Overview
There is no hole to see at the Brandy Hole. The smugglers’ cave that gave this stretch of Bray Head its name is said to have been lost when the railway was cut through the headland in the 1850s, and there is no cave to visit today. What you come for is the story and the walk: a steep climb from Bray onto a quartzite-and-slate headland that drops straight to the Irish Sea, with the name still printed on maps.
Set your expectations accordingly. This isn’t a cave you can enter or a viewpoint with a marker. It is a name on Bray Head with a good backstory, and the way to enjoy it is to walk the signed headland loop for the views. If you want the cave, it has been gone for over 150 years.
The smuggling story
Local accounts associate the Brandy Hole with smuggling in the 1700s, when the Bray Head coast was good country for running brandy, tea, gin, silks and wine in from France past the heavy British tariffs of the day. The name is most likely a nod to the brandy. Rather than a cavern open to the waves, the accounts describe a shaft sunk into the ground connecting to a subterranean chamber, with the cut of the ravine keeping the work out of sight of the coastguards at Bray and Greystones.
The trade is said to have ended with the railway. When the line was driven around and through Bray Head in the 1850s and the tunnel replaced the earlier timber viaducts, the cave was destroyed. The name stuck anyway, and the place is still marked on historic Ordnance Survey maps.
The cliff walk to Greystones is closed
The cliff walk through to Greystones is closed. Wicklow County Council advises walkers to stay behind the barriers. Do not follow directions that take you onto the closed path to look for the Brandy Hole. The cliff edges around the headland are unfenced in places, so stay on the signed route and keep children and dogs close.
Walking Bray Head instead
For the headland views, use the signed Bray Head Loop. Sport Ireland lists it as 5.9 km from the steps near the Vevay Road and Southern Cross Road roundabout. The route climbs on steep and uneven ground. The grassy coastal heath is muddy in places, so wear proper footwear, and allow extra time if you are walking out from Bray station or the seafront.
Bray Head itself rises to 241 metres, and the climb opens up wide views back along the bay towards Dublin and inland to the Great Sugar Loaf. Walk up for the views and the story, then come back down the way you went.
For a level outing, stay on Bray Promenade instead.
Practical information
Getting there
- By public transport: Take the DART to Bray station and walk to the start of the signed loop. The DART also runs between Bray and Greystones, so it is the way to visit both towns now that the cliff path is closed.
- By car: Follow the signed public parking restrictions in Bray.
Opening and admission – Open-air and free. There are no facilities at the Brandy Hole itself.
Accessibility – Uneven, sometimes muddy ground and a steady incline; this walk does not meet wheelchair-access standards.
Nearby amenities – Cafés, pubs and restaurants in Bray town centre.
Nearby
- Bray Promenade – The seafront below the headland, lined with cafés and amusements, and a level alternative to the climb.
- Killruddery House and Gardens – Georgian estate just south of Bray with formal gardens.
- Greystones – The seaside town at the far end of the headland, reached by DART while the cliff path is closed.