
Portkill is a small isolated bay on the north coast of Ireland situated about a half-mile to the west of Inishowen Head. Set in a beautiful secluded setting the bay offers boats an anchorage, with the possibility of landing on the beach in offshore winds.
Portkill is an exposed anchorage with shelter and protection from west to south. It is not recommended for an overnight stop which can sometimes be uncomfortable. The bay, although available at all states of the tide, requires attentive navigation for access and keen eyeball navigation to pass in through fringing rocky outcrops.
Keyfacts for Portkill
Last modified
February 19th 2020 Summary
An exposed location with attentive navigation required for access.Facilities
Nature
Considerations
Position and approaches
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Haven position
This is the anchorage location off the beach.
What is the initial fix?
The following Portkill Initial Fix will set up a final approach:

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.
- Align on the grey standing stone and track in on 257°T using keen eyeball navigation.
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 Portkill for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
- Portnocker - 0.6 nautical miles SSE
- White Bay - 0.8 nautical miles S
- Cornashamma Bay - 1.8 nautical miles SSW
- Silver Strand - 2.2 nautical miles SSW
- Kinnagoe Bay - 2.9 nautical miles WNW
- Greencastle - 3 nautical miles SW
- Magilligan Point - 3.3 nautical miles SSW
- Moville - 5 nautical miles SW
- Tremone Bay - 5.2 nautical miles WNW
- Carrickarory Pier - 5.6 nautical miles SW
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
- Portnocker - 0.6 miles SSE
- White Bay - 0.8 miles S
- Cornashamma Bay - 1.8 miles SSW
- Silver Strand - 2.2 miles SSW
- Kinnagoe Bay - 2.9 miles WNW
- Greencastle - 3 miles SW
- Magilligan Point - 3.3 miles SSW
- Moville - 5 miles SW
- Tremone Bay - 5.2 miles WNW
- Carrickarory Pier - 5.6 miles SW
What's the story here?

Image: Andrew Cameron-Mitchell
Portkill is a small secluded beach on the Inishowen Peninsula situated less than half a mile to the northwest of Inishowen Head. It has the remains of an early ecclesiastical site dedicated to Colmcille, containing a holy well called Colmcille's Well and a cross-inscribed pillar stone dating possibly from the 8th-century.
How to get in?
Align on the grey standing stone marked on Admiralty chart No. 2511. Keeping this on a bearing of 257° T for a distance of 500 metres from the initial fix will lead into the anchoring area through the rocky outcrops. The final few metres that lead into the small anchorage require keen eyeball navigation, and a steady pace with a keen eye to the sounder all the way.
Why visit here?
Portkill derives its name from the Irish ‘Port-cille’, a shortened form of ‘Port Colmcille’ or 'Colmcille's port'. It refers to St. Colm Cille, Donegal’s most famous saint.
In 563 A.D., en route to Scotland by ‘curragh’ from Derry, he and his accompanying 11 monks called in at Portkill to take in water from the spring on the beach. After coming ashore St. Columcille climbed the bank to the top of the hill. There he took one last look at his beloved homeland called Cnoc an Leactha above. Having said farewell to his beloved Derry, he returned to the shore where he blessed the well and cut the cross on the stone with his finger.

