Wild Atlantic Coast of Ireland vs West Coast of Scotland

[2into1]

Inspired by the video below, I'm weighing up how a long lazy trip around the Atlantic Coast of Ireland might compare against exploring further parts of the West Coast of Scotland (and Skye etc) which I did a few years ago. I was ready to go again, but fearing Scotland and Skye are getting a bit overrun with the NC500 etc.
So asking people who've done both and keeping this high level, how do they compare? Based on the video, they look interchangeable......
Free (wild) camping allowed / practical?
Costs and availability of quiet low key campsites that don't need booking months in advance?
Midges in summer?
Distances between the most beautiful spots and reasonable sized shops
Is the coast as pretty?
Are the hills as magnificent?
Is the welcome better?
Any other big issues I've missed?

 

[larrylamb]

I personally have no experience of either, but have heard recently great reports of touring in Ireland. Stunning scenery, much quieter and a very warm welcome. The NC500 in summer must be packed these days and then there's the midges .
Both places are obviously worthy of a decent trip,

 

[bvddobb]

We haven't done either (yet), but since they are on our wish list, we read about them often on forums and such, and speak with/hear from people who have done them.

One advice they all give: avoid them in high season!

 

[Meoncoast]

Done both although Eire not with Cali. If having to decide between two Eire would win. Both similar in views and things to see. Eire less traffic although ring of Kerry can be busy.

 

[RonB]

We spent two weeks in April last year driving from Belfast north and going anti-clockwise on the wild Atlantic Way round to Galway, and two weeks this April completing the circuit going south to Dublin and clockwise back round to Galway. Two weeks to do it all is possible but you would miss out so much. The roads are winding and narrow in many places, although it’s perfect for a Cali, where a great white or caravan would struggle in some parts..

The scenery is great. Being Scottish and having a knowledge of the highlands, I would liken it to a mini-concentration of all the beaches, rugged mountains and coastal scenery we have in the northwest of Scotland but on a smaller scale and obviously without all of our islands.

There are a number of basic campsites all around the route which are listed in tourist brochures, but I would imagine you would have to book ahead in high season. Wild camping is possible in some bits. We certainly benefitted going out of season.

Personally speaking, the NC500 has knackered much of the solitude and remoteness that makes Scotland’s northwest so unique and like Skye, the density of tourist numbers in high season has made visiting these areas an ‘out of season’ pastime for us. No midges as well!

I would imagine Ireland is less busy mid-summer than the highlands but around Dingle and Kerry there were lots of tourists and tour buses in April, so who knows?

The locals are friendly, the craique brilliant... and the Guinness definitely tastes better! Don’t know about the midges though.

 

[DM]

Just got back from spending 9 days doing the WAW from Galway to Derry.

Well - it’s possible! But 2 weeks would be better and 3 would enable you to actually explore more than the minimum. So you could easily spend 6 weeks on the whole thing!

Is it worth it - yes. The scenery is stunning. Wild camping is very feasible. We only spend 3 nights in campsites. If they don’t want you to camp they say so - but that is rare. You can stay at most of the harbours and beaches. And if you’re prepared to go off the main route and explore then you can find some gems that no one else knows about. We are fortunate to have a lot of kayaking contacts who told us about some great spots we wouldn’t have found otherwise.

About 50% of the places we stayed had toilets - some locked at night some not. So you’d probably need a porta-Potti and take every opportunity to empty it.

And - I barely noticed any midges. The trick is to amp in the breeze. The only time we were bitten was when we chose a secluded corner in a campsite with lots vegetation about - I tend to find that rule works pretty well I. Scotland too.

I’ll post some pictures when I get a chance.

 

[EddieEagle]

I was lucky enough to do Rosslare around SW coast stopping at Hook Head light house (wild camping permitted) on the way out and on the way back.
10 days. Took in WAW Mizen Head, Sheeps Head ., Connor Pass , `Dingle and Ring of Kerry and a great boat trip out to Skelleg Isles. amongst other places off the top of my head.
Went in late April, managed to have a whole load of campsites ready in my plans but just turned up and had no problems as not busy at that time of year,.
My point is expect to have to book in high season. Absolutely stunning places so be prepared to be stopping to admire the views around every corner. Beaches well worth seeking out. Roads can be like farm tracks and the locals are usually in a great rush...
The lack of any public waste bins anywhere took a bit of getting used to. There are none.
So, for me it would be Ireland out of season but no disrespect to our Scottish friends.

