Grianán of Aileach

Grianán means "Palace of the Sun." This imposing circular stone fort, 2.5mi/4km south of St Aengus Church, is commandingly situated on a 790ft/240m high hill, surrounded by three concentric earth ramparts. The windowless wall, constructed without mortar, is 17ft/5m high and 13ft/4m thick at the base, and encloses a grass-covered area 79ft/24m across, entered through a low doorway.

The wall is terraced on the inside, with steps leading up to the three terraces, and within the thickness of the wall are small chambers and passages. The period of construction of the fort, which was the seat of the kings of Ulster from the fifth to the 12th C., is unknown. It was extensively restored in 1870; a black line distinguishes the original work from the restored part above it. From the walls of the fort there are breathtaking views over the plain and Lough Foyle, the mouth of the River Foyle, Lough Swilly and the rocky Inishowen coast in the Republic.