Are quiet places underrated? Why a windswept Donegal hilltop beat the Great Wall for me

This year has been full of massive travel milestones for me. I managed to tick off two bucketlist giants: standing beneath Christ the Redeemer in Rio and walking the Great Wall of China. They are incredible, colossal structures, and they completely earn their global fame.

Even back home in Ireland, you see that same massive energy at places like the Cliffs of Moher, where the car parks are packed and the tour buses roll in all day long.

Yet, out of everywhere I have been recently, the place that actually stayed with me the most is a rugged, windswept hilltop in Donegal.

Grianán of Aileach does not have billboard fame or a gift shop. It doesn't get the traffic of the southern cliffs, let alone the crowds of Beijing or Rio. But when you climb up onto those sixth-century stone walls and look out over Lough Swilly, you realise it doesn't need it.

It is just a constant, silent force. This fort used to rival the Hill of Tara as a seat of kings, and it has been sitting up there, completely exposed to the Atlantic elements, watching the world change for centuries. While the world's mega-landmarks rely on a constant buzz of crowds to feel alive, Grianán gets its power from being completely still. It is totally unaffected by time or tourist trends.

It was a great reminder that the most profound travel experiences do not always come from the loudest corners of the planet. Sometimes, it is the quietest places that leave the biggest impact.