From the Wishing Bridge, at the start of the trail into the heart of the Gap of Dunloe, the landscape opens up into an embrace of mountains and valleys, a gateway to one of Ireland’s most dramatic mountain passes.

The Gap of Dunloe, with its sheer rock faces, small sparkling lakes and rivers winding through the rocks, is a place of rugged beauty. Walking along it is like taking a journey back in time, along an ancient road that has seen farmers and merchants, knights and shepherds, having been an important trade route in the 19th century, used by ponies and carts to transport goods between Killarney and Kenmare.