General Information

Most of this cycling holiday is in County Donegal. This is the most remote and scenic part of the Irish Republic. Dramatic cliff scenery (the highest cliffs in Europe), beautiful beaches and natural woodland will make cycling a delight. The Blue Stack and Derry Veagh Mountains offer good hill-walking opportunities, so bring your walking boots too. We will be staying in a mixture of An Oige, independent, Yhani and SYHA hostels, most in beautiful locations. The BikeBus will carry your luggage from place to place leaving you to cycle with just your day gear.

As usual with Spokes cycling trips there will be a group tour most days, but you can explore on your own too. It’s important that you bring and use a map and can fix your own punctures. You should be able to cycle about 50 miles a day in hilly terrain: the bus won’t be following you around when you ride your bike. You are responsible for your own safety when cycling. We may be eating out some evenings, but will be self catering mostly, you will be expected to help with the cooking, washing up, food buying etc.

Costs

Price £340. This includes ferry fares, transport in the BikeBus, day to day transport as described plus all accommodation. Bikes will be carried with the bus, and luggage will be carried between hostels. The price is reasonable, as it includes transport from Edinburgh. As with all Spokes trips there is no service charge for organising the holiday, just for the bus fare. This means that Harry will be your willing slave when driving the bus, but will not fix all the punctures, cook all the meals, and do all the washing up.

The price does not include food; normally cyclists contribute to a kitty and elect a treasurer. This might amount to £5 a day. This can be discussed on the first day. Usually there are vegetarians in the party, meat for the carnivores (if deemed essential) is managed as a side dish. Taking part in the kitty is not compulsory - you can do your own cooking or eat out. People usually organise their own lunches, picnics are good, or eat in pubs if you prefer. Too much drinking of Guinness is not compatible with cycling.

Recommended Maps

(James Thin 53-59 South Bridge, Edinburgh)

Irish O.S. Ireland North 1:250 000,

Irish O.S. Discovery Series 1:50 000, numbers 1, 2, 6, 10 and 11.

To Book

0131-229 6274 bike.bus@virgin.net

Phone or email to register interest. Booking requires a £50 deposit, telephone bookings etc will be held for five days. The balance of £290 is due on 24th May, bookings after then require full payment.

Special note: This tour starts from Edinburgh on Sunday 24 July but will also pick up from St Andrews that morning to enable cyclists taking part in the Edinburgh to St. Andrews Cycle Ride to come. Luggage can be taken to St Andrews in the luggage van organised by Lepra and transfered to the BikeBus on Sunday morning.

Sunday 24 June - Pick up cyclists and luggage in St Andrews at 0930 at West Sands car park, drive to Edinburgh; collect rest of party in Whitehouse Loan (opposite Edinburgh Bicycle) about 10.30. Drive to Dumfries and Galloway staying overnight in Minnigaff Youth Hostel (01671-402211). Option of exploring locally or being dropped off at Thornhill or St John’s Town of Dalry to cycle the last 44 or 23 miles to Minnigaff.

Monday 25 June - An easy cycle ride to the Isle of Whithorn via Wigtown. Option of a pub lunch at the Steam Packet Inn. Visit St Ninian’s Cave or the Whithorn Dig. Next day depart after breakfast for Ireland.

Tuesday 26 June - Drive to Cairnryan and catch the 11.45 ferry to Larne in Northern Ireland. Drive to Castle Archdale Youth Hostel, County Fermanagh, on Lower Lough Erne (028686-28118).

Wednesday 27 June - Cycle to Donegal Town, Ball Hill Youth Hostel +073-21174 (00353 73-21174), about 30 miles but a more scenic if slightly longer forest route, would be via Bradleive Mountain and The Pullans (40 to 50 miles). Luggage carried by the BikeBus. The BikeBus will support a hill-walking group climbing the Blue Stack Mountains if the weather is suitable and sufficient people want to go.

Thursday 28 June - Cycle to Bruckless (Gallacher’s Farm Hostel 00353 73-37057) , this is a clean converted 17th century barn in pastoral landscape, excellent kitchen. The distance from Donegal Town is short so there is the opportunity to explore the Sleive League Peninsula. Noteable here are cliffs dropping 2000 feet into the Atlantic.

Friday 29 June - At Gallacher’s Farm Hostel. Possibly walk Sleive League, the mountain from which the cliffs drop (narrow ridge) or explore back roads and the handful of single street villages (there’s no lack of pubs however).

Saturday 30 June - Cycle to An Earagail YH (about 50 miles) (00353 73-31180). A number of different possible ways to go, careful map reading necessary to maximise your time on back roads. Another option is to visit Aran Island. If you do this you will not have time to cycle, the BikeBus will support an island party if there is demand. An Earagail hostel is in Glenveagh National Park by Errigal Mountain, Ireland’s second highest (752m).

1st and 2nd July (Sunday/Monday) - Remain at An Earagail Hostel and cycle locally or climb the mountains. Plenty of minor roads to the north of the national park with fine beaches on Donegal’s northern coast, you could explore the Rosguil Peninsula or go to Fanad Head or cycle to catch the ferry to Aran Island. Errigal Mountain is an interesting scramble, you have to traverse a narrow exposed ridge to reach the summit. There are sheer cliffs and the summit is quite small. Going up and down would take about four hours, a clear day is essential.

Tuesday 3 July - Leave Donegal and drive to Cushendall Youth Hostel in Co.Antrim in N Ireland. En route we will visit the Sperrin Mountains SE of Londonderry. Here you have the option of being dropped off near Strabane to cycle on back roads, then through a mountain pass to Sperrin. The BikeBus will drop off a hill walking group to climb Sawel Mountain (678m). Both groups will be picked up late afternoon in Sperrin.

Wednesday 4 July - An early start I’m afraid as the ferry is at 0800 and we have to drive 25 miles to Larne. A leisurely drive home to Edinburgh arriving mid afternoon; alternatively spend a few days cycling to Edinburgh?