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Overview
Formerly a privately-owned sporting estate, this area of deer forest in the Derryveagh mountains of Donegal, including Lough Veagh, has been a national park since the 1970s.
The highest point is Dooish at 660m and moorland and bog cover most of the park with small patches of Sessile Oak woodland and numerous streams and small lakes.
Birds
Notable Species
The breeding birds of the park include Red-throated Diver, Goosander and Common Gull on the lakes and Red Grouse, Merlin, Golden Plover, Eurasian Curlew and Ring Ouzel on the moorland.
Peregrine Falcon breeds in the rockier areas as well as Northern Raven and Northern Wheatear.
The woodlands have Woodcock, Common Redstart, Wood Warbler and Pied Flycatcher with Grasshopper Warbler and Whinchat nesting in scrub. Golden Eagle have recently been reintroduced and have begun breeding.
In winter the woodlands attract large numbers of Fieldfare and Redwing and Snow Bunting can be seen on the moorland.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Red-throated Diver, Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Goosander, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Red Grouse, Eurasian Golden Plover, Eurasian Woodcock, Eurasian Curlew, Common Gull, Common Woodpigeon, Barn Swallow, Common Redstart, European Stonechat, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Ring Ouzel, Eurasian Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Common Grasshopper Warbler, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Wood Warbler, Goldcrest, European Pied Flycatcher, Common Magpie, Hooded Crow, Northern Raven, Snow Bunting
Other Wildlife
A large population of Red Deer Cervus elaphus inhabits the park alongside feral goats and mountain sheep. Lower in the valley there are Red Fox Vulpes vulpes, Badger Meles meles, Otter Lutra lutra and Stoat Mustela erminea.
As in other Irish parks the introduced Rhododendron ponticum is a problem.
The gardens of the castle are famous for the collection of subtropical plants that can grow in the mild microclimate of this valley.
Site Information
History and Use
To do
Areas of Interest
To do
Access and Facilities
Glenveagh National Park lies about 15km west of Letterkenny. To reach the park take the Dunfanaghy road from Letterkenny, turning off at Termon and continuing for about 10km until the park is signposted.
There is an information centre and nature trails and in summer a minibus runs between the visitor centre and the impressive castle on the shores of Lough Veagh.
Contact Details
To do
External Links
Content and images originally posted by Steve
