Head over heels in love on Inishowen

But I did.

He guided me up hill and down dale, along some precarious dips in the ground to see some simply spectacular cliff views at Malin Head.

And all the time, he didn’t say a word.

And if he had I don’t think I’d have batted an eyelid, such was the ludicrousness of the experience I’d just had.

And so far from my everyday life.

But my male companion was not a tall, dark, toned and tanned man - it was an alpaca called Jet.

And I was not the only one to enjoy the marvel, as there was around 25 of us enjoying the experience.

The Wild Alpaca Way is a family run business based in Malin Head, Inishowen.

John McGonagle, his wife Patricia and their three sons Danny, Aidan and Sean welcome visitors to their land located at Knockamany Bens towering above the Inishowen peninsula.

The families collection of very friendly and supportive Alpacas meet young and old and escort them on the climb.

I have no problem in saying that ‘Wild Alpaca Way’ is something everyone needs to add to their bucket list, if you have one.

And, fresh from walking with my steady friend up and down the mountain, we sped off to Wild Ireland, also on the Inishowen peninsula and another mecca for animal lovers.

Located in an ancient Celtic rainforest, Wild Ireland, in Burnfoot, offers sanctuary to many animals in what appears to be as near their natural habitat.

And, to be honest, the animals looked genuinely happy, unlike many you see housed in a zoo.

Other animals on view were swans, geese and ducks, clearly besotted doves and even an otter.

But we were totally ‘taken’ with the pack of wolves housed safely (for the public’s benefit) near the start of the experience as one of the pack kept a close watch on my daughter, and she it, until they started running up and down the fence in a parallel game.

You can only visit Wild Ireland by prebooking, again owing to the Covid-19 pandemic as numbers visiting the sanctuary at any one time are limited.

The walk around Wild Ireland lasted around 90 minutes - but in truth it felt like 10 mins because every time you turned the corner there was another enthralling animal to meet, greet and understand.

The animal sanctuary is the brainchild of solicitor Killian McLaughlin, who has created a woodland environment for dozens of rare creatures.

He has to be rightly applauded for rolling back the centuries with an animal sanctuary that allows these creatures to run wild again in a woodland environment.

After a delicious lunch in their cafe, we were off to our hotel - the Redcastle Oceanfront Golf & Spa Hotel.

This was a perfect place to relax after what we had turned into ‘a madcap day’.

And it is a great location to explore the Wild Atlantic Way, relax with a spa break or take in a round of golf on the hotel’s own 9 hole parkland golf course.

Fresh from over half a million euro refurbishment, The Redcastle Oceanfront Golf & Spa Hotel, Inishowen has completely refurbished 90 of their bedrooms.

The inspiration for the theme of the rooms is taken from the natural environment and the beautiful setting on Lough Foyle, including the soft earthly colours and the watercolour texture on the carpet.

We were delighted to see we had been allocated a family suite - with a smart TV and coffee machine - that had literally enough room for us and a small pony!

I was immediately struck by the cleanliness of the room.

Coming fresh from the mask-wearing/sanitiser squirting horrors of the Covid-19 crisis, that is not quite yet over, cleanliness has whether we like it or not one of the most important issues.

So, I was also delighted to see crisp white bed sheets, spotlessly clean carpets, a spotlessly clean bathroom and a massive welcome hamper with a bottle of sparkling wine.

I hasten to point out, the OCD clean freak thing I am experiencing only started after Boris Johnson came on the TV around the start of the pandemic.

The following evening we enjoyed an evening meal in ‘The Edge Restaurant’.

And, to be honest, we were not quite expecting the culinary delights that Gordon Smyth the executive head chef and his team had to offer.

Being a fairly picky vegetarian, I was delighted to taste some exquisite flavours on my plate.

The Edge Restaurant is the only two AA rosette restaurant in Inishowen, they pride themselves in including local fresh produce on their menu - and the result is mind blowing.

The interesting element to the experience for my husband - who normally likes to eat plates of food heaped with meat and swimming in sauce - was that although the offerings looked small, they certainly left you wanting no more.

I ate Fivemiletown Goats Cheese & Kalamata Olive Pithivier, Shallot Marmalade, Herb Veloute for starter and Risotto of Broccoli & “Dart Mountain” Sperrin Blue, Smoked Almonds,

“Broighter” Gold Rapeseed Oil for the Main Course.

My husband enjoyed Slow Roast Pork Belly, Apricot, Ginger & Rosemary for his starter, “Redcastle” Glazed Daube of Beef, Gremolata, Onion & Thyme Crumble for his Main course and Raspberry & Vanilla Cheesecake, Peanut Butter Powder, Bee Pollen Meringue for dessert.

Our daughter enjoyed a medley of melon for starter, a pizza for her main course and a selection of ice cream for the finale.

**We stayed in the Redcastle Oceanfront Golf & Spa Hotel, a superb 4 star hotel resort nestled on the shores of Lough Foyle in Inishowen.

www.redcastlehoteldonegal.comT +353 (0)74 938 5555

* Offers ongoing at Redcastle Hotel are: Redcastle Mini Break: Stay 1 or 2 Nights on this offer - from €229 for two. An overnight stay with a delicious three course evening meal in The Edge Restaurant, €10 Spa Credit (T&Cs Apply), glass of bubbly on arrival and a full Irish breakfast the next morning.

*Midweek From only €199 per couple

*Weekend dates From only €239 per couple

*Available October 2022 – March 2023 7 days a week, subject to availability