Loughcrew or Slieve na Calliagh is County Meaths highest point. Loughcrew sits at an elevation of 276 meters. County Meath has the second-lowest County high point of all counties but it has the best feature of all the high points. At the top of Loughcrew, sits a passage tomb and a number of historical ruins. The stone at the end of the passage tomb chamber is illuminated by the sun rising on the spring and Autumn Equinoxe much like Newgrange.
Getting to Loughcrew / Slieve na Calliagh
Loughcrew is near the town of Oldcastle in County Meath and is accessed off the L2800 road. There is a large car park at the start of the walk, which can easily accommodate 50+ cars. If you are using google maps just put “Parking Loughcrew” to navigate to the start of the walk. Our maps below will also bring you to the location.
Walking to the summit of Loughcrew
Walking to the summit of Loughcrew is very easy and enjoyable. We have done this hike twice and on the second time, our 2-year-old daughter walked the majority of it herself. The trail starts off by walking up steps, which lead into a field filled with sheep.
We squeezed through a metal sty and walk into the green field. The route up to the summit of Loughcrew is marked with posts curving around the steep hill. There are seats scattered along the trail in two locations.
We reach the fence surrounding the passage tomb where we squeeze through another sty and walk over toward the passage tomb and cairn on the top of it. There are also lots of other old tombs and stone carvings around this amazing county high point. We had lots of fun exploring all the different parts of this ancient area.
How to Access the Slieve na Calliagh Tomb
Access to the Cairn can be arranged from the visitor centre detailed on the website.
How long to hike to Slieve na Calliagh summit
This is a very easy hike and you could easily walk to the summit and back in 20-30 minutes. We took our time and explored all the surrounding historical artefacts.
Map of Loughcrew / Slieve na Calliagh Meaths highest point
Our Thoughts on Meaths highest point?
We loved this high point, it is so enjoyable. It is a hidden gem and very much off the beaten track. Both times that we have been here there was only a handful of people walking on the trail. This county high point is a great starter walk for any family, it’s filled with great sights and history. We highly recommend this walk.
