Day 21: Kilcar to Killybegs via Muckros Head (11.3 miles)

I slept very well last night. I stayed at a lovely B&B (The Kilcar Lodge) in Kilcar owned and run by Teresa and John. Having arrived in Kilcar I really didn't fancy going out again looking for food. I wasn't overly hungry anyway. When I was unpacking I found my emergency Pot Noodle. There was a kettle in my room so Pot Noodle it was! I was snug as a bug!

The problem with not leaving your room is that you don't get to meet anyone. I looked at the walk for today. It was a short one at 8.5 miles. I figured if I was going to carry the backpack at all this trip, today would be the best day to do it. I went down to breakfast at 08:30. I was the first up. By all the tables that had been set up I could see that there had been a full house last night, yet I hadn't heard a thing after they'd arrived. I ate a delicious and filling breakfast and while I was finishing my tea, John, my host came in to have a talk with me. An avid runner, he wanted to make sure that I knew about the coast road out of Kilcar. I had already decided to go that way so that I could avoid the N56 as much as possible. He told me that there was a lovely little road off of the coast road out onto Muckross Head. You could walk all the way onto the tip of the headland or there was a little beach on the far side of it that I could visit. I was thinking to myself that if I was carrying my pack I couldn't really add any extra miles onto my day. As the conversation continued we started talking about my walk and the experiences I've had and I was telling him about how great people were helping me out and how the backpack seemed to be going on its very own journey, without me. He offered straight away to take it to Killybegs for me. "Sure it's only down the road," he said. I love that phrase and the way it trips off the tongues of the people I've met. It's no trouble, it's only down the road!

I was delighted as I set off down the coast road out of Kilcar. John and Teresa were so lovely and it  really gives you the warm fuzzies to meet such genuinely good and kind people. It was a grey morning with a fine mist of rain falling. I knew that the forecast was for it to get clearer as the morning wore on.

It was my favourite kind of road - quiet and winding and practically free of traffic. Before long I saw the Wild Atlantic Way sign for the viewpoint to the headland. It had started to get a bit windy as the road had begun to climb upwards. There was a stone wall between me and the long way down so I was OK.

 After the viewpoint the road descended sharply and the stone wall fell into disrepair. I started to walk in the middle of the road as my edge-wobbles went into overdrive! By now the sky was very dark and the wind was gusting very strongly. When I arrived at the turn off and looked out to the headland I saw a narrow road rise again onto the completely exposed and shelterless outcrop. I did not want to abandon going out there as John had told me it was a 'must-see' especially as his kind offer to take my bag freed me up to go there, but the weather had once again turned deeply unpleasant and I wasn't sure it would be safe right out at the point. I decided that I would instead visit the beach on the other more sheltered side of the headland. The walk down there was lonely and cold but at the end of the road was a tranquil, silvery haven for me, and me alone to just sit and 'be.'

I had a real moment of peace sitting there looking out on all this steel grey calm. After a while I stood up and turned around to go back up the road and rejoin my route. Imagine my surprise when I turned around and saw a bright blue sky and sunshine! The wind had dropped as well so instead of rejoining my route I went left and headed off down the headland.

The views of Sliabh Liag were spectacular and the rough sea bounced off all the rocks in a crescendo of spray!

I could have sat there for hours looking at it all. I think that John was my special Atlantic spirit guide today. Without him I would not have known to come down this narrow little boreen and I would have missed the best part of the day.

I was so sad to have to get up and walk on but the hills were beckoning me on so reluctantly I had to carry on walking. 

As I strolled upwards and disappeared over the hill the next amazing view appeared. Across the bay the Sligo mountains, still a bit shy and hiding in mist began to materialise. It was still very cloudy in that direction but all across the bay there were little slits of sunlight breaking through to add a little magic to all that I could see.

The view changed constantly as the light found new ways to penetrate the cloud. Before long, however, my little stint on the coast road was over and I had to rejoin the N56 again with its noise and traffic and blind bends in the road. 

There were a few moments of respite along the way.

But I have to admit to being really pleased to arrive in Killybegs and its busy streets and shops.

Remembering that it was Thursday and the paper that interviewed me was out today, I went into the first supermarket I could find and bought a copy. I was so surprised and delighted to find a half page article on page 11 entitled "Wild Atlantic Way blogger is loving Donegal" by Sue Doherty. I took a picture of it and you can find it on the Facebook page if you fancy having a look. What I was most especially pleased with was that she gave Cliff and Ionad Siul a good mention and put in the fundraising info for the RNLI. Thank you Sue.

What a fantastic way to end a magical day.

Total mileage: 279.8 miles