Erris Head Loop Walk

Erris Head is on the Mullet peninsula on the west coast of Ireland. Last week we completed the Erris Head Loop Walk, a five kilometre walk right to the most northerly point of the head. The walk is relatively easy and you get spectacular views of the Atlantic and in the distance the Stages of Broad Haven. The Stags are a group of five islets of steep rocky cliffs rising about 100m out of the sea. They are about 2km north of the cliffs of Benwee Head.

Looking North – you can just see the “stags” on the horizon

Look east toward Benwee head

Erris head

Illandavuck Island,

looking west across the atlantic

Erris Head from the car park

Erris Head is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and supports a range of wildlife, in particular sea birds. We saw nesting fulmars and also a pair of great skuas on Illandavuck Island, which lies just off the point. Gannets and guillemots could be seen fishing in the waters below. There was also a lovey range of flowers. The area is grazed by sheep (perhaps a bit too intensively) and so the best flowers were clinging to the cliff edges (bladder campion, Sheep’s bit scabious, wild thyme and more). Orchids were also common as was louseworth, bog asphodel, bog cotton and heather.

Orchid

Grazing sheep

Bog cotton

While we didn’t see any Irish hares we did see some hare droppings so they were definitely about.

Hare droppings

On the day we went the sea was flat calm but I can imagine that the place would be even more spectacular of a windy day with waves crashing against the cliffs below.