The Bottom Line
Pros
- Huge park with well marked tracks for walking and cycling.
- Old castle ruins in picturesque location.
- Remnants of World War Two airbase for flying boats.
- Interesting visitor center with café.
- Many water-related activities possible.
Cons
- Can become quite busy on summer weekends.
Description
- Castle Archdale has been a fortified site since earliest times, ruins of a castle from in the 17th century can still be seen.
- Later developments included a large Manor House (disappeared) with ancillary buildings (now the visitor center).
- During the Second World War Castle Archdale was one of the most important airbases for flying boats.
- Reinvented as a Country Park it now has splendid trails, lots of amenities, a marina and a vast camping site.
Guide Review - Castle Archdale Country Park (County Fermanagh)
You will see speedboats zipping across Lough Erne, dragging inflatables with adventurous youths hanging on for dear life. You will also see floatplanes taking off. But all this activity adds to te scenery, does not sour the experience of long, peaceful walks. Or cycling along well laid-out routes through the woods. Roughly sixty years ago the picture was drastically different - Castle Archdale was one of the most important bases for the "flying boats" of the Royal Air Force, taking part in the Battle of the Atlantic. It was also part of one of the most secret agreements of that war: The so-called "Donegal Corridor", through which nominally neutral Éire allowed RAF planes direct access, adding a crucial 100 miles to their operational range. With success ... planes from Castle Archdale sank around ten German U-boats and participated in the sinking of the "Bismarck".
All this is explained in the well-appointed visitor center, together with the wide variety of wildlife on location, including the American mink (but not including skunks, despite the Canadian-named "Skunk Hollow" near the campsite). A café complements this, well worth a visit for the excellent Irish Stew alone.
If you want to spend more than a day here you can use the huge campsite (on the old RAF airfield) or the youth hostel. But normally most visitors spend only a full day, exploring at their leisure. Apart from numerous war relics (all safe and locked) there are the massive Sunderland docks (best seen from a boat) and a medieval castle (in ruins, but in a very picturesque woodland location).
