Carrickcraft

About

Have you always wanted to go to Northern Ireland for a holiday? Have you always wanted to go on a boating holiday? You can do both by hiring a boat on Lough Erne.

Lough Erne is one of the most unspoilt and remote cruising waterways in Europe with no commercial traffic and stunning scenery. These waters are framed by magnificent country - lush green rolling meadows give way to craggy uplands with spectacular cliffs that then lead on to uninterrupted open moorland.

From the loughs the night sky is jet black and studded with a panorama of brilliant stars. The long summer days are so peaceful - hardly another boat will interrupt your calm. There are numerous free moorings along the waterway, many on uninhabited islands - just you and your family.

Lower Lough Erne, the most northerly of the two loughs, is a great expanse of open water fringed by mountains and dotted with islands. Upper Lough Erne is filled with dozens of islands, so it is more like a meandering river than a lake. Some islands have jetties and offer perfect lunchtime picnic stops.
Heritage features high on the Lough Erne tour - a perfectly preserved 12th century round tower on Devenish Island is easily reached by boat - and if you like your heritage older, there are some 6th century carvings on White Island. And for something more active, there are watersports centres on both lakes, offering sailing, waterskiing and kayaking.

Enniskillen, lying between the two loughs, is a picturesque market town and fascinating heritage centre. By day this busy town brims with shops, museums, a sports centre and castle.

By night, Enniskillen comes alive with happy holiday merriment from the wealth of original pubs and restaurants that offer delicious international culinary delights.

The Ballinamore and Ballyconnell Canal was re-opened in 1994 and links the Erne to the Shannon. The canal itself is a delightful cruise, meandering through a series of rivers, canals and loughs.