Thoughts on Recent Scotland / Ireland Trip

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

I was in Donegal for three weeks the summer before covid hit (July 2019). I've been trying to get back ever since. Summer 2020 obviously got canceled. And then summer 2021. And I had rescheduled for November 2021, but just rebooked that for July 2022. Barring some disastrous turn of events around covid spread, I'm optimistic that trip will hold. Very much looking forward to seeing the finished St. Patrick's. In my travels, there is no area I would rather golf/visit/explore than Donegal. It's exciting (but not surprising) to see all the praise St. Patrick's is getting.

Dan-Have you ever flown into Donegal Airport?

very difficult to get flights to line up-perhaps different now but I've had zero success trying to make this work without a huge layover, or an unmanageable(too tight)one.
Then you have the problem of limited competition in renting a car which drives price sky high.
and the airport is not particularly near anything but Cruit Island.
Perhaps this will change shortly with the new name architect additions.

I have flown into Donegal International Airport (aka Carrickfin) a few times. It is worth doing as it really is spectacular taking off and landing.

As Jeff wrote, it's difficult getting the flights syncing to make it work. I've had to sit about for 3-4 hours in Dublin airport and I've also had to run to catch it. The first time I tried it, I assumed I could just go direct to the departure, but no, I had to go from T1 to T2 and go through the whole security hassle again, so my 75 minute gap between flights was really cutting it fine. I had to ask to jump ahead of others in the security queues, which isn't nice.

I heard that the operator that ran the route (Stobart?) may have gone bankrupt or got into financial difficulties, so I'm not sure if Aer Lingus have taken over the route again.

The other issue is the weather. If it's very windy (and it is quite often), the flight may be delayed or diverted to Derry.

[Tom_Doak]

It looks like it will soon be easier for vaccinated Americans to visit England. It remains to be seen if Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will adopt the same policy.


https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-58602481

I was just reading the rules, and the way I read them, a person from the US who has proof of vaccination does not have to take any tests on arrival, even before this change.  We are an amber-list country, but exempted from testing if we are vaccinated.


But, one can't count on the rules to be the same by next golf season.

[Tom_Doak]

FWIW, I have been to Rosapenna about ten times now, and I have never flown into Donegal airport.  Between the connection time, the flight time, and the 40-minute drive from there to Rosapenna, it isn't going to save you any time, and as Donal says, those flights on little planes to little airports are sometimes delayed.


If you know the route well, it takes about 3.5 hours from DUB to St. Patrick's, and you really never see traffic heading north from Dublin or back to the airport.

[jeffwarne]

If you know the route well, it takes about 3.5 hours from DUB to St. Patrick's, and you really never see traffic heading north from Dublin or back to the airport.

I made it from Dunfanaghy to DUB last Sunday in 3:10, about what Google maps say it will take, and I'm not a particularly fast driver, and was driving a 9 passenger van.
Of course I'm pretty sure a certain St. Patrick's shaper and Downings resident could do it in an hour and a half in her BMW-in a downpour...

[David_Tepper]

Scotland has decided to go along with England and allow vaccinated Americans to visit without being tested for Covid.

https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-52544307

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/news/politics/scottish-politics/3493982/scotland-to-ease-foreign-travel-covid-testing-restrictions-in-line-with-england/