Sheep's Head - Cahergal Loop
Walking Trail · Cork
Sheep's Head - Cahergal Loop is an 8.6 km very difficult waymarked loop in Cork, starting near Kilcrohane.
Grade
| Activity | Grade | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking | Very Difficult | Very Challenging | 4 hours |
Getting there
Starts at The Black Gate Trailhead, near Kilcrohane.
- Trailhead coordinates
- 51.56423, -9.75633
- Irish Grid reference
- V 782 361
- Ordnance Survey sheets
- Discovery Series Sheet 88
The National Trails Register's own latitude and longitude fields are empty for all 1,186 trails on it. This trailhead comes from Sport Ireland's separate Trailheads dataset, matched to this trail on its register ID.
About the trail
This loop traverses the width of the narrow Sheep's Head Peninsula on laneways, tracks and mountain paths, passing through the remains of mine buildings at Crimea and close to cliffs, including a short cliff path with rope handrail. There are fine views towards the neighbouring Beara and Mizen Peninsulas.
- Waymarking
- Purple arrow
- Dogs
- No
Who manages it
Sheep’s Head Way Limited
The Sheep's Head Way Committee Durrus, Bantry, Co.Cork +353 27 61052 or +353 86 8778604
Conditions and closures change. The operator is the authority on both, not this page.
Trails nearby
Measured trailhead to trailhead, in a straight line.
- Sheep's Head - Caher Loop 0 m away · 6.1 km trail
- Sheep's Head - Farranamanagh Loop 4.0 km away · 6.2 km trail
- Sheep's Head - Funeral Path Loop 4.0 km away · 3.5 km trail
- Sheep's Head - Peakeen Ridge Linear Walk 4.7 km away · 5.7 km trail
- Sheep's Head - Peakeen Ridge Loop 4.7 km away · 11.1 km trail
- Sheep's Head - Lighthouse Loop 5.3 km away · 3.7 km trail
Common questions
How long is the Sheep's Head - Cahergal Loop?
8.6 km, recorded as a loop on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. It climbs 315 m in total. Sport Ireland estimates 4 hours.
How hard is the Sheep's Head - Cahergal Loop?
Sport Ireland grades it Very Difficult, with an overall difficulty of Very Challenging. Grades are set against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.
Where does the Sheep's Head - Cahergal Loop start?
Starts at The Black Gate Trailhead, near Kilcrohane. The trailhead is at 51.56423, -9.75633 (Irish Grid V 782 361).
Can you bring a dog on the Sheep's Head - Cahergal Loop?
No. The register records dogs as not allowed on this trail.
Who manages the Sheep's Head - Cahergal Loop?
Sheep’s Head Way Limited. They are the authority on current conditions and closures, not this page.
More in Cork
Trail data from the Sport Ireland National Trails Register, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Trailhead coordinates from the companion Trailheads dataset. Snapshot taken 2026-08-13.