A romantic Plantation-era ruin standing right at the water's edge on Upper Lough Erne, deep inside the National Trust's Crom Estate near Newtownbutler. You reach it on a lovely lakeside walk that runs past some of Ireland's most ancient yew trees.
What you'll see — the broken towers and walls of the Old Castle right beside Upper Lough Erne, the huge sprawling boughs of the ancient Crom Yews near it, the walk out to them through the estate woodland, and wide views over the water and its wooded islands.
How long — allow an hour or two for the round walk from the visitor centre out to the ruin and yews and back, longer if you make a day of the wider estate trails.
Cost — you visit through the Crom Estate, so it's National Trust paid entry, and free to members. Confirm the current admission and opening before you travel.
Food & parking — there's a tea room at Crom and a free car park at the visitor centre, which is where the walk to the Old Castle begins.
Dogs — dogs on leads are welcome on the estate trails; worth a quick check on the current policy before you go.
It's reached through the National Trust's Crom Estate. You access the Old Castle via the estate — paid, seasonal opening — so plan around that. See our full Crom Estate guide for the visitor centre, trails and boat hire.
It's a lakeside walk to the ruins. The Old Castle sits out by the water at the end of a walk from the visitor centre — bring comfy shoes, allow time, and keep little ones close along the lough shore.
Plan your visit
How do I get to the Old Castle?
The Old Castle is a feature within the National Trust's Crom Estate, not a separate ticketed site — so you come in through the estate, park at the visitor centre, and walk out to the ruin from there. That means it's National Trust paid entry, free to members, and the estate keeps seasonal opening hours, so always confirm current admission and opening before you set off, especially in winter. For the full picture of the visitor centre, the trails, the tea room and boat hire, see our Crom Estate guide — this page is all about the Old Castle ruins, the ancient yews and the lakeside walk to them.
Free parking at visitor centreTea room at CromDogs on leads — check firstOn Upper Lough Erne
Two to remember:
You reach the Old Castle through the National Trust's Crom Estate, which is paid and seasonal — so check opening before travelling. And it's a proper lakeside walk out to the ruin, so wear comfortable shoes, allow an hour or two, and keep little ones close by the water.
Before you set off
What to wear & bring
👟Comfy walking shoesIt's a walk from the visitor centre out to the ruin — trainers or walking shoes, not sandals.
🧥A coat for the loughYou're out by open water — it can turn cool and breezy even on a mild day.
📷A cameraThe ruin, the yews and the lough views are lovely — you'll want a few photos.
💧Water and a snackThere's a tea room at Crom, but pack water for the walk, especially with little ones.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Getting in
The Old Castle is within the National Trust's Crom Estate — National Trust paid entry, free to members. There's no separate ticket for the ruin; you come in through the estate. Confirm current admission before you travel.
Opening
The estate keeps seasonal opening hours, so always check current times before setting off, particularly in winter. See our Crom Estate guide.
What you'll see
The romantic Old Castle ruins by the water, the ancient Crom Yews near them, wide views over Upper Lough Erne and its wooded islands, and the lakeside walk out through the estate woodland.
The yews
A pair of ancient intertwined yew trees, said to be among the oldest in Ireland, grow near the Old Castle — huge, low-sprawling and thought to be many hundreds of years old.
Food
There's a tea room at Crom by the visitor centre. Bring water for the walk out to the ruin.
Dogs
Dogs on leads are welcome on the estate trails. The current policy can change, so it's worth a quick check before you go.
Parking
Free car park at the Crom visitor centre, where the walk to the Old Castle begins.
How long
Allow an hour or two for the round walk out to the ruin and yews and back — longer if you explore the wider estate.
Address
Crom Estate, Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh, BT92 8AP — signposted from Newtownbutler on the shores of Upper Lough Erne.
Questions
Before you go
Is the Old Castle the same as Crom Castle?
No — they're two different castles. The Old Castle is the romantic ruin by the water, said to date from the early 1600s. The newer Crom Castle, built later a little inland, is the family's private home and is not open to visitors. You come here for the Old Castle ruins, the yews and the lakeside walk. See our Crom Estate guide for the wider grounds.
How do I get to the Old Castle ruins?
You reach them through the National Trust's Crom Estate — park at the visitor centre and follow the walk out to the ruin by the lough. It's National Trust paid entry, free to members, on seasonal opening, so confirm current times before you travel.
Can I actually walk up to the ruins?
Yes — it's a lakeside ruin at the end of a walk from the visitor centre. It's a genuine open ruin by the water, so keep little ones close along the shore and wear comfy shoes.
What are the ancient yews?
A pair of intertwined yew trees near the Old Castle, said to be among the oldest in Ireland — huge and low-sprawling, thought to be many hundreds of years old. They're one of the loveliest surprises of the walk.
Is there food and parking?
There's a tea room at Crom by the visitor centre and a free car park there too, which is where the walk to the Old Castle begins. Bring water for the walk itself.
How long does it take?
Allow an hour or two for the round walk out to the ruin and the yews and back — or make a longer day of it across the wider estate trails.
Getting there
Crom Estate, Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh, BT92 8AP — signposted from Newtownbutler on the shores of Upper Lough Erne, with a free car park at the visitor centre where the walk to the Old Castle begins.
The Old Castle at Crom is thought to date from the early 1600s, when it was built as a Plantation stronghold for the Crichton family on the shore of Upper Lough Erne — a defensible spot on a maze of water and wooded islands that had been settled and fought over for centuries. The story goes that it was besieged more than once in the turbulent years that followed, before fire in the 1760s left it as the picturesque, roofless shell that stands by the water today.
Beside the ruin grow the great Crom Yews — a pair of huge, low-sprawling, intertwined yew trees said to be among the oldest in Ireland, thought to be many hundreds of years old. Rather than rebuild on the old site, the family later put up a newer Crom Castle a little inland, which is still their private home. So the Old Castle was left to the lough and the yews — and walking out to it now, with the water working quietly against the shore, it's an easy, romantic ruin to fall for.