Belle Isle

Belle Isle is a 400-acre private estate on the Upper Lough, designated a Special Area of Conservation, and one of the most storied places on the Erne: the Annals of Ulster, a great chronicle of medieval Ireland, were compiled here in the late 15th century. The castle, begun in the early 17th century, was refurbished in 1991 to take guests and is let for exclusive-use stays, weddings and events, with self-catering apartments in the old courtyard and two cottages at the water’s edge. The estate arranges boating and fishing trips for the people staying there. It is not a public stop, though: no landing for passing boats is published, so unless you have booked, enjoy the castle and its woods from the water.