Through Donegal - Horn Head, Dunfanaghy and Claggan
Of the four northernmost Donegal peninsulas - Horn Head, Rosguill, Fanad and Inishowen - it is the most westerly of these, Horn Head, (Corrán Binne - The Curved Headland of the Peak) which provides one of the most interesting roads.
We began and ended our circumnavigation of Horn Head at the picturesque village of Dunfanaghy, nestled on the edge of an inlet of Sheep Haven Bay, which provides a good base for touring this region.
From Dunfanaghy (Dún Fionnachaidh - The Ford of the White Field) head on to the Horn Head peninsula and continue to follow the narrow road which bears to the right.
Before long you will have left behind the few scattered houses and begun to climb along the lower slopes of Croaghnamaddy (248m) as wonderful vistas open up across Sheep Haven Bay towards the peninsula of Rosguill and the port of Port-na-Blagh, with its fine golden beach stretching towards Dunfanaghy itself.
It's a short drive around Horn Head but one in which some of the best views in Ireland can be seen from its modest heights.
Before the road turns west there is a fine view over a promontory where once was sited an ancient fort.
And you can make a short diversion from the road to the top of Coastguard Hill where an old look-out post - most likely dating from "the Emergency" years lies derelict and only a short walk from the road. Finally, as the road around the Head turns back towards the road we travelled when coming from Dunfanaghy, there is another short diversion to be explored heading northwest towards Claggan which has two megalithic tombs nearby.
The entire road from Dunfanaghy around Horn Head and back to Dunfanaghy is no more than eight kilometres in length and the various diversions suggested will add at most four or five extra to your journey.
But despite its short length I thoroughly recommend this route for its wonderful views over cliff scenery and unspoilt nature. I first visited the peninsulas of Horn Head and Rosgull some 30 years ago and while Rosgull has seen its charms succumb to an over infestation by caravans and mobile homes, Horn Head retains the simple unspoilt charm that made it so attractive all those years ago.
For our exploration of Donegal's northwest corner the Alfa Romeo 159 we drove proved a most capable, fast and rewarding tourer and covered the larger than expected distances you find in Donegal with ease and comfort.
Meander, as we did, along this unspoilt part of Ireland's northwest taking time to savour the timelessness of its beauty for it will live long in your memory when other, better known places have vanished.