Scenic Drives · County Tipperary & County Waterford
The Vee Drive – One of Ireland's Most Scenic Roads
The Vee Drive crosses the Knockmealdown Mountains between County Tipperary and County Waterford. With wide countryside views, quiet roads and dramatic light, it is a rewarding route for visitors looking for Irish scenery away from the busiest tourist areas.
Here is a video of this fine journey through the Tipperary countryside, up to the Vee and to the viewpoint over Bay Lough, close to the Tipperary / Waterford border.
Video: Driving The Vee, with scenic views across the Tipperary and Waterford countryside.
The Vee Drive – Quick Info
- Location: Knockmealdown Mountains, between Tipperary and Waterford
- Best for: Scenic driving, landscape photography and quiet countryside views
- Road type: Mountain road with bends, viewpoints and open scenery
- Best time: Early morning or late afternoon for photography
- Nearby places: Clogheen, Lismore, the Knockmealdown Mountains and the Blackwater Valley
Driving The Vee in Tipperary and Waterford
The route known as The Vee takes its name from the V-shaped bend in the road as it climbs through the Knockmealdown Mountains. It offers some of the finest inland views in this part of Ireland, looking across green valleys, mountain slopes and open countryside.
Unlike some of Ireland's better-known scenic routes, The Vee is quieter and more local in character. It is a place where the appeal is not only the road itself, but the changing light, weather and landscape around it.
Why The Vee Is Good for Photography
For photography, The Vee is especially rewarding because of its elevation, layered landscapes and changing weather. Low sun can create strong contrast across the mountains and valleys, while cloud and rain often add atmosphere to the scene.
It is a location where patience helps. Conditions can change quickly, and the best images often come when light breaks through after showers or when evening sun catches the hillsides.
One of Ireland's Scenic Roads
A lot has been written about scenic drives in Ireland. There is the Wild Atlantic Way as well as the Causeway Coastal Route, to name two well-known routes, but the whole country is scenic.
For instance, County Kerry's Dingle Peninsula is a scenic drive worth making, but The Vee offers a different kind of Irish landscape: quieter, inland, mountainous and less crowded.
The Vee – A Scenic Drive Away from the Main Tourist Routes
Here is a scene from none of those better-known regions, representative of the fine scenery of Ireland.
Deep in the heart of Ireland lies County Tipperary, a beautiful and scenic place with lush green countryside and prominent mountains including the Galtees and Ireland's highest inland mountain, Galtymore. Here in the south of the county lies the Vee, a twisty mountain pass forming a scenic drive between Cahir, the Golden Vale of South Tipperary and Lismore in West Waterford.
The road across The Vee runs through the Knockmealdown Mountains, with views over the countryside of Tipperary and Waterford. On a clear day, the landscape opens out in layers of fields, hills and distant valleys.
Where Is The Vee?
The Vee is located on the border of County Tipperary and County Waterford, close to the Knockmealdown Mountains. It is often approached from the Clogheen side in Tipperary or from Lismore and the Blackwater Valley in Waterford.
Photographing The Vee and Ireland's Landscapes
If you enjoy photographing scenic roads, mountain passes and Irish countryside views, The Vee is one of the most rewarding inland landscape locations in this part of Ireland.
You can also see more examples of Ireland landscapes and countryside photography.
For private photography experiences in locations like this, see my Ireland photography tours, with routes and locations tailored to the light, season and conditions.
