Five Finger Strand

Five Finger Strand lies on the western side of the Inishowen peninsula in north Donegal, taking its name from five rock stacks standing off the northern end. Behind it is a dune system that reaches around thirty metres, among the tallest in Europe, held together by marram and actively eroding at the seaward face. Lagg church, the oldest Catholic church still in use in the peninsula, stands beside the road in. This is not a swimming beach: the strand shelves steeply, there is a powerful undertow and rip system, and there are no lifeguards at any time - drownings have happened here and local advice is consistently against entering the water. What it is good for is walking, the view north to Malin Head, and watching a big Atlantic swell come in from a safe distance. The dunes are fragile and should not be climbed.

What you actually see

• The five stacks - the rock fingers standing off the northern end.
• The dunes - around thirty metres, among Europe's highest, and eroding.
• The strand - steep-shelving sand facing the open Atlantic.
• Lagg church - the peninsula's oldest Catholic church, on the road in.

When to go

May to September for the walking and the light. There is no safe swimming season - the currents are dangerous year-round. Big swell days are impressive from the dune top.

Honest expectations

Do not swim - the undertow is severe, there are no lifeguards, and people have drowned here. Climbing the dunes accelerates their erosion. Small car park, no facilities, narrow access road.

Nearby

Malin Head is north; Malin village and Trawbreaga Bay are east.