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Having lived away from County Fermanagh for a number of years I could not wait to return along with some friends from university to spend a few days paddling on Lough Erne.

Itinerary planning was a joy as Lough Erne has its own fully developed canoe trail. The 50km lough canoe trail is the first of its kind in the UK and was launched by the Countryside Access and Activities Network (CAAN) and the Canoe Association of Northern Ireland (CANI) in May 2005. The trail has been well planned out and is complimented by a waterproof guide and web site www.canoeni.com. The web site has an excellent interactive map feature which gave practical advice on everything required including details of campsites, water points, phone numbers etc. It was really useful to have all this detailed information before we started.

As we only had four days available we decided to explore upper Lough Erne – the smaller and more sheltered of the two lakes to the south of the main county town of Enniskillen. The aim of trip was not to cover as many miles as possible but to enjoy what this beautiful part of the world has to offer – no better way than in our two open canoes.

Day 1
Start: Crom (GR 370 238) to Smith’s Strand (GR 342 294) six miles (five hours)
Crom Estate: 028 677 38118
Share Holiday Village: 028 677 22122 www.sharevillage.org

We had stayed with my parents in Enniskillen for a night before driving south to our starting point at Crom Estate, which is actually one of the ten access points along the trail. Although there are countless points of access onto Lough Erne these designated access points have been chosen because of the facilities on offer.

We started at around 10am launching from the slipway beside The National Trust Visitors Centre and as soon as we hit the water it was like going back in time. Peace, natural beauty and any number of historic buildings – maintained by the Trust. We spent a few hours exploring these buildings and taking in the history of the area. Crichton Tower on Gad Island, the 17th century Crom Castle ruins (destroyed in a fire) and the 19th century Crom Castle, which is the private residence of Lord Erne, can all be viewed from the Lough. However our favourite feature was the 19th Century boathouse, formerly the headquarters of the Lough Erne Yacht Club.

The area was really captivating but it was time to move on. Travelling north in very sheltered waters we made good time. We were all amazed how quiet and unspoilt the area was, even though this was the middle of July we passed very few other water users. The ancient woodlands were enchanting; during the autumn, deer can often by seen swimming between the islands but no such luck during our trip. Had we travelled south from here we would have entered the Shannon – Erne Waterway, which leads all the way to Limerick and the Atlantic Ocean – another trip for another day.

It was then time for a religious experience – literally. I had phoned ahead to arrange a short visit to Inish Rath (GR 336 272), which is home to a thriving Hare Krishna community. The island is absolutely beautiful; there is not a blade of grass out of place. We were able to have a look around the temple and sample some of their homemade produce. Our guide told us they have an open day each August during which you can take a guided tour of the island in a classic Rolls Royce! The people we met were great hosts to a truly unique experience but I would recommend phoning ahead.

From there we paddled to our overnight stop at the Share Holiday Village at Smith’s Strand (GR 342 294). The centre is Ireland’s largest multi-activity centre working for the inclusion of the disabled and non-disabled. The camping facilities were excellent and there was a great atmosphere around the site. That evening we prepared a feast on our disposable BBQ topped up with chips from the centre’s take-away.

Day 2
Start: Share Holiday Village (GR 342 294) to Carrybridge (GR 295 375) seven miles (five hours)

Determined to keep to our pledge to enjoy ourselves we booked onto a climbing wall activity session before we left. After our adventurous start to the day we continued our trip north at about 12pm. We were again treated by another beautiful day with calm conditions meaning the going was good, by travelling south to north we were also being helped by the flow of the from Upper to Lower Lough Erne – although the locals reckoned this was negligible at this time of year it was still of psychological benefit to us.

We passed Inishcorkish Island (GR 326 308), which as we were informed by one of the Share Holiday Village instructors is home to a special breed of pig, which they use to make Fermanagh’s renowned Black Bacon – eaten by the Queen herself. We didn’t venture on to the island as pigs can be vicious creatures and beside we were already sorted for tonight’s dinner.

Again on the recommendation of one of the Share staff we stopped at Naan Island (GR 302 319) for lunch. Upper Lough Erne has a vast array of Islands and the canoe trail guide is useful as it indicates where all the jetties and slipways are. After lunch the breeze had picked up so instead of a planned diversion across to Knockinniny we decided to make for calmer conditions towards Carrybridge. We left the relative expanse of Upper Lough Erne and made our way along the river–like section. On the way we passed Belle Isle Estate home to a cookery school, but after last nights BBQ we felt our skills were adequate for what we needed.

On arrival at Carrybridge we set up camp on the north side of the bridge and east side of the river (GR 295 375) as recommended by the guide, had a quick wash in the toilet block and then crossed the bridge to sample the ‘craic’ in the Carrybridge Hotel – well I did say we were here to enjoy ourselves! We had some pub grub and chatted with local and tourists. The bar / restaurant is a popular stop for hire cruisers – a Dutch couple we spoke to had been returning to Fermanagh for the past ten years!

Day 3
Start: Carrybridge (GR 295 375) – Enniskillen (GR 231 440) ten miles (seven hours)

We continued our journey northward towards the county town of Enniskillen in really peaceful river like conditions. About half way along our trip we stopped at Bellanaleck Jetty (GR 236 391). We took a five-minute walk to Bellanaleck village to buy lunch in the local shop and resisted the temptation of stopping for bar food in the Sheelin, which looked very appealing with its thatched roof.

After lunch we continued towards Enniskillen and our campsite at the Lakeland Canoe Centre. We set up camp at the centre, which is based on Castle Island right in the heart of the town. The centre provides a ferry to Enniskillen so we decided to take an evening stroll through the town before returning for an early night. The island provides an excellent camping facility near to the town – absolutely perfect for touring canoeists.

Day 4
Enniskillen (GR 231 440) to Trory (GR 227 477) five miles (four hours)

Enniskillen is an island town named after the ancient warrior Kathleen i.e. Inis (island) Kathleen so what better way to explore it than by canoe. We spent an hour circumnavigating the town passing the beautiful 17th Century Watergate of Enniskillen Castle. We then continued through the Portora Lock Gates into Lower Lough Erne. After about 1.5 hours paddling we reached Devenish Island (GR 223 468), which was once the centre of Fermanagh’s cultural and spiritual life – a monastic settlement was founded here in the 6th century. Climbing the inside of the 81 feet high round tower built during the 12th century was a great way to round off the trip.

We reluctantly headed off to our pick point on the mainland at Trory (GR 227 477) and loaded our kit up to head home. We had our own equipment and my parents to do car transfers but this can all be arranged through a number of canoeing providers in the area, again these are listed in the guide and web site.

Lough Erne has got to be one of the best touring venues in the British Isles, even as a native of Fermanagh I discovered so much more about the area. The range of places we saw and the interesting people we met made this more than just a canoe trip but an overall experience. We choose to stay at relatively busy campsites and enjoyed the nightlife on a few occasions but if this it not for you do not worry as the guide provides numerous campsites off the beaten track so you can enjoy a wilderness experience.

We only managed two thirds of the Lough Erne Canoe Trail but we will definitely return in the future to explore the area further.

Ashley Hunter

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