Lakes of Killarney

The Lakes of Killarney are a scenic attraction located in Killarney National Park near Killarney, County Kerry.

There are three main lakes:

Lough Leane
Muckross Lake (also called Middle Lake) and
Upper Lake.^[1]

Surroundings

The lakes sit in a low valley some 65 feet above sea level.^[1] They are surrounded by the rugged slopes of MacGillycuddy's Reeks; Ireland's highest mountains.

The N71 road from Killarney to Kenmare passes a viewpoint called Ladies View which offers a view of the lakes and valleys. On the occasion of Queen Victoria's visit in 1861, the point was apparently chosen by the queen's ladies-in-waiting as the finest in the land; hence the name.

The lakes

Lough Leane

Main article: Lough Leane

Lough Leane is the largest and northernmost of the three lakes, approximately 4,695 acres (19 km²) in size.^[2] It is also the largest body of fresh water in the region.^[3] The River Laune drains Lough Leane to the north-west towards Killorglin and into Dingle Bay.

Leane is dotted with small forested islands, including Innisfallen Island, which holds the remains of the ruined Innisfallen Abbey.^[1] On the eastern edge of the lake, Ross Island, more properly a peninsula, was the site of some of the earliest Copper Age metalwork in prehistoric Ireland.^[4] Ross Castle, a 15th-century keep, sits on the eastern shore of the lake, north of the Ross Island peninsula.

Muckross Lake

Main article: Muckross Lake

Also known as Middle Lake or Torc Lake, Muckross is just south of Lough Leane.^[5] The two are separated by a small peninsula, crossed by a stone arched bridge called Brickeen Bridge.^[1] It is Ireland's deepest lake, reaching to 246 feet in parts.^[6] A paved hiking trail of approximately six miles circles the lake.

Upper Lake

Main article: Upper Lake, Killarney

The Upper Lake is the smallest of the three lakes, and the southernmost. It is separated from the others by a winding channel some two and a half miles long.^[1]