Five of the six sit on or around Strangford Lough, which is the largest sea inlet in Ireland and the British Isles and holds at least 70 islands inside the shelter of the Ards Peninsula. Mahee Island carries Nendrum, one of the best-preserved early monastic sites in Northern Ireland: three rings of dry-stone wall, a round-tower base and the world’s oldest excavated tide mill, dated by its timbers to 619 AD. The grounds are free and open all year, though the small visitor centre only opens in summer.
Rough Island, near Comber, is an island only some of the time. A concrete causeway carries you across, and the sea covers it for about an hour either side of high tide, so the flat loop walk wants a tide table before you set off. The Copeland Islands are the bigger undertaking, three uninhabited isles three miles off Donaghadee, reached by boat from the harbour in summer, with the largest Arctic tern colony in Ireland and a bird observatory on Lighthouse Island since 1954. Mew Island’s lighthouse, working since 1884, is visible from those boats but closed to everyone bar observatory volunteers.
Lough Island Reavy is the outlier, a reservoir near Kilcoo in the Mournes, fished for pike, perch and wild brown trout from March to October and sitting on a 24-mile cycling loop out of Newcastle.
The largest sea inlet in Ireland and the British Isles, 150 km² of tidal water holding at least 70 islands and Northern Ireland's first marine nature reserve.
Home to Nendrum, three rings of dry-stone wall around a round-tower base and the world's oldest excavated tide mill, dated by its timbers to 619 AD.
An island only part of the day, reached by a concrete causeway near Comber for a flat loop walk among breeding waders.
Three uninhabited islands off Donaghadee, reached by summer boat, holding the largest Arctic tern colony in Ireland and a bird observatory running since 1954.
A 102-hectare reservoir near Kilcoo with pike, perch and wild brown trout, a March to October season and a place on a Newcastle cycling loop.
6 of 6 shown — tap a pin for the place.
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Strangford Lough is the largest sea inlet in Ireland and the British Isles, 150 km² of tidal water almost closed off by the Ards Peninsula and dotted with at least 70 islands. The ferry across the Narrows has run since 1188; in winter the mudflats fill with pale-bellied Brent geese, and the whole lough is Northern Ireland's first marine nature reserve.
Mahee Island, down
Mahee Island holds Nendrum, one of the best-preserved early monastic sites in Northern Ireland: three rings of dry-stone wall, a round-tower base, and the world's oldest excavated tide mill, dated by its timbers to 619 AD. The grounds are free and open all year; the small visitor centre only opens in summer.
Strangford Lough, down
Rough Island is only an island for part of the day. A concrete causeway near Comber links it to the mainland, and the sea covers the crossing for about an hour either side of high tide. Time it right and you get a flat loop walk with breeding waders and long views up Strangford Lough.
Donaghadee, down
Kilcoo, down
Copeland Islands, down
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