scenic viewpoint
Binevenagh
A basalt escarpment above Limavady with a small lake on top, used as the Dothraki grasslands in Game of Thrones.
28 km · about 30 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomNorthern Ireland
Derry
Northern Ireland, United Kingdom · Europe
About Derry
Derry is worth a stop: 10 minutes from New Buildings, 29km from Mamore Gap.
Derry is in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, with about 84,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is New Buildings, about 5 km away.
Derry, officially Londonderry, is a cathedral city in Northern Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Foyle. Cityside and the old walled city are on the west bank and Waterside is on the east, with two road bridges and one footbridge crossing the river in between.
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population of the city was 85,279 in the 2021 census, making it the second-largest city in Northern Ireland after Belfast. The Derry Urban Area had a population of 105,066 in 2011. The district administered by Derry City and Strabane District Council contains both Londonderry Port and City of Derry Airport. Derry is close to the border with County Donegal, with which it has had a close link for many centuries. The person traditionally seen as the founder of the original Derry is Saint Colmcille, a holy man from Tír Chonaill, the old name for almost all of modern County Donegal, of which the west bank of the Foyle was part before 1610.
In 2013, Derry was the inaugural UK City of Culture, having been awarded the title in 2010.
Where to Stay in Derry
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Explore the Area
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Derry?
Within an hour or so of Derry: Binevenagh (28 km), Mamore Gap (29 km), Gortmore Viewpoint (Manannán Mac Lir) (32 km), Five Finger Strand (36 km).
Are there any good drives near Derry?
The nearest famous roads are Mamore Gap, Causeway Coastal Route and The Dark Hedges.
Where is Derry?
Derry is in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, about 5 km from New Buildings.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 83,652
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Northern Ireland
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 54.9981, -7.3093
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Derry
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
mountain pass
Mamore Gap
Steep, narrow pass climbing to 260m through the Urris Hills of Inishowen, with a holy well and grotto at the summit and a plunging descent to the Atlantic at Urris. Part of the Inishowen 100 drive; low gears essential.
29 km · about 35 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Gortmore Viewpoint (Manannán Mac Lir)
A viewpoint on Binevenagh above the Bishop's Road with a sculpture of the sea god Manannán Mac Lir looking out to Donegal.
32 km · about 35 min drive
beach
Five Finger Strand
A wild Inishowen beach backed by some of Europe's highest dunes, named for the finger-like rocks offshore.
36 km · about 40 min drive
landmark
Fanad Head Lighthouse
One of the world's most photographed lighthouses, perched on a rugged Donegal headland between Atlantic and lough.
37 km · about 45 min drive
photogenic
Mussenden Temple
Domed 1785 rotunda perched on a 36m cliff edge above the seven-mile strand of Downhill, built by the eccentric Earl-Bishop as a library. Part of the Downhill Demesne ruins; trains pass through the cliff directly beneath it.
37 km · about 45 min drive
film location
Downhill Strand (Dragonstone beach)
The seven-mile beach below Mussenden Temple is where Melisandre burns the statues of the Seven at Dragonstone.
37 km · about 45 min drive
restaurant
Harry's Shack
Driftwood-styled National Trust beach hut turned serious seafood restaurant on the sand of Portstewart Strand, plating fish from local boats yards from the surf. Open year-round; you can park on the beach itself.
42 km · about 50 min drive
Driving roads near Derry
9 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 100km.
- 28 kmBinevenaghA basalt escarpment above Limavady with a small lake on top, used as the Dothraki grasslands in Game of Thrones.
- 29 kmMamore GapSteep, narrow pass climbing to 260m through the Urris Hills of Inishowen, with a holy well and grotto at the summit and a plunging descent to the Atlantic at Urris. Part of the Inishowen 100 drive; low gears essential.
- 32 kmGortmore Viewpoint (Manannán Mac Lir)A viewpoint on Binevenagh above the Bishop's Road with a sculpture of the sea god Manannán Mac Lir looking out to Donegal.
- 43 kmMalin HeadThe most northerly point of mainland Ireland, with wild Atlantic vistas and a Star Wars filming location.
- 51 kmHorn HeadA quartzite headland north of Dunfanaghy circled by a narrow loop road, with 180m sea cliffs and nesting seabirds.
- 51 kmMount ErrigalDonegal's highest peak, a pale quartzite cone above the R251 in the Derryveagh Mountains, climbed in about three hours return.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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