Days Out NI
Nature & wildlife Belcoo

Marlbank Viewpoint & Killykeeghan Walk

A free, easy loop through rare limestone meadows a mile from Marble Arch Caves

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OpenReserve open all year. Toilets and car pa…
FreeNo ticket needed
BelcooNature & wildlife
Get directionsOfficial website
45 minutesHow long
FreeEntry
4 and up who ca…Best for
On leadsDogs
FreeParking

Marlbank Viewpoint & Killykeeghan Walk — A free, easy loop through rare limestone meadows a mile from Marble Arch Caves.

  • What you'll see: Limestone pavement and glacial boulders, summer wildflowers (thyme, harebell, bird's-foot trefoil), butterflies (marsh fritillary, common blue, dingy skipper), dragonflies; red squirrels, pine martens and Irish hares in the wider reserve.
  • Season: Reserve open all year. Toilets and car park open Easter to September. McGrath's cottage exhibition open daily Jul-Aug, weekends May/Jun/Sep.
  • Dogs: Sources differ, and there is grazing livestock and limestone crevices, so check before you go; if allowed, keep dogs on a lead and under close control.
  • Parking: Free car park on Marlbank Road; 2m (6.5ft) vehicle height restriction. Around 1 mile from Marble Arch Caves Visitor Centre.
  • Food: None on site. Bring a picnic; cafés in Belcoo and at Marble Arch Caves nearby.
  • Toilets: Yes, on site (open Easter to September).
Plan your visit

Wildflowers, butterflies and limestone to explore

The big draw for kids is the easy treasure-hunt feel of the place. You walk over and around limestone pavement, with deep cracks and huge erratic boulders dropped by glaciers. From late spring into summer the grazed meadows flower with thyme, harebell and bird's-foot trefoil, and butterflies follow. Look for the marsh fritillary, common blue and the dingy skipper in early summer, plus moths and dragonflies. Rarer plants like the lesser butterfly orchid hide here too, so keep eyes on the ground.

Free Open all year Short circular trail Summer butterflies Toilets & car park Mile from Marble Arch Caves
Good to know before you go:

The reserve is best in late spring and summer when the meadows flower and the butterflies are out, so time a visit for warm, dry months. Guided walks and seasonal nature events sometimes run across the Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark and at nearby Marble Arch Caves; check before you travel.

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
Reserve open all year. Toilets and car park open Easter to September. McGrath's cottage exhibition open daily Jul-Aug, weekends May/Jun/Sep.
Best for ages
4 and up who can manage uneven, gravel and grass ground
What you'll see
Limestone pavement and glacial boulders, summer wildflowers (thyme, harebell, bird's-foot trefoil), butterflies (marsh fritillary, common blue, dingy skipper), dragonflies; red squirrels, pine martens and Irish hares in the wider reserve
Food
None on site. Bring a picnic; cafés in Belcoo and at Marble Arch Caves nearby
Toilets
Yes, on site (open Easter to September)
Parking
Free car park on Marlbank Road; 2m (6.5ft) vehicle height restriction. Around 1 mile from Marble Arch Caves Visitor Centre
Dogs
Sources differ, and there is grazing livestock and limestone crevices, so check before you go; if allowed, keep dogs on a lead and under close control
Accessibility
Gravel and grass trail with uneven ground; not suitable for wheelchairs and tricky for buggies
How long to allow
30 to 45 minutes for the loop; longer with the cottage and viewpoint
Address
Main Car Park, Marlbank Road, Marlbank, Co. Fermanagh, BT92 1EW
Questions

Before you go

Is it free?
Free
What will we see?
Limestone pavement and glacial boulders, summer wildflowers (thyme, harebell, bird's-foot trefoil), butterflies (marsh fritillary, common blue, dingy skipper), dragonflies; red squirrels, pine martens and Irish hares in the wider reserve
When is the best time to go?
Reserve open all year. Toilets and car park open Easter to September. McGrath's cottage exhibition open daily Jul-Aug, weekends May/Jun/Sep.
Can I bring the dog?
Sources differ, and there is grazing livestock and limestone crevices, so check before you go; if allowed, keep dogs on a lead and under close control
Where do I park?
Free car park on Marlbank Road; 2m (6.5ft) vehicle height restriction. Around 1 mile from Marble Arch Caves Visitor Centre
Getting there

Marlbank Viewpoint & Killykeeghan Walk is at Main Car Park, Marlbank Road, Marlbank, Co. Fermanagh, BT92 1EW. Free car park on Marlbank Road; 2m (6.5ft) vehicle height restriction. Around 1 mile from Marble Arch Caves Visitor Centre. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

Make more of the day

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The story

About the place

Killykeeghan sits in West Fermanagh, between Cuilcagh Mountain and the Erne lowlands, on prehistoric limestone hills formed hundreds of millions of years ago under a tropical sea. It is part of the wider Marlbank National Nature Reserve and protects the most extensive limestone grassland in Northern Ireland, a habitat found almost nowhere else in the country.

The grassland is kept rich by traditional conservation grazing. Sheep crop the turf so low-growing herbs like thyme, harebell and bird's-foot trefoil can flower and set seed, which in turn feeds the butterflies and moths the reserve is known for.

McGrath's cottage, a small two-roomed dwelling, was refurbished in 2006 and preserved as a 19th-century home. Inside, information boards tell the story of its last occupants, the McGrath family, and farming life in the area.