Slí Árainn Mhór

The island route, and the longest of the four. Fourteen kilometres of tarred road circle Árainn Mhór, carrying you through the townlands along the southern and eastern sides and then out into the wild, uninhabited interior and western side. It is graded moderate — four hundred metres of climbing, and a day rather than an afternoon.

Every walk here begins with the crossing: the car and passenger ferry from Ailt an Chorráin (Burtonport) takes 20 to 25 minutes. The trailhead is the old pier at Leadhb Gharbh, which is also where you finish.

Following the route

Green directional arrows mark the loop the whole way round. The spur out to the lighthouse is marked separately, in purple: two kilometres and about forty minutes each way, to Rinn Ramhrois Point.

• A–B: from the old pier, a T-junction after 100 m — turn left. Follow the main road for 1.5 km, passing a primary school and then the community centre, both on your right. At the junction with the church in view, turn left. Continue 550 m downhill towards the sea and turn right at the end of the road.
• B–C: follow the road 800 m, crossing the bridge at the church, to a crossroads and turn left. The next 3 km run parallel to the coast before a sharp right and a steep climb across the eastern shoulder of Cnoc na gCarn. Turn left at the T-junction at the twin lakes.
• C–D: continue 1 km and turn left at the T-junction. The loop drops to Loch an Chamhánaigh and passes the memorial to the island’s long connection with Beaver Island.
• D–A: shortly after the lake the route leaves the road and turns right onto a bog road, crossing Baile an tSratha mountain before rejoining the roadway for a long descent back to the pier.

The climb across Cnoc na gCarn is the hardest part, and the surroundings change sharply once you are over it: you are on the isolated side of the island, with the west coast opening on your left and, on your right, hand-cut turf and old sand and stone workings. Aphort can be steep, and the views over to Green Island are the reason to do it.

Before you go

• Services on the island are limited — toilets and somewhere to eat and drink. Ailt an Chorráin has the rest.
• Trekking shoes, raingear, something to eat and drink, and a phone.
• The wind is the thing people underestimate. Árainn Mhór is exposed, and on a bad day you walk into it.
• Dogs on leads. There are sheep on the open ground.
• Phone signal is generally good across the route.
• Open all year. Grid reference B6 38 158, OS sheet 1. what3words: nickle.lock.lotus

The cormorant is a protected species under the Wildlife Act 1976, with Amber conservation status. Keep a healthy distance from the birds and their nests.

In an emergency, call 112 or 999.