Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [226]
Orientation & Information
Most shops and B&Bs line the long Main St.
There’s no tourist office, but a very useful booklet, Schull Visitor’s Guide, can be obtained from hotels, some shops and @Your Service, and there’s an excellent website (www.schull.ie).
AIB Bank on Main St has an ATM and bureau de change.
@Your Service ( 028-28600; Main St; per 30/60min €3/6; 10am-10pm summer, shorter hours winter) The de-facto community centre has internet access and tourist info.
Chapter One ( 028-27606; www.chapterone.ie; Main St; daily) A good indie bookshop.
Sights
This is another one of those atmospheric Irish seaside towns that is best enjoyed simply walking the streets and down to the docks.
The Republic’s only planetarium, the Schull Planetarium ( 028-28552; www.schullcommunitycollege.com; Colla Rd; adult/child €5/3.50), on the grounds of Schull Community College, has an 8m dome and a video and slide show. It was founded by a German visitor who was charmed by the town. A 45-minute star show starts at 4pm or 8pm during the rather complex opening hours; call to confirm times.
The planetarium is at the Goleen end of the village on Colla Rd. You can also reach it by walking along the foreshore path from the pier.
Activities
There are a number of walks in the area, including a 13km return trip up Mt Gabriel. It was once mined for copper, and there are Bronze Age remains and 19th-century mine shafts and chimneys. For a gentler stroll try the short 2km foreshore path from the pier out to Roaringwater Bay and a view of the nearby islands. These and other walking routes are outlined in Schull Visitor’s Guide.
The Schull Watersport Centre ( 028-28554; The Pier) hires out sailing dinghies (€60 per half-day) and snorkelling gear (€15 per day), and can arrange sea-kayaking sessions (a two-hour session costs €30) plus other activities, like sailing lessons.
In addition to runing courses and dives to wreck and reef sites, Divecology ( 028-28943; www.divecology.com; Cooradarrigan) offers guided walks along the shore looking for spiny critters. Check around the dock for charter boats going out fishing.
Horse- and pony-trekking and trap rides are available at the Ballycumisk Riding School ( 028-37246, 087 961 6969; Ballycumisk), outside Schull on the way to Ballydehob, for €30 per hour.
Sleeping
Stanley House ( 028-28425; www.stanley-house.net; off Colla Rd; s/d €50/78) Just outside of town on a little knoll, this modern B&B has sweeping views of the water from its front lawn. The four rooms are comfortable and somehow the owners resisted the urge to use the rust-shaded colour scheme found elsewhere; here’s it soothing coffees and creams.
Harbour View Hotel ( 028-28101; www.harbourviewhotelschull.com; Main St; r €60-160; ) Schull’s swish new hotel has 30 modern rooms with flat-screen TVs and the like. Run by a local family, it has comfortable furniture, all produced in Cork, plus a relaxed vibe that prevents it from being a too-posh kind of place.
Corthna-Lodge Guesthouse ( 028-28517; www.corthna-lodge.net; Airhill; s/d from €65/90; ) The pleasures come aplenty at this rambling modern home just outside the centre. There’s an outdoor hot tub, sauna house and gym. Should you just need to pass out, the seven rooms have a sprightly decor and attractive furniture that will help you reawaken.
Grove House ( 028-28067; www.grovehouseschull.com; Colla Rd; s €75-120) This beautifully restored ivy-covered mansion is an elegant option. The house has lovely pine floors and is exquisitely decorated in an easygoing antiques-and-homemade-rugs style. It also has a restaurant (right). Enjoy time in the countrified gardens.