Overview
Lugduff is the long ridge that forms the southern wall of Glendalough’s Upper Lake, and its shoulder carries the Spinc, a well-used path in Wicklow Mountains National Park. The summit reaches 652 metres (Irish: Log Dubh, ‘black hollow’), but most people who set out along its flank never go near the top.
The interest is in the shape of the ground. On the west, a corrugated ridge line drops sharply into the deep glacial trough of Glenmalure; on the east, the slopes ease down towards the hanging valley of Fraughan Rock Glen. The rock is granite, worked over by ice, and the ridge links round to Mullacor, Conavalla and Camaderry to make the horseshoe that wraps the Upper Lake.
Walking the Spinc
The Spinc paths cross the ridge above the Upper Lake. Follow the national park’s marked trails and give the steep drops plenty of room. The routes are built as raised timber boardwalk in places, laid over the peat to keep boots out of the bog. The path climbs past the Poulanass Waterfall, Lugduff Brook on its way down to the valley, then up a long flight of wooden steps to the lip of the cliffs above the lake.
From there the boardwalk runs along the edge with the Upper Lake laid out below and the old monastic city at its foot. This stretch is the reason to come.
Check the 2026 White Trail works around the White Zig Zags and the park’s short-notice closures. The park closed the red, white and blue Spinc routes from 7am to 11am on Friday 6 November 2026 for helicopter operations. That closure has ended, but short-notice closures do happen, so check the park’s closures page above before you set out and choose a lower route if one is in effect.
The summit and the view
The summit is separate from the waymarked routes, exposed and unwaymarked, so treat it as a serious hill day rather than an extension of the boardwalk. The top is a low cairn and a trig point on a broad ridge. To the west the ground falls into Glenmalure, and on a clear day the rounded bulk of Lugnaquilla fills the skyline, with Scarr and the dome of Tonelagee to the north. Directly below the Spinc cliffs, on the south shore of the Upper Lake, are the ruins of Teampall na Skellig, the ‘church of the rock’, reachable only by water, which is why almost nobody sees it close up.
Getting there
By car, take the N11 south from Dublin, turn off for Glendalough and follow the R755 and R756 to the national park. Check the national park’s information for current parking and for bus services to Glendalough before you set out. The nearest towns are Wicklow, about 20 km to the east, and Bray to the north.
Safety and seasons
Lugduff is still a hill: the summit ridge is exposed, and open ground off the marked routes can be boggy and slick after rain. Wear boots that can take wet peat. Phone signal is poor across the upper park, so download an offline map before you set out rather than trusting a live one.
In winter the boardwalk steps can ice over and stay frozen in the shade well into the day; morning frost on the timber is the main hazard. Ticks live in the summer bracken, so check yourself over afterwards. For current conditions, check the park’s latest notices on your way in.