The only reason I’m writing this today is because I took way too many pictures yesterday and if I wait a couple more days, I’m going to have to decide which images to cut.  And I can’t.  Tory Island (Oileán Thoraí) is to blame for this overload of images.

You would think that an island that can be walked across in less than an hour, has no trees, actually pretty much no plants higher than ankle height, would offer little for the photographer.  But you would be wrong.  What a fascinating place, ornithologists would go nuts here, I’m no twitcher but we saw a Chough, more Oyster Catchers than you could poke a stick at and there were seabirds covering the cliffs that dotted the island. Many were nesting so I only flew the drone once but the images I took of a curious seal made me very happy indeed.

I’d scrambled down a cliff on a hazardous set of steps where I spent 15 minutes snapping shots, first with my camera and then finally with the drone.  While Kerry manhandled Chloe away from a dead seal on the slipway I had to contend with the live one with an urge to be photographed.

It was a very special moment.

Tory Island is the most remote inhabited island in Ireland, has a permanent population of about 150 Gaelic speakers.  It is stark, beautiful and the backdrop of the mountainous Donegal coast could be seen on the horizon from every part of the island.  I’d go back again, but only on a calm day because the ferry is barely bigger than a fishing boat and it was rocking on the crossing. On what was a very calm day.  Kerry’s sea sickness is notorious and her eyes were fixed on the horizon as she fought back the nausea.  Thankfully, no sick bags were required.   That could have something to do with the brandy and ginger ale some local ladies recommended to settle the stomach.

We’d watched the 3 pm ferry chug back to the mainland as we trudged  between East Town and Main Town and had to settle the 5:30 crossing,  a pint of Guinness on the harbour and a prawn sandwich from the local hotel.

Earlier, we spent yet another lunch break perched above perilously high cliffs where any fall offered certain death and I’m happy to report that we had lunch today on the flat lands of the carpark of a shopping centre while we waited for our laundry to finish.

So, we have reluctantly said goodbye to Donegal, it was a treat to get lost in. We climbed cliffs, slept by the sea, and once beside an airport. We’re now just South and inland of Sligo.  We’ve left the coast for a bit of cultural exploring tomorrow but the much-promised heatwave will be here on Tuesday and we plan to rejoin the Wild Atlantic Way again then.