Cycling North Leitrim

Leitrim, in the North West of Ireland, can be divided into two parts, the lowlands of the south and the highlands of the north, with Lough Allen in the middle. The North Leitrim hills awash with it’s autumn colour have me enthralled.  With rippling hills, unmanicured hedgerows, glacial lakes and a vast network of meandering little roads to explore it’s a cyclists seventh heaven!

The North Leitrim countryside is made up of numerous glens such as Glencar, Glenfarne, Glenaniff, Glenboy, Glenkeel, Gleniff and Glenade.  These are evenly placed for the convenience of the cyclist, with ups and downs appearing and disappearing on cue!  Each glen outdoing the other in drama, colour and rustic beauty.  The web of minor roads that link the glens are picture postcard rural Ireland and traverse over rolling hills of small hedge-lined sheep farms. The higher the road climbs the more it reveals the solitude of Ireland’s least populated county.  You could spend a day cycling the roads only meeting a few!  Derelict stone cottages long since vacated dot the hillsides. Fairy forts and  fairy trees add intrigue.  The Leitrim hills are calling!