Glenveagh national Park is 16000 hectares of Mountain Bogs, Lakes and Woods, with the valley of Glenveagh literally cutting it in two. The park has the 2 peaks of Donegals highest mountains, Errigal and Slieve Snacht.

The magic of Glenveagh derives from the fact that here is one of the last places in Ireland to be influenced by man. 

When I take groups to see the park, we first stop at the visitors centre, no cars or coaches are allowed past this point, here we take the minibus service to the castle. 

Overlooking Lough Veagh, Glenveagh Castle stands looking out over the lake. Its made from granite and was built between1870 to 1873, it was designed by John Townsend Trench a cousin of John Adair. 
On the tour of the castle it is made even more enjoyable as many of the last private owners furnishings are still in the rooms. It’s a great tour and once the inside of the castle has been seen, there is still the gardens, with it's exotic plants and the walled gardens. 

The castle has had a varied history, created in 1857 to 1859 by the purchase of several smaller holdings by John George Adair, he evicted 244 tenants in the cold April of 1861. most of the evictions took place at the edge of the estate. 

Adair died in 1885, his wife survived until 1921. the Castle was occupied by the IRA in 1922, but left when the Free State Army approached. It stayed an Army garrison for the next 3 years. Professor Arthur Kingsley Porter purchased it in 1929, his stay was short, he disappeared from Inishbofin Island in 1933 in mysterious circumstances. The last private owner was Henry McIlhenry of Philadelphia, USA who brought the estate in 1937.

In 1975, the lands of Glenveagh were purchased by the state and in 1981 Henry Mcllhenry gave the Castle and gardens as a gift to the Irish nation.