Strangford Lough

Strangford Lough is a unique place to visit at any time of the year, and in spring there's a wide variety of wildlife to be found by the shore or in the wider countryside.

With more people than ever enjoying our coast and countryside places, we’re asking for your help in looking after them during your visit. Please help us protect wildlife and landscapes by following the Countryside Code, which includes taking any litter home with you and not lighting a barbecue or campfire.

With evidence of Vikings and smugglers, the coastal walk at Orlock on Belfast Lough is steeped in archaeology and history. This walk affords stunning views of the Copeland Islands and out across the Irish Sea towards Scotland, making it one of the best coastal walks in Northern Ireland.

Walk through wonderful mixed woodland to see wildlife and wildflowers at Nugent's Wood on the shores of Strangford Lough.

This short coastal route takes in the spectacular rugged coastline of the lower Ards Peninsula. With its simple whitewashed cottages and an unspoilt, timeless character, the National Trust village of Kearney is a scenic coastal walk and must-see in Northern Ireland.

Mesolithic hunter gatherers, St. Patrick, Vikings, and Norman invaders have all left their mark on Strangford Lough. The wealth of archaeological evidence tells a story of mankind’s dependence on the lough that spans thousands of years.

The kelp industry has significant commercial importance to the area. Records show the landowner could sell the rights to harvest seaweed from different areas of the shore.

The wooden traps were essentially a line of hundreds of posts driven into the sand which were then interwoven with long slender branches. This made a barrier that allowed the water through, during the falling tide, but not the fish.

One of the most impressive archaeological discoveries in Northern Ireland is the Neolithic log boat at Strangford Lough. Sitting in the sands at Grey Abbey Bay, a sample of this amazing archaeological find was radiocarbon dated to between 3499 and 3032 BC. This makes it over 5,000 years old and the oldest boat in Ireland found in a marine setting.