Lough Muckno Walk

2 miles (3.6 km)

This circular walk explores Black Island at Lough Muckno in�County Monaghan�near the town of�Castleblayney.
You can start the walk from the car park near Blaney Castle on the eastern side of Castleblayney. Heading east from here will take you onto the Black Island Walk where there are woodland trails and a Shoreline Walk on the eastern edge. Along the way there's lovely views across the lake to the surrounding countryside. Also look out for a variety of woodland birds and other wildlife.
The area is now part of a leisure complex where there are several places for refreshments, watersport activities and a picnic area. More details on the history of the area can be found below.
To continue your walking in the area you could head east into Northern Ireland to visit the Ring of Gullion AONB. Here you can climb to Slieve Gullion and enjoy some wonderful views over the area.

Lough Muckno Open Street Map - view and print off detailed map

Lough Muckno Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

Lough Muckno Leisure Park in Castleblayney was originally part of the estate of the Blayney family, from whom the town of Castleblayney takes its name.
The twelfth Lord Blayney, the last to hold the title, sold the estate in 1853 to Henry Thomas Hope, after whom Hope Castle is named.
Hope gave his name to the internationally known Hope Diamond, which had been cut from the Tavernier, the largest blue diamond in the world. The diamond had formed part of the French Crown Jewels but was stolen during the French Revolution. It later turned up at an auction in London and was bought by Henry Thomas. It was reputed to be unlucky, however, and Henry Thomas disposed of it in 1867.
By 1916, The Hope family had fallen on lean times and sold the estate to return to England. The grounds of the estate now form the wonderfully scenic Lough Muckno Leisure Park.