Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [120]
Roundwood
pop 589
Reputed to be Ireland’s highest village, Roundwood hardly towers above the world at 238m, but it is a handy and popular stop for walkers along the Wicklow Way, which runs past the town about 3km to the west. The long main street leads south to Glendalough and southern Wicklow. Turn-offs lead to Ashford to the east and the southern shore of Lough Dan to the west. Unfortunately, almost all Lough Dan’s southern shoreline is private property and you can’t get to the lake on this side.
The town has shops and a post office, but not a bank or an ATM. The nearest ATM is at the petrol station in Kilmacanogue, 16km away at the junction of the M11 and the R755.
ACTIVITIES
Guided or self-guided tour options up to eight days in Wicklow (and plenty of other spots in Ireland) are available with Footfalls Walking Holidays ( 0404-45152; www.walkinghikingireland.com; Trooperstown, Roundwood). A six-day trek through the Wicklow Mountains complete with bed and board will cost €755.
SLEEPING & EATING
Roundwood Caravan & Camping Park ( 01-281 8163; www.dublinwicklowcamping.com; campsites per adult/child €8/4; Apr-Sep) Top-notch facilities, including a kitchen, dining area and TV lounge, make this one of the best camping grounds in all of Wicklow. It is about 500m south of the village and is served by the daily St Kevin’s Bus service between Dublin and Glendalough.
Tochar House ( 01-281 8247; s/d from €35/64) In the middle of Main St, this handsome house has sizeable, comfortable rooms decorated with plenty of pinewood, which gives the place a bright look. There’s a pub downstairs, which can get a little noisy at weekends.
Woodstock ( 01-281 8005; woodstockjohn@hotmail.com; s/d from €35/65) At the southern end of town, this pleasant bungalow is popular with walkers along the Wicklow Way – as much for its tidy, comfortable rooms and decent breakfast as for the convenient service of luggage transfer to your next destination along the walkers’ route.
Roundwood Inn ( 01-281 8107; Main St; bar food €10-16, mains €16-32; bar noon-9pm, restaurant 7.30-9.30pm Fri & Sat, 1-3pm Sun) This 17th-century German-owned house has a gorgeous bar with a snug open fire, in front of which you can sample bar food with a difference: on the menu are dishes such as Hungarian goulash and Irish stew with a German twist. The more-formal restaurant is the best in town, and has earned praise for its hearty, delicious cuisine. The menu favours meat dishes, including seasonal game, Wicklow rack of lamb and a particularly good roast suckling pig. Reservations are required.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
St Kevin’s Bus ( 01-281 8119; www.glendaloughbus.com) passes through Roundwood on its twice-daily jaunt between Dublin and Glendalough (one way/return €8/14, 1¼ hours).
Glenmacnass
Desolate and utterly deserted, the Glenmacnass valley, a stretch of wild bogland between the Sally Gap crossroads and Laragh, is one of the most beautiful parts of the mountains, although the sense of isolation is quite dramatic.
The highest mountain to the west is Mt Mullaghcleevaun (848m), and River Glenmacnass flows south and tumbles over the edge of the mountain plateau in a great foaming cascade. There’s a car park near the top of the waterfall. Be careful when walking on rocks near Glenmacnass Waterfall as a few people have slipped to their deaths. There are fine walks up Mt Mullaghcleevaun or in the hills to the east of the car park.
Wicklow Gap
Between Mt Tonelagee (816m) to the north and Table Mountain (700m) to the southwest, the Wicklow Gap is the second major pass over the mountains. The eastern end of the road begins just to the north of Glendalough and climbs through some lovely scenery northwestwards up along the Glendassan Valley. It passes the remains of some old lead and zinc workings before meeting a side road that leads south and up Turlough Hill, the location of Ireland’s only pumped-storage power station. You can walk up the hill for a look over the Upper Lake.
Glendalough
pop 280
If you’ve come to Wicklow, chances are that a visit