Castle Lake Trail Ballieborough

Castle Lake Trail

Ascent-150m/30m
Distance-3km
Estimated Time-1hr-1hr15mins

Grade-Easy

Minimum Gear-Trekking shoes, raingear and fluid

Terrain-Forestry roads

OS Sheet 35, N670 995

A beautiful lake and forest walk traversing the Castle Lake outside Bailieborough. The walk begins at the lake car park of Bailieborough Demesne. Walkers can undertake a looped walk of the lake with the option of adding an extra leg to increase the distance of the walk by 3km. Visitors will enjoy views of the lake for the entire duration of the walk. There are many interesting sites along the way including a memorial to those who died at Rebel Hill in 1798, graves of the Marist brothers who occupied Bailieborough Castle and the remains of Bailieborough Castle, built in the early 19th century and demolished in the 1940’s.
The Irish language translation of Bailieborough is Coill an Chollaigh, meaning forest of the boar. Today, you are not going to encounter any boars in this small County Cavan town, well known for its proximity to lakes and forests.

A-B. Start from the car park at Castle Lake. Facing the lake, start through the barrier on your right. Follow the blue arrows along a forestry road on the southern end of the lake. After 1 kilometre veer left at a Y-junction and continue for another 1 kilometre to reach a crossroads. Turn left here.

B-A. After 100 metres turn sharp left at another crossroads. Climbing gently now, the loop soon affords you spectacular views over Castle Lake and the surrounding countryside. Descending again you reach a wooden footbridge which takes you across a river.

C-A. Shortly after crossing the footbridge the loop rejoins the lakeshore, the trailhead is only 600 metres away.