The Gap of Dunloe

If you are looking for majestic scenery within easy reach of The Ross, you have countless options. Ask our knowledgeable staff for recommendations, and one of the suggestions you are likely to receive is to visit the Gap of Dunloe. Carved between the mountains 2 million years ago by slow-moving masses of ice, the Gap of Dunloe is the most impressive glaciated valley in Western Europe – and it is just 16km from Killarney town.

Park at Kate Kearney’s Cottage at the entrance to the Gap, and either walk, hire a pony, or take a jaunting car-ride between the imposing crags, where a narrow road winds its way for 10km around deep lakes between the McGillycuddy Reeks and the Purple Mountain. Alternatively you can take a guided tour of the Gap, which involves a bus to Kate Kearney’s Cottage, a pony or jaunting-car trip through the Gap, and a breath-taking boat ride through the Three Lakes of Killarney back to Ross Castle, where a bus will deliver you back to town.

Little has changed in the Gap of Dunloe since it was formed, with only a few (mainly deserted) houses dotted through it. Admire the pristine scenery of unspoiled crags and the purest of water as you ascend to the head of the gap, where the views on all sides are breath-taking and truly unforgettable.