The Scalp
(9 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
Loading...Duration: About 1 hour.
A short walk through delightful woods (very photogenic on a sunny day or in autumn), followed by a steep climb up the scalp itself for a commanding view. The climb up the scalp requires a bit of scambling and is probably unsuitable for young children (say below 7 or 8 years old).
 Path through the woods |
 Scalp |
 Curious trees |
Route
- At the north end of the car park, follow the path (through a gap in the fence). After a short distance, a narrow path crosses the main path dropping steeply downhill from left to right. Take this path. Soon it levels out and curves left.
- On reaching a gate leading onto the road through the Scalp, turn left along the road. A short distance on the left is a gate where the old road continues straight and the new road bends to the right. Cross onto the old road and start climbing up the scalp.
- Bear to the right up the slope towards a large slab of rock, then bear left below the cliff and scree to reach a grassy slope which leads to the top of the cliffs. The slope up the scalp is quite steep and requires a bit of a scramble.
- At the top, enjoy the view! There are many small paths leading away from the top – follow any of them heading away from the cliffs to reach a wider path through the woods. Follow this path.
- At the T-junction continue straight and follow this path back to the car park. An alternative is to take the left turn at the T-junction for a slightly different route back.
- This walk can be easily extended to include Carrickgollogan and the Lead Mines Chimney.
February 13th, 2011 at 6:02 pm
This walk took me and my wife less than 30 mins and was not very demanding. The “scramble” near the top was not apparent to us. We’re in our 50s and of average health. The signage is not helpful at all as the coloured markers are the wrong colour! Boring.
[I suspect you took the wrong route. You need to head downhill through the woods to the road, then along the road to find the scramble back up. If you just follow the markers, you’ll stay at the top of the hill and not have any climb. — admin]
April 11th, 2011 at 1:34 pm
This was a great forest walk. Beautiful views over Dublin City and Bay. There is also the Lead Mine Walk that is within a 3 min walk from the starting point of the Scalp. We did both walks within a couple of hours. Parking is pretty good.
April 1st, 2013 at 3:36 pm
Is this route ok for dogs? (I.e. is there any private land etc that don’t allow dogs?)
October 5th, 2013 at 7:23 pm
Absolutely beautiful walk. Really enjoyed it on a sunny early autumn afternoon. Well worth a trip. Keep eye out for fossils on slate walls along the route. Highly recommend this walk.
Also well don’t on a great website guys it’s amazing
January 28th, 2017 at 1:46 pm
I quite like to walk alone, is it safe for a 60+ woman to do so?
June 14th, 2021 at 1:16 pm
Where is the Car Park for The Scalp please?