 

[Meoncoast]

great boat trip out to Skelleg Isles

brings back memories - In eire, they can be very accommodating. We did SKELLEG before star wars fame. Needed 5 to run the boat only 4 so the 4 clubbed together to buy a 5th ticket - they only charged for a child.

 

[The Merle]

Inspired by the video below, I'm weighing up how a long lazy trip around the Atlantic Coast of Ireland might compare against exploring further parts of the West Coast of Scotland (and Skye etc) which I did a few years ago. I was ready to go again, but fearing Scotland and Skye are getting a bit overrun with the NC500 etc.
So asking people who've done both and keeping this high level, how do they compare? Based on the video, they look interchangeable......
Free (wild) camping allowed / practical?
Costs and availability of quiet low key campsites that don't need booking months in advance?
Midges in summer?
Distances between the most beautiful spots and reasonable sized shops
Is the coast as pretty?
Are the hills as magnificent?
Is the welcome better?
Any other big issues I've missed?

Hi

I’ve done both, driven the whole of the wild Atlantic way starting in Northern Ireland back in April amazing.
I would say it depends on how long you want or can go for, you will need really a min of a month to do Ireland’s Atlantic route. It’s massive, so many places to wild camp too.
I only stayed 2nights on two different sites whilst there, I didn’t think there was that many campsite either. Well until you get to Kerry.
Worth going inland to explore too, especially if you love the mountains (Errigal in Donegal, & Mangerton Kerry stunning walks up).
Loop head light house from the cliffs I saw about 20 dolphins heading down into the Shannon amazing.
Only down side with Ireland is the ferry costs and the wind!

Scotland NC500 is stunning too, if you only have 2/3wks then I would go for that.
Again loads of wild camping, but I would say more people had stopped in the nice spots and let’s say they leave not very nice presents. Never experienced that in Ireland.
I’ve done scotland nc a few time and love it, probably cheaper and the islands Harris/Lewis Raasay/Skye all stunning.
Again I only ever been in April or September dodging the midges and busy tourist times.
With park4night app there’s less hidden gems to find to wild camp and expect to share with big whites in Scotland.

I did put loads of wild Atlantic way pics on view from van section of forum (back in April this year) worth a look.

If you want any other info then just say.

 

[The Merle]

Inspired by the video below, I'm weighing up how a long lazy trip around the Atlantic Coast of Ireland might compare against exploring further parts of the West Coast of Scotland (and Skye etc) which I did a few years ago. I was ready to go again, but fearing Scotland and Skye are getting a bit overrun with the NC500 etc.
So asking people who've done both and keeping this high level, how do they compare? Based on the video, they look interchangeable......
Free (wild) camping allowed / practical?
Costs and availability of quiet low key campsites that don't need booking months in advance?
Midges in summer?
Distances between the most beautiful spots and reasonable sized shops
Is the coast as pretty?
Are the hills as magnificent?
Is the welcome better?
Any other big issues I've missed?

Scotland, Isle of Skye wild camping in cali
That spot is a dumping ground for rubbish last time I went up now!
Ireland in the joker

 

[Ewan]

It's difficult to compare - I wouldn't say they're interchangeable since they both give very different experiences. I guess it comes down to what you want to do when you're there, plus personal preference. I really enjoyed trips to both. But my top tip for both is to go out of season.

I was in Ireland last year (climbing mountains in Wicklow, Tipperary and Kerry) and know the NW Highlands very well. (In fact, I'm just back from a week's cycling in the Western Isles where I encountered approximately 3 midges one morning - just camp in windy spots away from water/boggy ground).

Scotland definitely wins in terms of mountains. No contest in terms of number, height and scenery, although the Macgillycuddy's Reeks rival the best ridge walking anywhere in the UK in my view.

