Sturrall Head.
Continuing our walk from St. Columba’s Church in Glencolmcille up to Glen Head. In Part 1 we had reached the Napoleonic watch tower, and now we left the waymarked Tower Loop Walk, to take in Sturrall Head instead, just a short walk along the coast. The brief periods of sunshine we had been getting had now disappeared, but despite the gloom, Sturrall Head looked hugely impressive. It had an imposing, jagged profile, the headland dipping down, then rising again to a long ridge jutting out into the Atlantic. There were dramatic drops from the ridge to storm beaches, sea stacks and arches.
Sea arch and stack just off the little storm beach. The two rock formations to the left of the beach looked to me like paw-like feet, stone toes curled into the sea.
Huge drops to the beach far below.
As we approached Sturrall Head, there was steep drop down into a gully, then a shorter climb up on the other side.
A better view of the arch from this angle.
Looking back from the other side of the gully to Glen Head.
The Glen Head cliffs.
The huge sea stacks at Port now becoming visible, and beyond that, Aran Island.
Sea stacks at Port – a location that I’ve visited and posted on previously.
https://aidymcglynn.wordpress.com/2015/05/29/port-donegal/
https://aidymcglynn.wordpress.com/2015/06/06/port-hill-part-1/
https://aidymcglynn.wordpress.com/2015/06/16/port-hill-part-2/
A brief re-emergence of the sun.
More of those steep drops.
Glen Head and the tower.
Sturrall Head from the northern side.
At this point, as I passed Sturrall Head to get a view from the northern side, I had to turn back as the rest of the family didn’t want to face the earlier steep drop in and out of the gully, and so were waiting for me back at the tower. I would have liked to try getting out on to the ridge, although I wasn’t sure how possible it would be. Something to come back for hopefully.
Sturrall Head still drawing the eye on the walk back.
Coming back down off Glen Head now, towards Glencolmcille, with the winding path on the hillside below.
Back down on the road again, heading for the church, and the sun decides to come out again.
Arriving back at St. Columba’s Church where we had started.
A great walk, with some fantastic coastal scenery for the first of our two days in Glencolmcille.
Beautiful scenery. How accessible is that fascinating and seemingly dangerous rocky shore around Sturral Head and Glen Head. It looks like you might only get to it by boat.
I’d say either boat or abseiling Jessica! I definitely couldn’t see any other way down, and it looked like it would be a risky place for boats too.
Do you think you will be able to walk along the ridge of the Sturral headland when you return? The strata look very interesting and the views would surely be exceptional.
I hope to get out on to Sturrall Head Jessica, at least part of the way, although even the northern side looked steep, so I’ll just have to see how far I can get safely as a non-climber.