Arranmore Island

Arainn Mhor lies about five kilometres off the west Donegal coast and has a population of roughly four hundred, making it the largest inhabited island in the county. Irish is the community language. The western and northern coasts are cliffed, rising to over a hundred metres, with a lighthouse on the north-western point and a looped walk running the exposed side; the eastern shore holds the harbour, the shops and most of the houses. The island's emigration history is unusually concentrated: so many people left for Beaver Island in Lake Michigan from the 1830s onward that the two places maintain a formal twinning and family connections that are still live. There are several pubs, a shop, a hostel and some accommodation. The ferry crossing is short but the sound is exposed and sailings cancel in swell.

What you actually see

• The cliff coast - over a hundred metres on the western and northern sides.
• The lighthouse - on the north-western point, with a loop walk to it.
• The Gaeltacht community - about four hundred people, Irish-speaking.
• The Beaver Island link - the twinned Michigan community, still connected.

When to go

May to September for the weather and the ferry frequency. Winter sailings are reduced and cancel readily. Accommodation is limited - book before travelling.

Honest expectations

Ferries cancel in swell; allow for delays. Limited accommodation and shops, with seasonal opening. Cliff walks are unfenced and exposed. Roads on the island are narrow and a car is not really necessary.

Nearby

Burtonport is the mainland port; the Rosses and Gweedore are along the coast.