Days Out NI
Nature & wildlife Bellaghy

Lough Beg

A free, open-all-year bird reserve where swans and waders gather on flooded grassland.

5 photos
OpenOpen access all year. Best in early summe…
FreeNo ticket needed
BellaghyNature & wildlife
Get directionsOfficial website
2 hoursHow long
FreeEntry
Older children…Best for
Not permitted…Dogs
FreeParking

Lough Beg — A free, open-all-year bird reserve where swans and waders gather on flooded grassland.

  • What you'll see: Lapwing, redshank, snipe and curlew breeding in summer; whooper swans, greylag geese, wigeon, teal and shoveler in winter; migrating waders in spring and autumn.
  • Season: Open access all year. Best in early summer for breeding waders and in winter for swans, geese and ducks. Floods make it impassable in deep winter.
  • Dogs: Not permitted within the Nature Reserve, to protect ground-nesting birds and grazing livestock.
  • Parking: Free parking and a viewpoint at Longpoint Wood. Limited roadside verge parking nearby.
  • Food: None on site. Head into Bellaghy for cafes and shops.
  • Toilets: None at the reserve.
Plan your visit

What you'll actually see, season by season

Time your visit and you will see very different things. Early summer is for breeding waders, when lapwing, redshank, snipe and curlew are vocal and busy over the grassland. Spring and autumn migration brings passage birds like black-tailed godwit, greenshank and sandpipers. Winter is the showstopper, when the floods pull in whooper swans, greylag geese and ducks in their thousands. Rare grassland plants like pennyroyal and Irish ladies' tresses orchid grow here too. Pack binoculars and let kids tick off what they spot.

Free Open all year Whooper swans Breeding waders Birdwatching Free parking
Good to know before you go:

The reserve hosts occasional guided wildlife events such as bat walks at Long Point Wood. Check before you travel, as anything happening outdoors here depends on the season and the floods.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 🔭BinocularsHalf the fun is spotting the birds, seals or deer before they spot you.
  • 👟Walking shoes or welliesPaths can be soft, grassy or muddy after rain — comfy waterproof feet win.
  • 🧥A coatOut in the open the weather changes fast; dress for it and enjoy the fresh air.
  • 💧Water and a snackReserves are quiet places — few have a café, so pack a little something.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Cost
Free
Opening / season
Open access all year. Best in early summer for breeding waders and in winter for swans, geese and ducks. Floods make it impassable in deep winter.
Best for ages
Older children and families who enjoy birdwatching and walks rather than toddlers wanting play equipment.
What you'll see
Lapwing, redshank, snipe and curlew breeding in summer; whooper swans, greylag geese, wigeon, teal and shoveler in winter; migrating waders in spring and autumn.
Food
None on site. Head into Bellaghy for cafes and shops.
Toilets
None at the reserve.
Parking
Free parking and a viewpoint at Longpoint Wood. Limited roadside verge parking nearby.
Dogs
Not permitted within the Nature Reserve, to protect ground-nesting birds and grazing livestock.
Accessibility
Rough, open wet grassland with no surfaced paths. Generally walkable in summer; treacherous and flooded in winter. Not buggy or wheelchair friendly.
How long to allow
1 to 2 hours, or a half-day if you add the Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy.
Address
Lough Beg National Nature Reserve, The Strand, near Bellaghy, Co. Londonderry (grid ref H 975960). Viewpoint at Longpoint Wood.
Questions

Before you go

Is it free?
Free
What will we see?
Lapwing, redshank, snipe and curlew breeding in summer; whooper swans, greylag geese, wigeon, teal and shoveler in winter; migrating waders in spring and autumn.
When is the best time to go?
Open access all year. Best in early summer for breeding waders and in winter for swans, geese and ducks. Floods make it impassable in deep winter.
Can I bring the dog?
Not permitted within the Nature Reserve, to protect ground-nesting birds and grazing livestock.
Where do I park?
Free parking and a viewpoint at Longpoint Wood. Limited roadside verge parking nearby.
Getting there

Lough Beg is at Lough Beg National Nature Reserve, The Strand, near Bellaghy, Co. Londonderry (grid ref H 975960). Viewpoint at Longpoint Wood.. Free parking and a viewpoint at Longpoint Wood. Limited roadside verge parking nearby. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

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The story

About the place

Lough Beg, the 'small lake', is a shallow lake linked to the north-western corner of Lough Neagh by the River Bann. Its western shore, The Strand, is wet grassland that floods in winter and is grazed by cattle in summer, the very conditions that make it so rich for birds. It is a National Nature Reserve and part of a Ramsar-designated wetland of international importance for wintering waterfowl.

Out on the water, Church Island carries a layered history: a pre-Viking monastery site said to have been founded by St Taoide, a ruined medieval church and an eighteenth-century spire rising above the trees. It is reachable on foot only in dry summer spells, and even then with care.

The poet Seamus Heaney grew up nearby and returned to these loughs, rivers and bogs again and again in his work. His poem 'The Strand at Lough Beg' takes its name from the place where his family's cattle once grazed. Heaney is buried in Bellaghy, 1.5 miles away, where the Seamus Heaney HomePlace centre now tells his story.