Mount Brandon

Brandon rises to 952 metres at the western end of the Dingle peninsula, the highest ground in Ireland outside the MacGillycuddy's Reeks. Its eastern face is the dramatic side: a wall of cliffs above a chain of small paternoster lakes in a corrie system carved by ice, reached by the Faha ridge route, which is the finest walk on the peninsula and also the one that gets people into trouble. The western Saint's Road is the pilgrim path, a gentler grassy climb marked with crosses, associated with Brendan the Navigator, who is said to have prayed on the summit before his Atlantic voyage; pilgrimages still climb it, particularly around the end of June. There is a ruined oratory and a cross at the top. Cloud sits on Brandon more often than not, the Faha route crosses steep ground above the corrie, and rescue callouts here are frequent.

What you actually see

• The eastern corrie - cliffs above a chain of small paternoster lakes.
• The Saint's Road - the marked pilgrim path up the western side.
• The summit remains - a ruined oratory and a cross at 952 metres.
• The Faha ridge - the dramatic route, and the demanding one.

When to go

May to September. The pilgrimage climbs happen around late June. Cloud covers the summit on most days; wait for a clear forecast.

Honest expectations

The Faha route crosses steep exposed ground above the corrie and is a common rescue callout - it is not a walk for poor visibility or inexperience. The western path is easier but long and featureless in cloud. No facilities on either route.

Nearby

Cloghane and Brandon Bay are east; the Conor Pass crosses the peninsula south.