Hiking in Co.Sligo

 
​Walking or hiking through a country is a great way to discover the local scenery, fauna and flora. We found ourselves walking through Co.Sligo in Ireland, a county along the Wild Atlantic Way. Sligo is probably not that well known outside of Ireland, where counties like Kerry, Galway and Cork are the better known cousins.

But Sligo has the scenery, it has the food and it has the beauty to gain worldwide popularity. So here we were, getting to know the county we call home. And Co.Sligo is made for walking, from the mighty Dartry mountains to the Ox mountains, from the many coastal walks to the riverside walks, there is something new to discover every day of the week. (Walks: https://www.choosesligo.com/sligo-walks.html )

On this particular day, we done 2 different walks. The first one was the coastal walk at Aughris head, a path along the Wild Atlantic Way opening up vies as far as Benbulben and Knocknarea. On a clear day, you can even see the mighty Slieve League in Donegal.
The walk is great for birthwatching and even discovering the sea cave at the small beach at Aughris headland.

 In the afternoon, we found ourselves walking through forests and bogland along the Sligo Way. We were enjoying the sunshine along Section 7 of the Sligo Way, a stretch running from Slish Wood to Dromahair. 
From the car park in Slish wood, we followed the lakeshore path which followed to contours of Lough Gill. 
After 2 to 3 km, the path turned into a boardwalk which meanders through amazing bogland where heather, birches , orchids ,... were also enjoying the afternoon sunshine. On this particular day, we walked a great distance only reaching the car when the sun disappeared behind the mountains.