Given that I was brought up in the South West of Scotland, it seemed apt that my first visit to Ireland with McKinlay Kidd was to the South West of the Island to discover the Wild Atlantic Way – Cork and Kerry. The similarities were uncanny; rolling hills, lush green forests, rugged coastlines and long sandy beaches. Not forgetting of course, the warm and friendly locals.
Flying from Glasgow to Cork, a journey of around an hour and fifteen minutes, you get a wonderful view of the whole of Ireland. My approach was augmented by some wonderful autumnal sunshine which bounced off the Celtic Sea.
The Dingle Peninsula, one of the Gaeltacht areas of Ireland (where Irish is widely spoken), was my first stop. What struck me instantly was the slowing in the pace of life, everyone from locals to the tourists seemed to be going about their business in an unhurried fashion. A must see stop is the Inch Strand, a long sand spit backed by a dune system reaching into Dingle Bay. Popular with surfers as illustrated on my visit, I was rather wishing that I had brought my own wetsuit to go for a swim!
Next was the famous Ring of Kerry. I drove round the entirety of the 120 mile circular route which is one of the country’s most popular tourist trails. As a Star Wars fan, I was hoping to have had the opportunity to take one of the boat trips from Portmagee to view the dramatic island monastery at Skellig Michael, but alas the weather thought otherwise. However, there are plenty of other options to enjoy the open views of the mountains, coast and islands of the area.
West Cork was my last destination, with the fishing village of Baltimore first on the list of places to see. En route to Baltimore, the section from Kenmare in Kerry to Glengarriff in Cork was one of the most spectacular I’ve ever had the pleasure of driving. Jaw dropping scenery is around every corner and the road scythes through the mountains via tunnels carved into the rock in the mid-nineteenth century during famine times.
Baltimore is the place to be if you want to see Wildlife in West Cork. Marine life is bountiful, with whales topping the bill, as well as seabirds which frequent the cliffs of Cape Clear Island, just a short boat journey from Baltimore.
Kinsale was my last stop in West Cork and Ireland. What a place to finish, despite my visit coinciding with the winding down of the tourist season, the town was buzzing. Unfortunately, I was a week late for the famous Kinsale Gourmet Festival, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2016. However, Kinsale is known as the “Gourmet Capital of Ireland”, meaning there is good food to be had all year round! My trip came to a wonderful end in a cosy bar, full of locals and visitors alike enjoying a pint of Guinness whilst listening to a local band playing traditional Irish Music.
The recurring theme of my visit to Ireland was the friendliness and generosity of the people I met. No matter where I went, I was greeted with a smile and an enquiry as to how I was enjoying my time in Ireland, with recommendations of what to do or see next. The genuine interest all my hosts had in my trip and their eagerness to show off their homeland was incredibly endearing. I can’t wait for my next visit!