The Knockalla ridge rises above the west coast of Donegal’s Fanad peninsula, between the hills and Lough Swilly. From its slopes the view runs across the lough towards Fort Dunree and out to Fanad Head. Locals call it the Devil’s Backbone – Cnoc Colbha means ‘the hill of the ledge’ – for the jagged quartzite humps along its length. It tops out at 363m (1,191ft), modest on paper, but the ridge is a dramatic skyline from the coast road. Two small lakes sit among the summit humps, and below them lie the gold strand at Portsalon and the old gun battery on the shore.
Seeing the ridge
For a view of the ridge and the strand, use the signed Ballymastocker Bay viewpoint on the R268. Keep to marked stops on the coast road and leave gates and passing places clear. The ridge itself is unmarked, boggy underfoot and steep in places, and this page does not describe a route across it or onto the fort. If you are thinking of going up, treat it as serious mountain terrain: pick clear weather, carry a map you can read without a signal and check access locally.
A waymarked walk nearby
For a waymarked walk, the Mulroy Drive guide lists the 1.5 km Woodquarter Forest Trail. You can also visit the strand at Portsalon from the public beach entrance.
Knockalla Fort
Look up from the shore and the ridge carries the story of Knockalla Fort: a squat gun battery built around 1798 to stop a French fleet coming up Lough Swilly, part of the same invasion scare that ringed the lough with defences. It is one of the things that holds the eye here – you are not just looking at scenery, but at the bones of Ireland’s coastal defences laid out along the water.
The caravan park
Between the slopes and the strand at Ballymastocker Bay sits Knockalla Caravan & Camping Park, a Fáilte Ireland-registered site that makes a good base for pairing the coast with a beach afternoon. It runs seasonally, so check the dates at knockallacaravanpark.com before you build a trip around it.
Getting there
The Fanad Peninsula is reached from Letterkenny by way of Milford and Kerrykeel, then the coast road towards Portsalon.
Nearby
- Portsalon – the harbour village at the foot of the beach, with direct access to the strand.
- Fanad Head Lighthouse – out at the tip of the peninsula, with clifftop views.
- Fort Dunree – the fort you can see across the water is on the Inishowen side of Lough Swilly, a long drive round by road, but its maritime museum and bird hides are worth it if you are circling the lough.