Nature’s harvest walk at Crom
Discover a tranquil autumnal landscape of islands, woodland and historic ruins, on the shores of Upper Lough Erne in County Fermanagh.
The beautiful colours of autumn and a variety of wildlife
Crom is one of the UK’s most important nature reserves, with the largest area of oak woodland in Northern Ireland, perfect for harvesting those autumn berries. There's a wonderful variety of wildlife out and about at this time of year, including wading birds, red squirrels and a thriving otter population.
Map
Start:
Visitor centre, grid ref: H332244
1
Start at the visitor centre; its barns are a roosting site for bats, with seven different species inhabiting this area. Look at the walls to see the little holes that act as their doorways. Please note: the visitor centre is shut from October to mid-March, but you can still see the roosting bats if they're out and about. Turn left as you leave the yard and walk along the old carriageway towards Crom Castle for a short while before turning left again through a gate into the parkland.
2
Follow the path to the Old Castle. Here you'll encounter one of the oldest yew trees in Ireland. Estimates of its age vary between 400 and 1,000 years. Be careful not to damage its roots or branches.
3
Continue along the loughside, past the pretty boathouse, before crossing the White Bridge onto Inisherk Island. Around here, and around points 4 and 5, you can harvest fruits and berries from the hedgerows and bushes. Be careful to only pick berries that you know are safe, such as blackberries and raspberries.
Boathouse and orchard
Enjoy the view of the boathouse from point 3 on the map, after you cross over White Bridge. To the north of the walled garden is Crom's orchard, which was planted some time in the late 19th century and flourished until the 1960s. We've since re-established the orchard by restoring the existing trees and planting new fruit trees, using traditional apple varieties.
4
Make a little loop of the island, passing the walled garden. Here, and at point 5, you should keep a look out for rare red squirrels, which you may see foraging for nuts to store for winter.
Red squirrels
You may be lucky enough to spot a rare red squirrel on your stroll. They'll be busy collecting acorns and hazelnuts in the autumn, to store for winter. Red squirrels are native to the UK but are threatened by the American Greys and by squirrel pox. Did you know that just like us, squirrels are either right or left handed?
5
Cross back over the bridge and turn left, taking a path through trees with Upper Lough Erne on your left and the grounds of Crom Castle to your right.
Wetland birds
Autumn's a good time to see wetland birds, such as tufted duck, great crested grebe and dabchick, gathering in the sheltered bays and loughs at Crom.
6
Reach the castle's main drive and continue walking until a path breaks off to your right near the small inland Lough Nalughoge.
Autumnal leaves
There are wonderful opportunities for taking in the golden reds and coppers of autumn leaves around Crom at this time of year. Look out for these at points 3, 5 and 6 on the map.
7
Continue on to return to the visitor centre and car park.
End:
Visitor centre, grid ref: H332244