As others have said, get off the beaten track to enjoy the best of both. Why on earth stick to the NC500 route when it's simply a marketer's concoction - there are many other places off the official route that are equally as good. In fact, given its increased popularity I'd say that's a good reason for not taking the recognised route where you can. Scotland's west and northern coasts also have many more islands well worth exploring, not to mention the often overlooked parts of Scotland such as Ardnamurchan and Galloway which are comparatively empty.

I was surprised at how few campsites there are in Ireland compared with Scotland. Avoiding the caravan parks, there just seemed to be a handful of independent sites around Kerry / Dingle. Ireland's land access laws are at the opposite extreme when it comes to wild camping (in a tent). Informal camping rules (in a camper) are I guess the same in both Ireland and Scotland - tolerated but not legally permitted.

 

[kaf2546]

We spent two weeks in April last year driving from Belfast north and going anti-clockwise on the wild Atlantic Way round to Galway, and two weeks this April completing the circuit going south to Dublin and clockwise back round to Galway. Two weeks to do it all is possible but you would miss out so much. The roads are winding and narrow in many places, although it’s perfect for a Cali, where a great white or caravan would struggle in some parts..

The scenery is great. Being Scottish and having a knowledge of the highlands, I would liken it to a mini-concentration of all the beaches, rugged mountains and coastal scenery we have in the northwest of Scotland but on a smaller scale and obviously without all of our islands.

There are a number of basic campsites all around the route which are listed in tourist brochures, but I would imagine you would have to book ahead in high season. Wild camping is possible in some bits. We certainly benefitted going out of season.

Personally speaking, the NC500 has knackered much of the solitude and remoteness that makes Scotland’s northwest so unique and like Skye, the density of tourist numbers in high season has made visiting these areas an ‘out of season’ pastime for us. No midges as well!

I would imagine Ireland is less busy mid-summer than the highlands but around Dingle and Kerry there were lots of tourists and tour buses in April, so who knows?

The locals are friendly, the craique brilliant... and the Guinness definitely tastes better! Don’t know about the midges though.

Tend to agree. Done both too, need 3-4 wks for WAW minimum, even more for whole West Coast Scotland including Skye etc. Road Equivalent Tariff (cheaper ferries) and NC500 and £/Euro have made Scotland & Islands much busier. I don't know why, but Ireland seems to have tackled littering etc better, maybe just less people volume. In Scotland facilities in general aren't catching up with demand and e.g. Mull & Skye locals are getting rightly hacked off with toilet emptying in ditches / laybys. There are moves to tackle this though and don't be put off too much. We did WAW in two visits off season and found it quiet, real friendly and didn't notice any wee beasties, stayed on sites whole time but wild camping seemed possible. Enjoyed the scenery, beaches, tourist stuff, very interesting geology in places, if not as dramatic as the Scottish coastline and lot less mountains of course. Did a few cliff walks. Quite expensive in Eire now we found. Unless we are off to do a mountain we go off season now as well to NC500 & island areas and indeed no midgies late Sept up to start June. Always a wild camp spot with common sense. Found some real gems in Argyll and Solway Coast this year. Think we all need to stop working haha.

 

[kaf2546]

It's difficult to compare - I wouldn't say they're interchangeable since they both give very different experiences. I guess it comes down to what you want to do when you're there, plus personal preference. I really enjoyed trips to both. But my top tip for both is to go out of season.

I was in Ireland last year (climbing mountains in Wicklow, Tipperary and Kerry) and know the NW Highlands very well. (In fact, I'm just back from a week's cycling in the Western Isles where I encountered approximately 3 midges one morning - just camp in windy spots away from water/boggy ground).

Scotland definitely wins in terms of mountains. No contest in terms of number, height and scenery, although the Macgillycuddy's Reeks rival the best ridge walking anywhere in the UK in my view.

As others have said, get off the beaten track to enjoy the best of both. Why on earth stick to the NC500 route when it's simply a marketer's concoction - there are many other places off the official route that are equally as good. In fact, given its increased popularity I'd say that's a good reason for not taking the recognised route where you can. Scotland's west and northern coasts also have many more islands well worth exploring, not to mention the often overlooked parts of Scotland such as Ardnamurchan and Galloway which are comparatively empty.

