Walking Erris Head: the edge of Europe on foot

The walk at the top of Ireland

There are headland walks all along the Wild Atlantic Way, but the Erris Head Loop has a quality of remoteness that very few can match. This is the northern tip of the Mullet Peninsula, the most westerly parish in Mayo, and once you are out on the head there is nothing between you and the open North Atlantic. It is an official Wild Atlantic Way discovery point, and on the right day it feels like standing on the edge of Europe.

The loop is roughly 5km and takes most people between 90 minutes and two hours. It is not a hard walk in terms of distance or climb, but the ground is boggy in places and the weather does a lot of the work out here, so this is a boots-and-waterproofs outing rather than a stroll in runners.

Getting to the trailhead

From Belmullet, take the R313 north for around 4km and follow the turn for Ceann Iorrais (Erris Head). The road runs out at a car park that sits above a sheltered cove with the curious name of the Danish Cellar, and the views from the car park alone are a taste of what is coming. There is room for around a dozen cars. The trailhead is roughly at 54.2887, -9.9889.

There are no facilities at the start, so bring water, and use the toilets and shops in Belmullet before you set out.

The route itself

The loop is well waymarked with black posts carrying purple arrows, and it largely follows an old earth bank around the perimeter of the headland. There are a couple of stiles to cross and a footbridge along the way. Walk it clockwise or anti-clockwise; either way you climb gently out towards the point.

The highlight is the railed viewing point at the northernmost tip. From here you look out at Illandavuck island, the sea stack known as Pigeon Rock, and a run of dramatic sea arches cut into the cliffs by the Atlantic. The drop is real, so keep back from unfenced edges, especially in wind.

Wildlife on the head

Erris Head is a conservation area and the cliffs hold nesting seabirds through the breeding season, with coastal flora carpeting the grassland in early summer. Look out to sea as well as down at the cliffs: the waters off Erris Head are a noted spot for cetaceans. The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group has recorded humpback whales feeding off the head in spring, along with very large groups of common dolphins running into the hundreds. A calm, clear day with the sea flat gives you the best chance from land.

When to go and what to bring

Late spring through early autumn gives the best of the wildflowers, the seabirds and the chance of whales and dolphins offshore, but the head is worth walking in any season if the weather allows. The key word is the weather: this is an exposed Atlantic headland and a westerly gale will make the cliff edges genuinely dangerous. Check the forecast, and on a wild day admire it from the car park rather than the point.

Bring waterproof boots for the boggy sections, a wind and rain layer whatever the forecast says, water, and binoculars if you have them for the seabirds and the sea. Phone signal is patchy out here, so let someone know your plan if you are walking alone.

Making a day of it

Erris Head pairs naturally with the rest of the northern Mullet. Doonamo Point, with its blowhole and promontory fort, is a short drive away on the western side, and the whole peninsula runs south from here towards Blacksod. Back in Belmullet, the seafood bar at the Talbot Hotel or the Western Strands on Main Street will sort out lunch or an evening meal after the walk.