Days Out NI
Nature & wildlife Aghalee

RSPB Portmore Lough

Free wetland reserve where wild ponies graze and waders nest by Lough Neagh.

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OpenOpen all year during daylight hours; toil…
FreeNo ticket needed
AghaleeNature & wildlife
Get directionsOfficial website
2 hoursHow long
FreeEntry
Roughly 4 and u…Best for
WelcomeDogs
FreeParking

RSPB Portmore Lough — Free wetland reserve where wild ponies graze and waders nest by Lough Neagh.

  • What you'll see: Konik ponies, lapwings, snipe, redshank, skylarks, Irish hares, marsh and hen harriers, whooper swans, geese, dragonflies and orchids in season.
  • Season: Open all year during daylight hours; toilets 9am-5pm daily. Free car park; when the gate is locked, park outside without blocking the entrance.
  • Dogs: Dogs allowed under close control on the paths and trails; clean up after them. Assistance dogs welcome throughout.
  • Parking: Free car park with 14 tarmac spaces and no height restriction; extra spaces outside the gate.
  • Food: No café. Picnic shelter and grass picnic area on site, so bring your own.
  • Toilets: Yes, including an accessible toilet, open 9am-5pm daily.
Plan your visit

Ponies, waders and a hide kids actually like

The Konik ponies are the showstopper for younger children: sturdy, mouse-grey wild-type horses that live out on the marsh year-round and keep the grass short for ground-nesting birds. From the hide you look straight over the reedbed and open water. In spring listen for lapwings and snipe and watch skylarks rise; summer brings common terns, dragonflies and butterflies; autumn and winter bring tufted ducks, pochards, marsh and hen harriers, then whooper swans and greylag geese arriving from Iceland. Borrow binoculars from the shelter when it's staffed and give each child a species to find.

Free Open all year Konik ponies Bird hide Pond dipping Buggy & wheelchair friendly
Good to know before you go:

The RSPB runs seasonal activities here through the year, from guided wildlife walks to family pond-dipping and nature events, plus group walks for parties of eight or more. Dates change with the seasons, so check the RSPB Portmore Lough page before you go.

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 all year during daylight hours; toilets 9am-5pm daily. Free car park; when the gate is locked, park outside without blocking the entrance.
Best for ages
Roughly 4 and up; easy enough for toddlers in a buggy and good for older budding birdwatchers.
What you'll see
Konik ponies, lapwings, snipe, redshank, skylarks, Irish hares, marsh and hen harriers, whooper swans, geese, dragonflies and orchids in season.
Food
No café. Picnic shelter and grass picnic area on site, so bring your own.
Toilets
Yes, including an accessible toilet, open 9am-5pm daily.
Parking
Free car park with 14 tarmac spaces and no height restriction; extra spaces outside the gate.
Dogs
Dogs allowed under close control on the paths and trails; clean up after them. Assistance dogs welcome throughout.
Accessibility
All-weather trail designed for wheelchairs and pushchairs, no steps or stiles, with low viewing slots and benches in the hide.
How long to allow
1 to 2 hours
Address
Portmore Lough Nature Reserve, 1 George's Island Road, Gawley's Gate, Aghalee, BT67 0DW
Questions

Before you go

Is it free?
Free
What will we see?
Konik ponies, lapwings, snipe, redshank, skylarks, Irish hares, marsh and hen harriers, whooper swans, geese, dragonflies and orchids in season.
When is the best time to go?
Open all year during daylight hours; toilets 9am-5pm daily. Free car park; when the gate is locked, park outside without blocking the entrance.
Can I bring the dog?
Dogs allowed under close control on the paths and trails; clean up after them. Assistance dogs welcome throughout.
Where do I park?
Free car park with 14 tarmac spaces and no height restriction; extra spaces outside the gate.
Getting there

RSPB Portmore Lough is at Portmore Lough Nature Reserve, 1 George's Island Road, Gawley's Gate, Aghalee, BT67 0DW. Free car park with 14 tarmac spaces and no height restriction; extra spaces outside the gate. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

Make more of the day

More days out around AghaleeSee what else is close by More nature & wildlife across NIReserves, loughs, woods and wetlands
The story

About the place

Portmore Lough sits on the south-east shore of Lough Neagh and is managed by the RSPB as a mosaic of wet grassland, reedbed, fen and open water. It's an Area of Special Scientific Interest and a Ramsar wetland, and part of the Lough Neagh and Lough Beg Special Protection Area for birds.

The herd of Konik ponies grazes the marsh to keep it open and short, creating the conditions that declining breeding waders like lapwing, snipe and curlew need. It's gentle, low-tech conservation that's also a treat for visitors, because the ponies are usually easy to spot from the trail.

The area carries old history too. Portmore Castle once stood nearby, built in 1664, and the famous Portmore 'Ornament Tree', a great oak felled in a storm in 1760, is said to have inspired the traditional song Bonny Portmore.