I was surprised at how few campsites there are in Ireland compared with Scotland. Avoiding the caravan parks, there just seemed to be a handful of independent sites around Kerry / Dingle. Ireland's land access laws are at the opposite extreme when it comes to wild camping (in a tent). Informal camping rules (in a camper) are I guess the same in both Ireland and Scotland - tolerated but not legally permitted.

No please everyone stay on the NC500 as I ride my bike on roads off it

 

[Norfolk Jim]

I'll second the West Coats of Scotland and keeping off NC500. We went from Mull to Kilchoan on Ardnamurchan peninsula this may and were amazed how quite and beautiful that area is - I actually just missed out buying the Ardnamurchan Campsite which had been up for sale. That is a lovely spot with a variety of pitches where you can watch otters play and golden eagles soar. Sanna Bay has a wonderful silver sand beach. 35 mins ferry from Tobermory or a nice drive from Corran ferry. Will be up there again in Sept!

 

[Seaview]

I live in Scotland and have done part of the NC500 but having done the west coast of Ireland last year I would say the Wild Atlantic way is hard to beat. The people are so friendly, scenery stunning and the locals very cheerful and friendly. We also enjoyed the availability of good fresh food and if you fancy eating out, there is plenty of choice.

Do be prepared for the unexpected too! One campsite owner commandeered me into helping him capture his escaped donkey and get him back into his field and that’s before we’d booked into the site. As far as booking sites goes we found no need to book in advance as camping/motorhoming isn’t quite as popular in Ireland as it is in the UK.

In terms of weather pack for variable conditions as one day the weather can be glorious and the next absolute bucketing it down.

sláinte mhaith

 

[BeeBee]

We spent two weeks in April last year driving from Belfast north and going anti-clockwise on the wild Atlantic Way round to Galway, and two weeks this April completing the circuit going south to Dublin and clockwise back round to Galway. Two weeks to do it all is possible but you would miss out so much. The roads are winding and narrow in many places, although it’s perfect for a Cali, where a great white or caravan would struggle in some parts..

The scenery is great. Being Scottish and having a knowledge of the highlands, I would liken it to a mini-concentration of all the beaches, rugged mountains and coastal scenery we have in the northwest of Scotland but on a smaller scale and obviously without all of our islands.

There are a number of basic campsites all around the route which are listed in tourist brochures, but I would imagine you would have to book ahead in high season. Wild camping is possible in some bits. We certainly benefitted going out of season.

Personally speaking, the NC500 has knackered much of the solitude and remoteness that makes Scotland’s northwest so unique and like Skye, the density of tourist numbers in high season has made visiting these areas an ‘out of season’ pastime for us. No midges as well!

I would imagine Ireland is less busy mid-summer than the highlands but around Dingle and Kerry there were lots of tourists and tour buses in April, so who knows?

The locals are friendly, the craique brilliant... and the Guinness definitely tastes better! Don’t know about the midges though.

Hi there, we are planning a similar trip for a week in April or May this year and would welcome any inform campsites.. oh and we have a dog , so pet friendly !

 

[Camperfamily]

Both are fantastic, in different ways.

I would budget 3-4 weeks to do the WAW at an enjoyable pace (2-3 hours driving per day, taking in the many sights, e.g. many different beaches in Donegal). We spent 5 nights on the WAW and only managed the Donegal leg and down to Sligo town before heading back for Scotland. There are some amazing roads on the route, including the Glengesh Pass, where you climb up into the clouds (see photo). We didn’t attempt wild camping in Ireland, didn’t see any others doing so and not much info online about it. Campsites were generally good, but there seemed to be less of them than in Scotland.



There are also amazing beaches in Donegal, like this one, with a fantastic winding vantage point road which delivers you down to the beach.


The west coast of Scotland is superb and offers many opportunities with island hopping ferries. This was us parked up last summer on the tiny isle of Seil:


If time is limited, I would recommend doing one or two segments of the WAW (and can recommend the Donegal and Sligo segments that we done) or some island hopping on the west coast of Scotland. If you’ve got more time, then the satisfaction of accomplishing 2,500km of winding and remote country roads of the WAW has to be a bucket list trip.

