Lough Gill

A half-day sightseeing trip from Sligo can be taken by driving around Lough Gill, visiting Parke’s Castle, and enjoying a meal at Markree Castle. Leave Sligo to the north and follow signposts for Enniskillen, Lough Derg, and Dromohair, which bring you to the northerly shore of Lough Gill. Glimpses of the lough through the trees give way to stunning lough views as the road hugs the shore and arrives at Parke’s Castle. In summer, you can take a boat trip on the lake which takes you around Inishfree Island. Leaving the castle, follow the lough into Dromohair where you pick up the Sligo road. After 5 kilometers, when the road divides, take a single-track lane to the right, which leads you down to the lakeside where John O’Connel’s rowboat is tied to the pier. He lives by the lake and is sometimes available to row you to Inishfree Island.