Killarney Lakes

The gorgeous Killarney Lakes are huddled under the first mountains of western Kerry.

They are studded with islands, and, with their mountain backdrops, are ridiculously pretty. They drip Irish history, including the ruins of Muckross Abbey, monastic ruins on Inisfallen island and Ross castle; their shores are covered in extraordinary rainforesty woodland, with a lot of oak and yew, and areas of pretty bog and heather.  Wildlife includes ultra-rare white-tailed eagles and the only wild herd of red deer.

There are several walks around Lough Leane and Muckross Lake, in particular a 9.5km  circuit around smaller Muckross Lake to the south, which is separated from Lough Leane by a narrow isthmus. The woodland is particularly interesting here – at times you feel like you are in enchanted land – and the views are often ravishing. There are excellent shorter walks, too. Not for those who like their seclusion, though. See http://www.discoverireland.ie/Activities-Adventure/torc-waterfall-and-muckross-lake-loop/62318 for some more info on the circuit walk around Muckross lake.

The great long-distance trail here is the Kerry Way, and a stretch of it drops from the modern Killarney-Kenmare road to the southern shores of the beautiful Upper Lake, which it then runs beside round to Lord Brandon’s Cottage to the west. If you feel energetic, it heads on up the Gearhameen river valley (the Black Valley) to the stunning lakes in its upper reaches, and on west beneath the highest peaks of Macgillycuddy’s Reeks. We guess it is 5km or so to Lord Brandon’s Cottage.

The South-west gets a lot of rain and wind, plus cloud/fog and occasional winter snow on high ground. Be prepared.

See our Killarney NP and Iveragh Peninsula pages for more general and practical information and photos.