patrick is 1Exit car park going L of over easy moorland – pick these islands have to offer, the dramatic scenery for later on. up a ‘murrisk’ leaflet at the the visitor centre taking the pristine white beaches on the You’ll also travel the coffin PLaNNiNg Ireland’s Holy Mountain and start at the foot of croagh a National Shrine. St Patrick surfaced track towards the west coast of South Harris road in the same direction Nearest town tarbert Patrick’ for points of should rank way up any as those hardy pall bearers refreshments the machair spent 40 days fasting on the statue of St. Patrick. At the end interest. there is a road visitor’s list. The sandy soils with their ponderous cargo. Kitchen, hotel-hebrides. summit in 441AD and pilgrims of the tarmac (at the entrance walk back to the start. dogs are not allowed on that surround them (known as com, 01859 550333 flock to the village of Murrisk to ‘Sruthin’) pass The Croagh croagh Patrick. machair) were the final resting Start public toilets below the top to make the Patrick sign and climb steps the machair Kitchen stiles none The first section is mostly tough walk to the summit to the statue. Shortly beyond place for many inhabitants of 1 (if you’re a customer) this the tarmac ends and you the sheltered bays on the east Tarmac, single-track in places public transport Bus W10 – many of them doing it in PLaNNiNg coast, where the rock and peat so take care. From the layby, from tarbert to luskentyre bare feet! Croagh Patrick is continue on a rough wide rising Nearest town Westport offered few places to bury the walk east along the road for (mon-Sat). operator: nicknamed ‘The Reek’ and path to a gate in a fence. refreshments croagh dead. The fabled journeys 600m. At road junction, take hebridean transport, over 100,000 people a year Patrick Visitor centre; tavern Bar and Restaurant; to the windswept western track on L. When it re-emerges 01851 705050 climb it. On ‘Reek Sunday’ (the ½ mile/0.8km Maps oS Explorer 455; various shops and smaller at the road, continue along last Sunday in July and the 2Pass through the gate and cemeteries are what has landranger 14 cafes at croagh Patrick given this track the sombre the road to bridge. main pilgrimage day), as many continue ahead on the wide Visitor centre car park; name ‘Coffin Road’ (Bealach as 30,000 pilgrims brave the path picking up a burn R. Seasonal shop high on Eòrabhat), but its usage for ¾ miles/1.25 km R to Lacasdail Cottage, keeping scree and stones. This route Follow the burn through a croagh Patrick sells drinks many purposes goes back 2Immediately before the the river on your L. Enter gate follows the traditional Pilgrims’ shallow gully and when the public toilets at summit route to reach the chapel on path opens out beyond, cross (not always open) centuries. Although not all of it bridge, take firm track on immediately before the ➥ public transport Bus 450 the summit and makes a a shallow stream and continue (transportforireland.ie) GRADIENT PROFILE scenic detour on the way up on the increasingly rough Maps oS ireland discovery 600 down to follow waymarked path passing over rock and maps 30 and 31 cover the 400 routes across the flanks of very loose stones. Follow the majority of route. add 200 metres map 37 for whole massif 0 the mountain before following path steeply as it heads for a km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 a shore side road, ‘The Wild col at the valley head. Continue ➥ ✁ SCOTLAND IRELAND county mayo July 2019 highland July 2019 26 croagh patrick 25 south harris uOS Ireland Discovery maps 30, 31 & 37 uBuy maps at: store.osi.ie uOS Explorer map 455 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop doN’t miss... s tart 1 2 v isiting the famine Memorial and s tart 1 e Survey. Media 001/19 e Survey. the ruins of Murrisk C 6 abbey – a trail visits both and starts facing rdnan o the visitor centre 19 car park. d te walked d te walked 2 yright 20 a a P o C 3 to near the col to reach a large cairn near a scaffold and canvas structure which houses ©Crown the highest shop in Ireland (it’s seasonal and generally only open in summer months). 1½ miles/2.4km 3 4 5 3Keep ahead on the ti ti wide path passing the shop M M structure. Continue on path as e taken e taken the angle eases soon passing 4 cottage, then another as you after 270m). As the road About 400m after the ruin, toilets L and a further stone leave the cottage behind you. approaches the shore of a enter gate. The path zigs-zags structure L. The upper cone of Approximately 1.8km (1.1m) small loch, take track on R. upwards from here and loses Croagh Patrick is in view ahead after the cottage you’ll reach its identity on the map, but it’s and a short descent takes you a quarry; if in operation, notify 4 miles/6.4km easy to follow. At the highest past the base of another the foreman before crossing, 4Follow the old path point the track straightens out. structure with artificial turf. Follow track beyond the downhill. Cross the footbridge, Rise again passing a wooden quarry to the road. continue straight at junction. 7¾ miles/12.5km post and the large pilgrimage the cairn of Leacht Benain and 8.04km) or for a variation Follow sign to Seilebost. You’ll After long descent, at the your rating your your rating your 6 cairn of Leacht Benain. Beyond the wooden post. Continue go R before the gate to a 3 miles/4.8km cross another bridge, then path junction, enter gate, turn R and this, the path gets very steep beyond following outbound marker post. From here take 3Turn R at the road and walk climbs and follows the line of a follow the track to stile at road. and rough and there is a lot of route past the building base L the faint path ahead passing 100m, then take track on L. fence. Enter gate and descend From here, the starting point erosion and loose scree, so care and the two stone buildings R the regular marker posts Continue until it re-emerges to houses between Aird Mhige is 60m away on your L. is required. Climb the path to to reach the shop site and large leading over the moor and at the road, turn L and follow and Liceasto. Enter gateway the chapel on the summit of cairn. Descend the rough path following either ‘The Murrisk Tarmac. After 60m turn R onto and proceed to footbridge. VIEW the waLk oN Croagh Patrick where there are beyond to pick up the burn Loop’ (Red arrows) or ‘The short track. When it meets the © Country © Country © Country © Country OS MAPs oNLiNe: also some other buildings and again, pass through the shallow Mountain Loop’ (purple road again, turn R. If you’re 5 miles/8.2km lfto.com/cwroutes a toilet (not always open). gully and reach the gate in the arrows) to descend to the wearing good boots, turn L 5Immediately after bridge, w w I N ASSOCIATION WITH fence. You can simply pass R335 road. Go L using alking July20 at the first hairpin onto grass turn R, walk on grassy path alking July20 2½ miles/4km through this and descend footpaths on both sides path. Or, to avoid marshy around buildings and past the 4Re-trace your steps past St. Patrick’s statue to of the road to return ground, stay on the road (the ruined blackhouse on L. You’re 19 carefully back downhill passing the car park (5.0 miles/ to the car park. 19 marshy path meets the road now on the old ‘coffin road’. ✁.