Renowned for its rolling hills, rugged coastline and impressive castles – Ireland has a truly dramatic landscape.

I was fortunate enough to visit this beautiful country on a week-long trip in early summer and wanted to share some of the top photo locations I came across.

This list will include both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. I’ll also share some helpful tips and advice so you can get the most out of your visit.

As a disclaimer, this is not a complete list of all the photo locations in Ireland. This is just my experience from just over a week of exploring the country.

Youtube Vlogs

I’ve also listed the videos I created during my trip so you can see a little bit of the behind-the-scenes of how I captured these images.

1) Giant’s Causeway

Let’s start off with the Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned worldwide for its striking geometric columns of basalt formed by ancient volcano activity.

This is one of Northern Ireland’s most iconic landmarks and I wanted to get a good image from my visit.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get lucky with a spectacular sunrise or sunset but the fascinating basalt columns in the foreground certainly made up for that.

I used a wide-angle lens to accentuate the foreground with the spectacular cliff face in the background.

I also used my long lens to focus on some more abstract images.

2) Dunluce Castle

Another location in Northern Ireland. Perched dramatically on the cliff edge overlooking the North Atlantic, Dunluce Castle is a spectacular location for photography.

Although I was somewhat limited with the viewpoints. At the time of year I visited, the castle closes before sunset so I couldn’t access the main viewing area.

The spectacular viewpoint in the adjacent field is also private property with lots of signs clearly saying that. This used to be the ‘go-to’ spot but I suspect the landowner got fed up with people trespassing.

I then had to settle with the viewpoint from the road, which worked out well in the end.

3) Fanad Lighthouse

Located on the windswept Fanad Peninsula in Donegal, you’ll find a picturesque lighthouse with spectacular views of the coastline.

This was probably my favourite location on my trip, probably helped by the fact I got some spectacular conditions when I went there.

Not only did I get one of the most spectacular sunrises I’ve seen, but I also got an incredible and perfectly positioned rainbow.

There are so many great angles to photograph this lighthouse from with a really interesting foreground.

4) Malin Head

This is the northernmost point of mainland Ireland and is renowned for its wild and dramatic coastline.

There are some spectacular coastal walks here so it’s worth spending some time along this stretch of coastline.

If you head to the north-west tip of Malin Head there is an incredible view.

The sea was relatively calm when I visited but I’ve heard it can get very choppy here, which will only add to your photos.

5) Maghera Beach

This beach was a great find and I discovered it after visiting Assaranca Waterfall which is nearby.

This stretch of coastline is very different to the dramatic cliffs further north. Not only is it relatively flat but it also has some nice sand dunes.

I went in the middle of the day, which is not typically a good time for photography, but I came away with a couple of nice images.

6) Assaranca Waterfall

This waterfall is near Maghera Beach. I wanted to visit at least one waterfall on my trip and found this one in County Donegal.

With it being early summer, I wasn’t expecting an overly dramatic water flow, but this was better than I expected.

It’s very accessible as the car park is literally right next to the waterfall.

It’s somewhat tricky to get a good angle here as there’s not much space around the waterfall to work with. I ended up crouching low over the stream to capture an interesting perspective.

7) Dunmore Head

This is the westernmost point of mainland Ireland and is certainly a must-visit location.

Again, the coastline here is so dramatic and you won’t find it hard to come away with a great image.

On my visit, there were some lovely coastal flowers which I could incorporate into my image.

There are also some jagged rocks sticking out from the ground, which makes for an interesting foreground as well.

8) Glenveagh National Park

Located in the heart of County Donegal, this is a great location to photograph.

Technically speaking, I spent most of my time exploring the area just outside the park boundary but this general area is beautiful.

I was pleasantly surprised by this area actually as before the trip I spent most of my time researching the various coastal areas rather than the places further inland.

Although invasive non-native plants, I found the Rhododendrons very photogenic.

A word of warning though – if you’re visiting in the warmer months you may get a lot of midges so prepare accordingly.

9) Connemara National Park

I really loved this area and I wish I had more time to explore here as I felt there was a lot of potential here.

It also felt very quiet in comparison to some locations further south in Ireland which was nice.

If you spend some time exploring the area, you’ll probably see some fishing huts which makes for some nice foreground interest.

10) Gougane Barra

Nestle in a secluded valley in County Cork, Gougane Barra is a lovely place to visit.

Here you’ll find the picturesque St. Finbarr’s Oratory – a small chapel set on an island in the Lake.

This was the last morning of my trip and was a perfect way to end a brilliant time in Ireland.

On a calm morning, you can get some nice reflections in the water and you might even be lucky with some mist.

11) Ross Castle

Located on the shores of Lough Leane in County Kerry, this castle dates back to the 15th century.

At sunset, you’ll get some wonderful golden light on the castle with some interesting foreground to work with.

Thank You

Thanks for viewing. I hope you found this article helpful and inspired you on your adventure to Ireland. Feel free to comment on this article or drop me a message on social media if you have any further questions.

As I mentioned in the opening part of the article, there is a lot more to photograph in Ireland and this is simply my personal experience.