Two water systems account for most of this list. The Erne runs 120km from the Cavan hills through Upper and Lower Lough Erne to the sea at Ballyshannon, spreading into more than 150 islands on the way, and the places along it are strung out accordingly: Carrybridge, a small boating hamlet where a bridge crosses to Inishmore on the upper lough; Crom Estate, a National Trust reserve of ancient oak woodland and a burnt-out castle shell; Derrylin on the A509 towards the Cavan border; and Irvinestown, a working town in the north that works as a base for the lower lough.
The second system is underground. The Aghinrawn and the Owenbrean rise on Cuilcagh, sink into swallow-holes and join a third river to feed the Marble Arch Caves, where the 75-minute tour includes a boat ride when water levels allow. Above them the Cuilcagh boardwalk crosses the blanket bog from Belcoo, and the Cliffs of Magho, 300m over Lower Lough Erne at the top of the Lough Navar Forest Drive, give the view that ties the basin together.
The southwest corner sits on the border. Lough MacNean has Belcoo and Blacklion on the neck of land between its two basins; Lough Melvin straddles into Leitrim. Rainfall governs a good deal here: the cave boat, the karst rivers and the canoe water on the Arney all change with it.
A 300m escarpment above Lower Lough Erne where the viewpoint at the top of the forest drive takes in four counties.
Drains the largest karst basin in Northern Ireland before vanishing into a swallow-hole and feeding the river that runs through Marble Arch Caves.
A small boating and fishing hamlet on Upper Lough Erne, and a quiet base for the lakelands with the UK's first inland RNLI station.
A rural village on the A509 near the Cavan border, with the ruins of Corratrasna Castle and walks along Upper Lough Erne.
Two basins astride the border at the heart of the Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark, ringed by a sculpture trail and a free amenity area.
16 of 16 shown — tap a pin for the place.
Magho, fermanagh
The Cliffs of Magho rise 300m above Lower Lough Erne, and the viewpoint at the top of the Lough Navar Forest Drive takes in Fermanagh, Donegal, Sligo and Tyrone. The walk up is a hard 2.5km through the forest; a plaque near the summit remembers a 1943 flying-boat crash.
fermanagh
The Aghinrawn drains the largest karst basin in Northern Ireland, about 27 km², before disappearing into a swallow-hole and joining two other rivers underground to form the Marble Arch Caves system. Above ground you can walk the Cuilcagh boardwalk that crosses it; below ground the 75-minute show-cave tour includes a boat ride when water levels allow.
Enniskillen, fermanagh
Carrybridge is a small boating and fishing hamlet where a bridge crosses to the island of Inishmore on Upper Lough Erne. It has the UK's first purpose-built inland RNLI lifeboat station, opened in 2015, and works as a quiet base for the Fermanagh Lakelands.
Derrylin, fermanagh
Tucked along the A509 between Enniskillen and the Cavan border, Derrylin offers a genuine slice of rural Fermanagh life. Explore the enigmatic ruins of Corratrasna Castle, enjoy walks around Upper Lough Erne, and discover a village where centuries of history meet modern community warmth.
Border of County Fermanagh (Northern Ireland) and Counties Cavan & Leitrim (Republic of Ireland), fermanagh
Lough MacNean lies in two basins on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, with the villages of Belcoo and Blacklion on the neck of land between them. It’s the heart of the Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark, ringed by a 40-mile sculpture trail, island crannogs and a free amenity area with fishing, boats and a playground.
Northwest Ireland, leitrim
Lough Melvin straddles the Leitrim–Fermanagh border, its clear, low-nutrient water home to fish found almost nowhere else: the endemic Melvin charr and two native trout, the red-spotted gillaroo and the dark sonaghen. It's a fishing lake first, but the Eco Park at Kinlough and a 32km cycle loop give non-anglers a reason to come too.
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The Owenbrean rises on Cuilcagh Mountain, sinks underground, and joins two other rivers to form the Cladagh, which resurfaces in the Marble Arch Caves. The show cave's guided tour follows the river on foot and, when water levels allow, by boat. Above ground, three waymarked walks from Gortmaconnell cross limestone hills and bog.
Cavan, cavan
The River Erne runs 120 km from the Cavan hills through Upper and Lower Lough Erne to the Atlantic at Ballyshannon, spreading into a maze of more than 150 islands rather than a single channel. Monastic ruins, crannogs and Enniskillen Castle line the water, and since 1994 the Shannon–Erne Waterway has linked it to the Shannon for boats.
Carrick-on-Shannon, leitrim
The Shannon-Erne Waterway runs 63 km across the Irish border, linking the River Shannon with Upper Lough Erne through lakes, rivers and 16 self-service, smart-card locks. Closed for over a century, it reopened in 1994 as a cruising, paddling and cycling route.
Aghalurcher, fermanagh
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Northern Ireland, fermanagh
Upper Lough Erne, fermanagh
fermanagh
Enniskillen, fermanagh
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