Glenveagh Castle, Victorian castle in Derryveagh Mountains, Ireland

Glenveagh Castle is a castellated mansion in Scottish baronial style, built 1867–1873, with a four-storey rectangular keep. Photographs show a grey stone tower with a flat top and raised corner sections topped by carved finials, three rows of narrow windows, and a covered stair or porch on its left side. A flagpole flies a green, white and orange tricolour. The castle stands against a steep, rocky mountain slope.

Captain John George Adair, a native of County Laois, built Glenveagh Castle between 1867 and 1873 in the Scottish baronial style, aiming to surpass Balmoral. In 1861, before building, he evicted 44 families, 244 people, from his Donegal land in the Derryveagh Evictions. His widow Cornelia, daughter of Union general James S. Wadsworth, took over in 1885; Henry Plumer McIlhenny bought the estate in 1938 and gave it to the Irish nation in the 1970s.

The name Gleann Bheatha means "Glen of the Birch Trees" in Irish. The castle was built by John George Adair, who evicted 244 people from 44 families in the Derryveagh Evictions of 1861; local folklore holds that a curse on the castle meant later owners had no heirs. His widow Cornelia, popular in the area, improved the gardens, and the Duke of Connaught visited in September 1902.

Glenveagh Castle lies inside Glenveagh National Park, near Churchill and Gweedore in County Donegal. The park's visitor centre has displays on the park and an audio-visual show, and is accessible for visitors with disabilities. From there, follow the estate road through the gardens to the castle; allow time for the walk and for the grounds.

Glenveagh Castle was built by Captain John George Adair, a native of County Laois who made his fortune in American land speculation. In April 1861, before the castle existed, he evicted 44 families, 244 people, from his Donegal land in what became known as the Derryveagh Evictions. Local lore holds that a curse followed, leaving later owners without heirs.