We have arrived to County Donegal on the very northwestern edge of Ireland. Killybegs, the second largest seaport in Ireland, was our gateway to exploring this incredible Gaeltacht region, which is predominantly Irish speaking and is still very rich in cultural traditions. Some of us hiked the hills and cliff edges surrounding Glencolmcille, the village named after St. Colmcille, who is the patron saint of Donegal. Others visited local archaeological sites to explore Ireland’s ancient past. Some of us delved into local wool milling traditions by exploring how world-famous Irish woolen garments, such as tweed and blankets, are made.
6/30/2024
Read
National Geographic Explorer
Aberdeen, North Sea, and Bass Rock
Calm seas and gray skies accompanied us into Aberdeen Harbor. Along the way, the bridge over the River Don could be clearly seen and on either side, the lovely sandy beaches so characteristic of the coastline here. Today there were three options for us which included a visit to the beautiful Pitmedden Gardens with their lovely expansive flower beds laden with lots of vivid colors, a chance to visit the Aberdeenshire Highland Beef Farm where we were treated to the sights of sheep, Highland cattle (including the Duchess), and draught horses, and a visit to the Gordon Highlanders Museum. This regiment was founded a long time ago and they have been awarded more Victoria Crosses than any other regiment in the United Kingdom. We also saw a reconstructed First World War trench where it was quickly evident what hell trench warfare was and continues to be. During lunch, we set sail for our last port of call, Edinburgh. The seas were very kind to us and along the way we passed some large offshore windfarms. The icing on the cake on this last day was the circumnavigation of Bass Rock, home to a huge Northern gannet colony.
