Gleann na hUamha -Macha na Bó – Annascaul Village

Start Point: @ O.S. Map 70 Q 546 105

This walk takes us through one of the most magnificent valleys on the Dingle Peninsula. We start from the north side of the peninsula continuing into the now uninhabited valley. The Gleann na hUamha valley is about 3 km long and is bordered by cliffs on both sides. To the east rises the steep face of Bin an tUair while on the west side of the river the steep cliffs of Gob an Iolair continue to the back of the valley with several rivers scoring deep gullies to the valley floor. Our walk takes us into the back of the valley where the remains of several ruined houses lie below the path. Intact walled fields can still be seen, these fields were last worked by the Dineen and O’Donnell families. Mary O’ Donnell (Mary Maghanaboe) and her sister were the last inhabitants of the valley in the nineteenth century.

The track starts to steepen and veers left as it follows the river uphill. The deep gorge is filled with boulders and cascades with holly trees and plants in abundance. Crossing the stream at the “Wolf’s Step” the track contours across the cliff at the back of the valley before emerging onto the plateau at 330 m. Following the signposts we cross the plateau emerging between two high points to views of Lough Annascaul in the valley below us. The track now zig zags downhill with a number of boggy patches to be endured. We cross over three bridges before gaining the valley floor. To the left of the lake the cliffs of Reamore rise to 541 m, while to the right the cliffs of Com Dubh and Carrigblagher finally give way to farmland. The walk continues on the road from the lake before coming to a “roundabout” where we turn left onto a boreen for about 20 minutes. Crossing over a bridge we turn right into woods where we follow the Abhainn an Scáil river to eventually emerge at the well located South Pole Inn.