Lough Easkey is a remote lake filling a col high in Sligo’s Ox Mountains. It exemplifies the landscape of Ireland’s mid-height hills: empty, undulating bogland, punctuated by occasional peaks, lakes and forests. A walk here is an excursion into Ireland’s wild hinterland.

Forming part of the long-distance Sligo Way, this 6km loop makes an anti-clockwise circuit around the lake shore. It’s signed by purple arrows, and follows a combination of bog paths, wooden footbridges, forest tracks and minor roads.   

The blanket bog that surrounds the lake is designated as a special area of conservation. It’s home to rare types of moss, Ireland’s only native reptile the common lizard, and threatened bird species like the Greenland white fronted goose.

- Helen Fairbairn
 

Don’t Miss

Stunning lakeshore views

The sense of open space when standing in the middle of a massive blanket bog

Practical Information

The name ‘Easkey’ means ‘Plentiful in Fish’, and the lake is rich in salmon and trout

In wet conditions, wear good boots to keep your feet dry across boggy patches