Autumn has finally arrived and along with the inevitable cold weather it will also bring one of the best displays of the year, the changing colour of the leaves. This magical display is always a marvel to behold with the once uniformly green leaves bursting into an array of colours. Lough Neagh is one of the best places to experience this first hand with the versatile range of wooded areas around it’s shore, you’re sure to find a great spot to enjoy the terrific Lough Neagh Autumn.
Ballyronan Marina
Ballyronan Marina proves to be a great place to enjoy Autumn not only because of the woods, but because of the fantastic walk out around the marina which affords fantastic views of the surrounding shoreline. The magnificent change can easily be viewed all the way from the marina all the way around to Traad Point with large swathes of the Co. Antrim side of the lough also being visible. This is simply one of the best places to experience the beautiful Lough Neagh Autumn. For visitors to the site, Ballyronan Marina’s facilities include toilets, picnic benches, children’s play park and an outdoor gym.
Website: Ballyronan Marina
Toome Canal
The short but quiet walk by Toome Canal is a great way to enjoy the serenity that autumn affords. The path along the canal offers visitors during autumn a perfect way to experience of the changing colours of autumn from the initial archway that welcomes visitors to the walk all the way up to seating area at the end of the walkway. Toome canal offers great variety that is hard to match, culminating the in the tremendous view out onto the lough and along the transforming shoreline. For visitors to the site, Toome Canal walk features a number of seats along it’s length as well as an outdoor gym.
Website: Toome Canal
Cranfield Church and Holy Well
Cranfield church and holy well seems like an almost perfect place to enjoy the Lough Neagh autumn with its remote location and its position on the shoreline of the lough. Sitting amongst the ruins of the old church or marvelling at the lore behind the holy well, there are plenty of great spots to enjoy the changing seasons from. With the beautiful surroundings and miles of shorelines to see from the spectacular view, Cranfield marks itself out as a great place to enjoy the beautiful Lough Neagh Autumn. For visitors to the site, Cranfield’s facilities include public toilets.
Website: Cranfield Church and Holy Well
Antrim Castle Gardens
From the moment you enter Antrim Castle Gardens, it’ll be hard to escape the reminders of Autumns arrivals because of the row upon row of giant trees that engulf the entrance. The change is quite remarkable switching from the thick canopy of rich green tree tops that summer provides to a burst of yellow and orange leaves with the accompanying carpet of leaves that helps to fill the grounds with such a vivid range of colours. Antrim Castle gardens has such a diverse range of environments that it is great to get out and exploring and discovering all the fantastic changes first hand. For visitors to the site, Antrim Castle Garden facilities include public toilets, seating and a coffee shop.
Website: Antrim Castle Gardens
Portmore Lough
Portmore Lough is simply one of the best places around Lough Neagh to enjoy and get a feel for the diverse range of wildlife that lough Neagh calls home. The Lough comprises a number of habitats including wetlands, meadows and Portmore Lough itself, each to a fantastically diverse range of wildlife. The Lough’s diversity is not the only thing that makes it such a fantastic place to visit during autumn, Portmore Lough is an amazing place to view migrating birds from, with many species congregating here before heading south for the winter as well as the many birds that migrate to the lough from further north. For visitors to the site, Portmore Lough’s facilities include public toilets and picnic benches.
Website: Portmore Lough
Lough Neagh Discovery Centre
The Discovery Centre is a fantastic centre located at Oxford at the south-east of Lough Neagh. The centre has a strong focus on maintaining the environment and habitats around Lough Neagh with trails taking visitors throughout the woodlands and the wetlands. The centre is great to visit during the autumn months as many species of wintering wildfowl start to arrive providing a fantastic opportunity for bird watchers to make the most of. The nearby Kinnego marina is easy to reach and contains a fantastic little fairy trail which is great for kids to enjoy with all of the fantastic colour that autumn brings to the woodlands. For visitors to the site, Lough Neagh Discovery Centre’s facilities include public toilets, a restaurant, and seating.
Website: Lough Neagh Discovery Centre
Portglenone Forest
The beautiful and expansive Portglenone Forest is a perfect place to enjoy the explosion of colour that autumn brings. The ancient woodlands provide a stunning backdrop to experience the autumn transformation from with it’s diverse range of tree’s and fauna. One of the best features of Portglenone Forest is the access that it provides to the River Bann, offering visitors the opportunity to enjoy fantastic autumn vistas by the riverside, being well worth the visit all on it’s own. For visitors to the site, Portglenone Forest’s facilities include public toilets.
Website: Portglenone Forest
Visit our website for further information about Lough Neagh & Its Waterways: discoverloughneagh.com