 

[RonB]

Hi there, we are planning a similar trip for a week in April or May this year and would welcome any inform campsites.. oh and we have a dog , so pet friendly !

As mentioned previously by others, there are fewer campsites in Ireland than in Scotland. They tend to be quite basic but as it's a touring holiday, perfectly adequate for one or two nights stay. CampingIreland produce a small booklet which list most of them plus, which you can pick up in one of the official tourism offices or in campsites. They also have regional giveaway road maps for the Wild Atlantic Way. There is also an app as well as information online at www.campingireland.ie. We only pre-booked campsites in Belfast and Dublin, didn't seem to be any reason to elsewhere as we visited in April. We don't have a dog but we certainly saw a few, so I assume they are generally welcome.

Within one week, you would probably have to be selective about what part of the WAW you would want to visit. The whole route is almost 1400 miles on a lot of narrow and winding roads. We completed the circuit in four weeks over two separate trips, although did not visit everything. I've attached maps showing what we did in both, the triangles represent overnight campsites and the dots are places we visited. Both trips were around 1500 miles door to door from Edinburgh.

I would recommend either the northwest in Counties Donegal and Mayo or the southwest in Counties Cork and Kerry which seem to best represent the 'Wild' aspect of the WAW. Beaches, mountains, cliffs and weather!

Belfast and Dublin are also great cities to visit, we stayed in a pre-bookable site in Jordanstown outside Belfast and got the train into town, and Camac Valley outside Dublin with a bus stop at the gate. Hope this all helps!

 

[BeeBee]

As mentioned previously by others, there are fewer campsites in Ireland than in Scotland. They tend to be quite basic but as it's a touring holiday, perfectly adequate for one or two nights stay. CampingIreland produce a small booklet which list most of them plus, which you can pick up in one of the official tourism offices or in campsites. They also have regional giveaway road maps for the Wild Atlantic Way. There is also an app as well as information online at www.campingireland.ie. We only pre-booked campsites in Belfast and Dublin, didn't seem to be any reason to elsewhere as we visited in April. We don't have a dog but we certainly saw a few, so I assume they are generally welcome.

Within one week, you would probably have to be selective about what part of the WAW you would want to visit. The whole route is almost 1400 miles on a lot of narrow and winding roads. We completed the circuit in four weeks over two separate trips, although did not visit everything. I've attached maps showing what we did in both, the triangles represent overnight campsites and the dots are places we visited. Both trips were around 1500 miles door to door from Edinburgh.

I would recommend either the northwest in Counties Donegal and Mayo or the southwest in Counties Cork and Kerry which seem to best represent the 'Wild' aspect of the WAW. Beaches, mountains, cliffs and weather!

Belfast and Dublin are also great cities to visit, we stayed in a pre-bookable site in Jordanstown outside Belfast and got the train into town, and Camac Valley outside Dublin with a bus stop at the gate. Hope this all helps!

View attachment 54459View attachment 54460

Thanks

 

[BeeBee]

Both are fantastic, in different ways.

I would budget 3-4 weeks to do the WAW at an enjoyable pace (2-3 hours driving per day, taking in the many sights, e.g. many different beaches in Donegal). We spent 5 nights on the WAW and only managed the Donegal leg and down to Sligo town before heading back for Scotland. There are some amazing roads on the route, including the Glengesh Pass, where you climb up into the clouds (see photo). We didn’t attempt wild camping in Ireland, didn’t see any others doing so and not much info online about it. Campsites were generally good, but there seemed to be less of them than in Scotland.

View attachment 54444

There are also amazing beaches in Donegal, like this one, with a fantastic winding vantage point road which delivers you down to the beach.
View attachment 54448

The west coast of Scotland is superb and offers many opportunities with island hopping ferries. This was us parked up last summer on the tiny isle of Seil:

View attachment 54446
If time is limited, I would recommend doing one or two segments of the WAW (and can recommend the Donegal and Sligo segments that we done) or some island hopping on the west coast of Scotland. If you’ve got more time, then the satisfaction of accomplishing 2,500km of winding and remote country roads of the WAW has to be a bucket list trip.

Thanks, great info