Dhún na nGall, in Pictures

The first stop on the Great British Isles road trip is now behind me. On Saturday morning, I left County Donegal and drove a rather zig-zagging 160 miles through County Tyrone to Ballycastle in County Antrim on Northern Ireland’s coast. That brought my total mileage for the trip so far to something over 2200 miles! Aside from the long trip to get here, I put in a lot of miles driving around little roads in Donegal.

It’s beautiful countryside with a variety of landscapes: Rugged cliffs, soft green pastures, boggy fields and sweeping sandy beaches. Here are some favorite pictures — click on the photo if you want, for an enlargement and to read the captions.

Malin Head at dusk. It’s the most northern point in Ireland.

New mills Corn and Flax Mill — Newmilll Flax and Corn Mill. At one time a triangular shaped region of less than 1000 square miles n what is now Northern Ireland and Ireland produced 80% of the world’s linen,. At the time, linen was extensively used for variety of industrial and military purposes. During wars, demand soared. As the strongest available fiber, the exterior skin of the first planes was made of linen. It was also a type of body armor, for the ropes on parachutes , for book bindings and much more. Growing flax and preparing it to be turned into linen, however, was so labor intensive that each farmer could only manage about one acre of the stuff.

The great water wheel at Newmills.

Glencolmcille .

The carved second-story doorway at Donegal Castle. Originally it would have been reached by an outside staircase.

Tiny little pink and white wildflowers, with the sweetest, oddest shape!

Colorful wildflowers dot the fields and line the countryside lanes.

Foxgloves grow wild by the roadsides all over Donegal!

The view at Crohy Head, near Dungloe. The wind and the sea have carved the rocks into fantastic shapes.

A misty view of the cliffs of Slieve Liag.

Fishing boats in the harbor at Killybegs.

Misty morning view from Paddy’s boat, headed out to view the Slieve Liag cliffs.

Beach near Killybegs.

The view from the top tier of the iron-age ring fort at Grianan of Aileach.

Staircase on the interior wall of the ancient ring fort at Grianan of Aileach.

Doe Castle, a picturesque ruin overlooking Sheep Haven Bay.

An Irish black-faced ewe and her lamb.

Misty morning view from Paddy’s boat, headed out to view the Slieve Liag cliffs.

Beach near Killybegs.

Stone wall near the lighthouse on the island of Arranmore.

A common sight–piles of freshly cut peat, drying in the fields.

Fishing boats in the harbor at Killybegs.

Rocky gorge in the coast on Arranmore Island.

Malin Head

The rocky coast at Malin Head, the most northern point of Ireland.

On the coast near Malin Head. That white stuff are a kind of wildflower. Each one looks like a tiny little feather duster or perhaps a make-up brush with the softest white, cottony head.