Churchill
Attractions
Churchill Self Catering - Accommodation - Holiday - Vacation
The View from Mountain Lodge cottage
over the surrounding landscape.
Churchill
village has a post office, take away, hairdressers (1km from cottage) and
3 Bar ⁄ Lounge(music at weekends). There is a Church of Ireland in the village and the local Catholic church is 1 mile away. The closest
beaches are Marblehill/Downings/Portsalon - 30 min. drive.
As Mountain lodge cottage is centrally located
within Donegal, you're within easy travelling distance of the major
tourist attractions and hill
walking trails.
Churchill Village |
Colmcille Heritage Centre
Colmcille
Heritage Centre - approx 0.5 miles
Saint Colmcille or Columba born in Gartan, Churchill, close to Lough
Gartan in County Donegal in approximately 521AD. St Colmcille
founded the Irish monasterys at Glencolmcille and Kells and
before founding his monastery on Iona in 563AD. It was from
there that he brought Christianity to the North of England.
The Book of Kells was produced from the monastery at Iona. Colmcille
died in 597AD. |
Interesting
monuments surrounding the heritage centre include the cross
that marks the saint’s birthplace and the Flagstone
of Loneliness where the saint is said to have slept. The centre
also houses an exhibition of the saint's life and information
on how early Christian manuscripts were made.
The Colmcille Heritage Centre in Gartan, Churchill is open
from Easter until September.
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Glenveagh Gardens
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The
Glebe House and Gallery - approx
1.5 miles
Located at Churchill, Letterkenny, Regency House, 1828, set
in woodland gardens, decorated with William
Morris textiles, Islamic and Japanese art etc. The collection
includes 300 works by leading 20th century artists Picasso,
Kokoshka as well as Irish and Italian artists. Exhibitions are
shown in the adjoining gallery. Access to ground floor of the
Gallery for people with disabilities. |
Gartan Outdoor Education Centre
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Muckish mountain in Summer and Winter
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Glenveagh
National Park - approx 4 miles
Here within a late 19th century setting in a rugged and remote
mountain valley, Henry McIlhenny from Philadelphia created one
of the most celebrated gardens in Ireland. Woodland gardens
and pleasure grounds, an Italian terrace with antique sculpture
and terracotta pots, are all skilfully interwoven against the
wild and beautiful Donegal landscape. |
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Lough
Gartan - approx 1 mile
Located just 5mins from the Mountain Lodge Cottage Lough Gartan
is stocked with Salmon, Sea Trout and Brown Trout. With the
season running from March 1st - September 30th for salmon
and March 1st - October 9th for Trout, Gartan Lough has everything
the novice to professional fisherman alike. Enquiries on the
fishing should be made to Mr Gerard Mc Nulty, Hon. Sec., Letterkenny
and District Anglers Association, Hawthorn Heights, Letterkenny.
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15th Annual Churchill Fair
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Ards
Forest Park - approx 10 miles
As well as being one of the most beautiful, Ards is certainly
the most varied of Ireland's forest parks. Bays, rivers, loughs,
beaches, salt marshes, valleys, viewing points, deer enclosures
and historic monuments are woven together by a series of fascinating
nature trails. |
Relax at Clafferty's Longe Bar
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| Largely
canopied by splendid deciduous and coniferous trees which clothe
the 481 ha former estate of the Stewart family, the park is
capable of providing days, rather than hours, of enjoyment .
Its appeal embraces the stroller, ornithologist, geologist,
botanist, historian, children, and lovers of beauty in all its
forms. There is a good map at the car park which indicates the
various trails and major attractions. |
Newmills
Corn and Flax Mills - approx
1 mile
One of the few monuments of industrial archaeology in state
care in the Republic is the complex of mills at Newmills, three
miles west of Letterkenny.
The oldest surviving building here is said to be 400 years old.
Indeed, the whole complex is an interesting reminder of a stage
in the industrial development of this country, which has now
given way to a more sophisticated, but usually far less fascinating
technology.
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Country Walks
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| A
complex of industrial buildings, which included both corn and
flax mills powered by the river swilly. The visitor to Newmills
can experience the pleasure of seeing one of the largest waterwheels
in Ireland in action as it drives the machinery of the cornmill. |
15th Annual Churchill Fair
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Gartan
Outdoor Education Centre - approx 1 mile
Gartan
Outdoor Education Centre is a restored stone building set
on the shore of beautiful Lough Gartan,
Churchill, Co.Donegal, Ireland. It originally housed the stables
and farm buildings of the old Lough Veagh House. The centre
is set on its own 87 acre estate, and several activities take
place on the lake and in the grounds. |
| Only very short distances
have to be travelled to take advantage of our beautiful coastline
and rugged hills. Our courses take place throughout Donegal
and the rest of Ireland, and sometimes further afield. |
Templedouglas Graveyard, Co. Donegal
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Doe
Castle - approx 1 mile off the Carrigart-Creeslough
road. This MacSuibhne castle is protected on three sides by
the sea, while on the landward side a moat has been hewn from
the rock. The castle changed ownership many times in the 17th
century before settling into English hands. General George Vaughan
Harte carried out extensive repairs at the end of the 18th century
and his family lived here until 1864. The general's initials
are over the door. |
| A Church of Ireland minister
was the last occupant. When he left, the castle fell into disrepair
and eventually fell into ruin. The Landlord, Stewart-bam of
Ards, sold the property to the Irish Land Commission in 1922.
It is now a National Monument. |
The
Giants Causeway - approx 40
miles
The Causeway become widely known from the 1700's as the 'Eighth
Wonder of the World', large numbers of visitor's came to view
this amazing array of basalt columns - it is estimated that
there are around 40,000 in total. Today's visitor is free to
wander over the stones but it was not always the case. Growing
worldwide fame brought increasing numbers of visitors which
inspired a syndicate to engage in a profitable 'charge' scheme
to view the stones at close hand. |
Views around Churchill
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| For
over a century prior to this scheme, There had been disputes
of access and ownership - the stones have been fenced off, access
denied and several legal challenges made. |
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