Pictures: Ireland of savage beauty

The North West exudes, as Oscar Wilde succinctly puts it, a 'savage beauty' infused with old fashioned charm and abundant character.

The North West exudes, as Oscar Wilde succinctly puts it, a 'savage beauty' infused with old fashioned charm and abundant character.

Bleak, remote and wondrous " a beach in Donegal.

Donegal Castle " one of many you will stumble upon.

On the Wild Atlantic Way, well-signposted though it is, you will be constantly lured off the beaten track.

The emphasis is very much on community.

Even if the often inclement weather envelopes you, in every other inhabited wayfarers' haven, be it a small cottage or large inn, there is no shortage of steaming hot water at the end of a hard day's ride.

Donegal is a photographer's " if not a bird watcher's " paradise, provided you do not suffer from vertigo.