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ROUNDWOOD

CO. WICKLOW · IE

Roundwood
An Tochar, Co. Wicklow

The Ireland's Ancient East
STOP 07 / 07

An Tochar · Co. Wicklow

Officially the highest village in Ireland. One good inn. A reservoir behind it. That's the deal.

Roundwood sits on the R755 between Glendalough and the Dublin mountains, high enough in the hills that the air is different and the wind has an opinion about it. A single main street, two pubs, a reservoir behind the village, and the Military Road crossing the top of the ridge above it. Most people pass through on the way somewhere else. Stopping is the better move.

The Roundwood Inn is the reason the village appears in food guides. The Schwalm and Ahearne families took over in 1980 and kept the character of the 17th-century coaching inn - the fire, the dark timber, the menu built around what the Wicklow hills produce. Hungarian goulash has been on the menu since the Schwalm era and remains. The Coach House across the street has been in the Michelin Guide since August 2024, which is a considerable thing for a village of 907 people. Both places require a booking at weekends.

The Vartry Reservoir, immediately south-east of the village, is one of the quieter Dublin Water assets: walking trails around the lower reservoir, birch and Scots pine on the banks, a dam that was considered an engineering marvel in 1863 and still holds. The Military Road passes through the upper hills above the village - built by the British Army in 1800-1809 to pursue insurgents in the mountains after 1798 - and connects Roundwood to the Sally Gap and Laragh. Drive it south in autumn; the bog and the mountain are worth the slow road.

Population

907

Pubs

2and counting

Walk score

One main street, ten minutes end to end

Founded

Claimed highest village in Ireland, at 238m

Coords

53.0604° N, 6.2262° W

01 / 07

At a glance.

Three things every local will eventually mention. Read these and you've already understood more than most day-trippers do.

01 The elevation

238 metres. Ireland disputes this among itself.

The 'highest village in Ireland' title is contested by several candidates. Roundwood's claim is 238 metres above sea level, and it's in enough reference works that the locals claim it without apology. Whether it's strictly true or not, it's high enough to feel different from the coast.

Stories & lore → 02 The Roundwood Inn

A 17th-century inn on the mountain road.

The Schwalm and Ahearne families have run this inn since 1980. It is known for Hungarian goulash - an improbable legacy of the previous owners - and Wicklow game in season. The fire is real. The reputation is earned.

Pubs & bars → 03 The Vartry Reservoir

Dublin's water since 1863.

The lower reservoir was completed in 1863, the upper in 1923 - both still supply Dublin. A 7km walk circles the lower reservoir through pine and birch. The water looks still and is not.

Walks & outings →

02 / 07

The pubs.

None of these are themed Irish pubs, because they don't need to be. A few that earn the trip:

Roundwood Inn

Open fire, serious food

Inn, 17th century

Run by the Schwalm and Ahearne families since 1980. Hungarian goulash, Wicklow lamb, game in season. Bar food at lunch, full menus in the evening. The fire is lit from October. Book at weekends.

The Coach House

Michelin-listed, local

Restaurant with bar

In the Michelin Guide since August 2024. Restored 1820s coaching inn across the street from the Roundwood Inn. Rooms upstairs, bar downstairs, a menu that takes the location seriously.

03 / 07

Stories & lore.

The reason to come back. The things every local will eventually tell you about, usually after the second pint.

Built to pursue the rebels

The Military Road

The Military Road - now the R115 - was constructed by the British Army between 1800 and 1809, engineered by Alexander Taylor, with the specific purpose of accessing the Wicklow Mountains after the 1798 rebellion. The mountain terrain had sheltered Michael Dwyer and his men for years; a road through the middle was the answer. It remains Ireland's only surviving purpose-built military road. It passes above Roundwood through the Sally Gap and connects Laragh to the north Dublin mountains.

Dublin's water for 160 years

The Vartry Reservoir

The lower Vartry Reservoir was completed in 1863, championed by Sir John Gray of the Freeman's Journal who pushed through the engineering project that finally gave Dublin a reliable municipal water supply. The upper reservoir was added in 1923. Both still supply Dublin today. The lower reservoir has 7km of walking trails through the surrounding forestry - pine, birch, the occasional red squirrel. The upper reservoir has a 6.4km loop. Between them, they are the quietest walks accessible from the village.

A title that keeps getting contested

The highest village

Roundwood's claim to be Ireland's highest village - 238 metres above sea level - appears in enough guidebooks that the village doesn't question it. Several other Irish villages contest the title, notably Kilronan on Inis Mór and a handful of County Clare settlements. The conversation repeats itself without resolution. Roundwood is undeniably high enough for the weather to come in differently, for the road to ice before the lowland roads, and for the view south across the valley to be worth the altitude.

04 / 07

Things to do outside.

Wear waterproofs. Bring a sandwich. Tell someone where you're going if it's the mountain.

Lower Vartry Reservoir Loop From the reservoir car park south-east of the village. A flat, well-maintained trail through pine and birch around the perimeter of the lower lake. Dublin Water access trail - free, open year-round. Red squirrels reported regularly.

7.2 kmdistance

2 hourstime

Upper Vartry Reservoir Walk A separate trail on the upper reservoir, higher and with more open boggy terrain. Quieter than the lower loop. Start at the upper reservoir car park off the R759.

6.4 kmdistance

1.5-2 hourstime

Sally Gap via Military Road Drive or cycle north on the R115 (the Military Road) to the Sally Gap at 493m - one of the great mountain roads in Leinster. The bog is treeless and the views are long. Continues south to Laragh and Glendalough.

Drive/cycle from Roundwooddistance

Half daytime

05 / 07

When to go.

There is no bad time. There are different times.

Spring

Mar-May

The reservoir walks are good once the mud dries out. The inn is quiet and the fire is still on. A good month for the Military Road without the summer cyclists.

◉ Go

Summer

Jun-Aug

The village benefits from the Glendalough overflow - people stop here on the way back to Dublin. Book the inn ahead at weekends. The reservoir walks are at their best in the long evenings.

◉ Go

Autumn

Sep-Oct

The best season. The birch around the reservoir turns, the Military Road has its full drama, game comes onto the inn menu. Book the Coach House at least a week ahead.

◉ Go

Winter

Nov-Feb

The road ices above the village before anywhere else in Wicklow. Drive carefully on the R759 and the Military Road. Both pubs are open; both fires are lit. Worth the slow road if you time it right.

◐ Mind yourself

06 / 07

What to skip.

Honestly? Don't bother.

If a local was sitting beside you, this is the bit where they'd lean in.

Passing through without stopping

Everyone does it. Roundwood is the through-village on the way from Glendalough to Dublin. Stopping for thirty minutes at the inn costs you nothing except being late to wherever you were going.

The reservoir car park as a turning point on a casual walk

The reservoir loop is 7km. If you want a shorter walk, the village itself takes ten minutes end to end. The reservoir is either the whole point or skip it.