The Sally Gap road was built by British Army forces to attempt to flush rebels from the hills during the Irish rebellion of 1798 and, to this day, is known as the Military Road. There are incredible views from this elevated road including some of Ireland’s most filmed scenery.

Lough Tay is also known as, ‘Guinness Lake’. The bright white sand of the beach on the northern side of Lough Tay was imported by the Guinness family whose estate runs through part of the area. The shape of the lake with the white sand at the top actually makes it look like a pint of Guinness!

Fans of the television series, Vikings will recognize Lough Tay as the location of Kattegat village, home to Ragnar and his family.

Although Lough Tay itself is on private property and cannot be visited, the best viewing point to see it is along the Military Road above, at the junction with the Wicklow Way.

The destruction of the settlement by English forces in 1398 left it in ruins but the cathedral continued as a place of pilgrimage and local importance. The buildings which survive probably date from between the 10th and 12th centuries.

The gateway to this monastic settlement is one of the most important monuments on the site and totally unique in Ireland. It was originally two-storied with two fine granite arches and, possibly originally, a timber roof.

An imposing Round Tower within the site is 100 ft high, with an entrance 11 ft from the base. The tower originally had six timber floors, connected by ladders. The four storeys above entrance level each have a single small window whilst the top storey has four windows facing each of the four points of the compass.

The Cathedral is the largest and most impressive of the buildings at Glendalough, having undergone several phases of construction. The chancel or altar area and the sacristy where priests change into their robes, date from the late 12th and early 13th centuries. The chancel arch and east window were once finely decorated, through many of the stones are now missing. The north doorway to the nave – the main area where worshippers gather, also dates from this period. A short distance south of the cathedral is an early cross of local granite with an unpierced ring, known as St. Kevin’s Cross.

The Avoca area has been associated with its famous copper mines for many years and the valley was immortalised by Thomas Moore in the famous song, ‘The Meeting of the Waters’.

The winding road hugs the coast to Killiney and then onwards to Dalkey, often described as Dublin’s Bay of Naples. You will be treated to magnificent sweeping views of the sea and Wicklow’s spectacular Sugarloaf mountain resembling a volcano on the horizon.