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Set inside the north end of the Lough Foyle estuary under the lee of Magilligan Point, this is a good anchorage which affords good shelter in an east to northeast winds in all reasonable conditions. The well-marked ¾ of a mile wide commercial shipping channel supported by a lighthouse with a sectored light provides safe access in all reasonable conditions and although tidal streams are occasionally strong, the anchorage is accessible at all states of the tide.
Keyfacts for Magilligan Point
Facilities
Nature
Considerations
Protected sectors
Approaches
Shelter
Last modified
July 18th 2018 Summary
A good location with safe access.Facilities
Nature
Considerations
Position and approaches
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Haven position
This is approximately 100 metres southwest of the Magilligan Ferry Terminal that has a light on the end of the jetty 2F.R(vert)4m2M.
What are the initial fixes?
The following waypoints will set up a final approach:(i) Lough Foyle North Channel Initial Fix

One mile east of Inishowen Head and 400 metres northwest of Red Tuns Light (port hand) Buoy F1. R.3s. It is set on the 222° line of bearing of the Martello tower on Magilligan Point that leads into the North Channel.
(ii) Lough Foyle South Channel Initial Fix

Midway between the shore and the southern edge of the Tuns Bank in the narrowest part of the South Channel in approximately 10 metres of water.
What are the key points of the approach?
Offshore details are available in the northeast Ireland’s Coastal Overview for Malin Head to Strangford Lough
.
- Lough Foyle’s approaches, the run up the lough to the River Foyle and beyond are detailed in the Foyle Port Marina (Derry City)
entry.
- Once within the entrance to the lough make for the Magilligan Point pile structure light beacon and the Ferry Terminal. Best depths are to be found beyond 150 metres of the Magilligan Point shoreline and light structure.
Not what you need?
Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Below are the ten nearest havens to Magilligan Point for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
- Greencastle - 0.9 nautical miles NW
- Silver Strand - 1.1 nautical miles NNE
- Cornashamma Bay - 1.5 nautical miles NNE
- Moville - 2.5 nautical miles W
- White Bay - 2.7 nautical miles NNE
- Portnocker - 2.9 nautical miles NNE
- Carrickarory Pier - 3.1 nautical miles W
- Portkill - 3.3 nautical miles NNE
- Kinnagoe Bay - 4.3 nautical miles NNW
- Tremone Bay - 6 nautical miles NW
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
- Greencastle - 0.9 miles NW
- Silver Strand - 1.1 miles NNE
- Cornashamma Bay - 1.5 miles NNE
- Moville - 2.5 miles W
- White Bay - 2.7 miles NNE
- Portnocker - 2.9 miles NNE
- Carrickarory Pier - 3.1 miles W
- Portkill - 3.3 miles NNE
- Kinnagoe Bay - 4.3 miles NNW
- Tremone Bay - 6 miles NW
Chart
How to get in?

Magilligan Point is a low, sandy foreland at the entrance to Lough Foyle. It has a few houses and a pier for a passenger ferry that plies its way between Magilligan and Greencastle on the opposite side of the entrance.

If approaching close to the Magilligan Light beacon, Q.R.7m4M, make allowance for a shallow patch that extends 200 metres southwest of the marker and do not turn in early. Likewise, there is a drying patch 800 metres further west by southwest so it is just as important not to overrun the turning to the jetty and anchorage.

At this point, it is safe to steer directly for the outer end of the Magilligan Ferry Terminal that has a light 2F.R (vert) 4m2M

Why visit here?
Magilligan Point derives its name from the Irish Aird Mhic Giollagáin meaning ‘MacGilligan’s point’. The surname Mac Giollagáin, MacGilligan, or Magilligan is indigenous to County Derry. The surrounding area, that formed a major part of the ‘barony of Keenaght’, was called "MacGilligans country".
The beach at the forward end of the huge Magilligan Peninsula started to develop as a result of sea and land level changes after the last ice age. It originated from deposits of alluvium and blown sand that accumulated to form the large 79,000 acres (32,000 ha) flat triangle of land in the lee of the long sand-spit leading to Magilligan Point. The foreland is now fronted by the magnificent beaches of Downhill, Castlerock and Benone with the sand dune system behind being Ireland’s largest coastal accumulation feature of marine and wind-blown sand deposits.

But it is the spectacular basalt escarpment of Binevenagh, or Benevenagh, that totally dominates the landscape here. The 385 metres high mountain marks the western extent of the Antrim Plateau formed around 60 million years ago by molten lava. The name of Binevenagh is derived from Irish Binn Fhoibhne meaning ‘Foibhne's peak’. Legend has it that Foibhne, son of Taircheltar, was slain here in pre-Christian times. The plateau and steep cliffs extend for over six miles across the peninsula of Magilligan and completely dominate the skyline. The combined area of mountains and foreland has been classified as both an Area of Special Scientific Interest and as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The point’s signature Martello Tower was built in 1812 and was rather late in the British sequence of defences built to protect Ireland against an invasion by Napoleon. The original plan was to build a large scale fortification at Magilligan Point but this had to be abandoned due to soft ground. A smaller scale tower was eventually decided upon to correspond with the Greencastle Martello Fort, built beside the Norman ruins on the opposite shore, in order to defend the entrance to Lough Foyle. The Magilligan tower was finally completed in 1817 which was two years after Napoleon had been exiled to St. Helena. Its garrison never fired a shot in anger. Since the tower was built, deposits of sand have extended the peninsula by several hundred metres and the tower is now located a considerable distance from the sea. Today it contains two 24 pounder, 11 kg, guns that are perfectly restored, but sadly the tower is mostly kept locked.

From a sailing perspective, it is a remote anchorage with nothing but the ferry terminal and a few houses which also include a pub. It is an ideal tide wait location at the lough entrance and provides another remote and interesting anchoring opportunity for the cruising boatman on this unique coastline.

What facilities are available?
There are no facilities at Magilligan Point save for a solitary pub and the jetty for the Magilligan-Greencastle ferry.Any security concerns?
Never an issue known to have occurred to a vessel anchored off Magilligan Point.With thanks to:
Bill McCann, Londonderry Harbour Master. Photography with thanks to Danny Kearney, Oliver Dixon, Lindy Buckley, David Jones, Richard Webb, Kenneth Allen, Simon Huguet, tsiubiu, Martinevans123, Stephen, Andrew Hurley, Patrick Mackie, Kenny Gibson and Corinna Schleiffer..jpg)

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Scenery of the point and Greencastle from the ferry and Malin Head.
Scenery of the point and Greencastle from the ferry and Malin Head.
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