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Places to explore in Ireland and Britain
Go somewhere you didn't know was there. Discover Alone is a free map of over a million recorded places: castles, ruins, holy wells, beaches, waterfalls and walks.
Searched: Doolin, Co Clare
The Discover Alone map: each pin is a recorded place. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
- Start from a town name or from where you stand
- Narrow it by distance and by type
- Each place links the record it came from
01In short
The map at a glance
- places on one map
- 1M+
- countries: Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales
- 4
- the smallest search distance: 0.1 mile, about 160 metres
- 160 m
- to use, with nothing to sign up for
- Free
A place being on the map does not mean you can walk in. Check access before visiting a place.
02On the map
What the map does for a day out
From old churches and standing stones to caves, woods and waterfalls, it is all on one map at discoveralone.com. Some pages have more on them than others.
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Search where you are going
Start from the search box with a town, a place or a person, or let the map find where you are; it then shows what is recorded around that spot.
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See fewer or more places
Fewer places with a smaller distance, more with a larger one: as little as 0.1 mile, or your own number of miles.
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Filter by type
Show only the kinds of place you are after, such as castles, mountains, beaches or playgrounds, or only the ones with their own pictures.
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Read where it came from
Each place page names the record behind it and links to that source, so you can follow the history yourself. Directions open in Google Maps.
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Explorer Tom's tips
The map's playful guide writes the short opening on each place, often with a daft joke or a useful tip. The recorded account and source links sit below his words.
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Keep your own list
Mark places Want to do or Done, keep your pictures together, and share the map with the people you are going with.
03How to use it
From a town name to somewhere worth going
Choose a place. Follow the map. Come home with a story.
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Search
Name the town you are in or heading to.
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Pick a distance
A short walk from the door, or a longer drive away.
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Filter
Just castles, beaches or playgrounds, or places with their own pictures.
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Read the record
Open the place page and follow the link to its source.
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Go, and respect the place
Many places are on private land: ask before entering, close gates and leave no trace.
04Why it exists
The same famous spot, every weekend
Queue for an hour, pay a fortune, see it over somebody's head. Meanwhile there's a castle down the road nobody has looked at in years.
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Always the same car park
The coach tours, the queue, the ticket, the gift shop. And the thing everyone came for, seen over somebody's shoulder with their phone in the air.
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Driven past that field for years
A holy well. A ruin. A standing stone. Round the corner from where you live or stay, there is more recorded than you would guess.
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A day out of your own
No feed. No itinerary. No tourist queue. Just somewhere worth going.
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Put on one map in Carndonagh
Rickie Doherty started Discover Alone in Carndonagh, Co Donegal, because people kept asking him where things were. So he put those places on one map. Pictured: the map around Carndonagh. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
05Questions
Before you set off
How do I find lesser-known places to explore in Ireland and Britain near where I am staying?
Open discoveralone.com and type the town you are heading to, or let the map use your location. Pick a distance and a type, then open any pin to read about the place.
Does the map cost anything?
Nothing. Looking around the map takes no account; you only sign in to add pictures or stories under your own name.
Where do the places come from?
From public records and open maps, such as the National Monuments Service's Archaeological Survey of Ireland, Historic England, Historic Environment Scotland, Coflein in Wales and OpenStreetMap. Discover Alone is listed in the Irish Open Data Showcase.
Can I walk into any place I find?
Not always. Many old buildings and sites are on private land, so look from the road or ask the owner first. If you do go in, shut the gates behind you and leave no trace.
Is the picture on a place always right?
Some pictures may show a nearby or wrong place, so treat them as a clue, not proof. A place page has a link to report the wrong picture.
Who is Explorer Tom?
The map's playful guide. The words on each place are Tom's, with tips as you use the map; the recorded account and source links sit below them, so you can follow the history as well as the fun.
What if a place I know is missing?
Put it there yourself: tap the spot, give it a name and it shows up straight away. Pictures and local details can be added too, and accepted pictures earn points when you are signed in.
Can a hotel or B&B show the map to guests?
Yes: a free map of what's around you to paste on your website, or a printed QR code for reception. There's no sign-up, and it keeps itself up to date as new places are added.
Your next day out
Find what is round the corner
Tap where you are and look. There is more here than you would guess.
06Write to Rickie
Something wrong or missing?
Write to Rickie Doherty, who started Discover Alone: a place that should be on the map, a record that needs fixing, or a question about showing the map to your guests.
Got it, thank you
If you left out the town or the name of the place, just send a second message.