Today Portkill has changed little. Immediately up from the beach on a flat grassy patch, the eighth-century standing stone can be found. Made of hard grey sedimentary stone it has a rough cross inscribed on its western face - five small deep hollows mark the crossing and the ends of the cross. Nearby a wooden cross will also be seen.
The holy well that is dedicated to St. Columcille is located a few metres inshore of the standing stone. The well, or more appropriately spring, is very small measuring only 25 x 32 cm wide and is less than 10 cm deep with loose gravel and shell at the bottom. With no structure, it is often hidden or overgrown with vegetation. However, a small concrete cross has been erected above it bearing the date 1937. Close to the well, there are bushes where people tie a ribbon or a rag during the local communities’ annual pilgrimage made on the 15th August to early September. These tokens are healing wishes for a sore, rubbed on the rag, or bruises, warts, and an infinite variety of ailments and intentions. Likewise, there were always a lot of coins in the area.
The road above may be reached via a scrambling climb up a high steep bank. While it is possible to ascend the 120 metres, 400 foot, hill from the beach, this can in no way be classed as a safe climb. But those who take on the climb will be rewarded with a magnificent viewpoint above Portkill. A stone picnic bench and a seat are situated there to fully take in the surroundings, including a spectacular view of Inishowen Lighthouse.
From a purely boating point of view, Portkill is a small, secluded and beautiful beach beneath a steep cliff and mountain pasture. It has no facilities and is exposed but it offers another culturally interesting point to visit on the beautiful Inishowen Peninsula.
What facilities are available?
Portkill is a secluded and remote bay with no facilities ashore save for an access road.Any security concerns?
Never an issue known to have occurred to a vessel anchored in Portkill.With thanks to:
Bill McCann, Londonderry Harbour Master. Photography with thanks to Patrick Mackie, Kay Atherton and Kenneth Allen.


About Portkill
Portkill derives its name from the Irish ‘Port-cille’, a shortened form of ‘Port Colmcille’ or 'Colmcille's port'. It refers to St. Colm Cille, Donegal’s most famous saint.

In 563 A.D., en route to Scotland by ‘curragh’ from Derry, he and his accompanying 11 monks called in at Portkill to take in water from the spring on the beach. After coming ashore St. Columcille climbed the bank to the top of the hill. There he took one last look at his beloved homeland called Cnoc an Leactha above. Having said farewell to his beloved Derry, he returned to the shore where he blessed the well and cut the cross on the stone with his finger.

Today Portkill has changed little. Immediately up from the beach on a flat grassy patch, the eighth-century standing stone can be found. Made of hard grey sedimentary stone it has a rough cross inscribed on its western face - five small deep hollows mark the crossing and the ends of the cross. Nearby a wooden cross will also be seen.
The holy well that is dedicated to St. Columcille is located a few metres inshore of the standing stone. The well, or more appropriately spring, is very small measuring only 25 x 32 cm wide and is less than 10 cm deep with loose gravel and shell at the bottom. With no structure, it is often hidden or overgrown with vegetation. However, a small concrete cross has been erected above it bearing the date 1937. Close to the well, there are bushes where people tie a ribbon or a rag during the local communities’ annual pilgrimage made on the 15th August to early September. These tokens are healing wishes for a sore, rubbed on the rag, or bruises, warts, and an infinite variety of ailments and intentions. Likewise, there were always a lot of coins in the area.
The road above may be reached via a scrambling climb up a high steep bank. While it is possible to ascend the 120 metres, 400 foot, hill from the beach, this can in no way be classed as a safe climb. But those who take on the climb will be rewarded with a magnificent viewpoint above Portkill. A stone picnic bench and a seat are situated there to fully take in the surroundings, including a spectacular view of Inishowen Lighthouse.
From a purely boating point of view, Portkill is a small, secluded and beautiful beach beneath a steep cliff and mountain pasture. It has no facilities and is exposed but it offers another culturally interesting point to visit on the beautiful Inishowen Peninsula.
Other options in this area
Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Alternatively here are the ten nearest havens available in picture view:
Coastal clockwise:
Portnocker - 0.4 miles SSEWhite Bay - 0.5 miles S
Cornashamma Bay - 1.1 miles SSW
Silver Strand - 1.4 miles SSW
Greencastle - 1.9 miles SW
Coastal anti-clockwise:
Kinnagoe Bay - 1.8 miles WNWTremone Bay - 3.2 miles WNW
Culdaff Bay - 5.2 miles WNW
Portmore - 9.6 miles NW
Portachurry - 9.6 miles NW
Navigational pictures
These additional images feature in the 'How to get in' section of our detailed view for Portkill.



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