Cahergall Stone Fort

Cahergall is a cashel of around the tenth century, about thirty metres across, with drystone walls up to five metres thick and three metres high. Inside are the foundations of a clochan, a beehive hut, and a rectangular house. What makes it more engaging than most forts is that the interior wall face is terraced, with flights of steps built into it leading up to the walkway on top - restored in the 1980s and 90s, and climbable, which gives the view over Valentia Harbour and the Kerry hills that the builders presumably had. Leacanabuaile, a second and smaller fort, stands a couple of hundred metres away on a rock outcrop and is included in the same walk. Ballycarbery Castle is close by. All three are free and unstaffed. The restoration is substantial and not always clearly signposted as such, so what you climb is partly modern rebuilding on original lines.

What to look for

• The terraced interior - steps built into the wall face, climbable to the top.
• The wall thickness - up to five metres of drystone construction.
• The internal foundations - a beehive hut and a rectangular house.
• Leacanabuaile - the second fort a short walk away on its rock.

When to go

April to October. The walk from the lay-by is short but muddy after rain. The wall top is unfenced and slippery when wet.

Good to know

Substantially restored in the twentieth century - a good deal of what stands is rebuilding. Wall tops are unfenced with a drop. Parking is a lay-by on a narrow lane, and no facilities.

Nearby

Ballycarbery Castle is a few hundred metres away; Cahersiveen is across the bridge.