A date with Arnold | Rossnowlagh to Dunfanaghy

Where does it start? Rossnowlagh

Where does it end? Dunfanaghy

How long is it? 107 miles

Why is it great?

If you’ve done all the little twisties along the coast on the previous routes, you and your trusty machine may well be begging to get out of third gear, so now’s your chance, with a lovely fast and flowing road across high moors which calls in at two friendly villages and ends up in a deservedly popular hotel.

Isolated Donegal is often overlooked by tourists, leaving it to the happy few who fall in love with its wild beauty.

What do I need to know?

My favourite spot in Donegal is Ardara, where Nancy’s Bar is the watering hole of choice. Naturally, it’s owned by a woman called Margaret.

A major weaving and knitwear centre, the town’s a great place to pick up Aran sweaters or tweeds from Kennedy’s in the town or Molloy’s just outside, and a 10-minute ride takes you past tumbling Assaranca waterfall to the white sands of Maghera Strand for a paddle or a bracing dip if you’re brave enough.

In Glencolumbkille, the Folk Village is a cluster of thatched cottages which shows how life was in Ireland’s most isolated county until not that long ago.

Anything Else?

In Dunfanaghy, Arnold’s is a welcoming family-run three-star hotel with scrumptious nosh.