Acres Lake Loop - the shannon Blueway

After having parked the car nearby the Marina of Acres Lake on the outskirts of the pretty village of Drumshanbo, co.Leitrim , we were welcomed by the sun which tried to make an appearance on this wet Sunday in September.
We were here to walk the new floating boardwalk at Acres lake which forms part of the Acres Lake loop which runs over a distance of 12km. The walk starts at Acres Lake and runs as far Leitrim village passing Drumhauver Bridge, Drumleague lock and Battlebridge lock.

The floating walkway was only opened on the 5th September 2017, so it is brand new. The floating path is approx 160 meters in it's entire lenght and links up with a brand new path towards Drumhauver bridge.
Walking the boardwalk opens up a different perspective of Ireland's waterways, and walking past the reed and waterlilies with the odd fish jumping up out of the water is a fun way to discover Ireland's wildlife.
We believe this part of the walk is perfect for schools, clubs or any nature lover wanting to be close-up to  Ireland's water fauna and flora without the need to be on a boat.

As you can see from the picture below, when the path is wet, you get the impression that you have to walk through the water, but don't worry, your feet will stay dry.
County Leitrim has a lot of lakes, rivers and canals, and the opening of this path will give everybody the opportunity to enjoy these in all their glory.
The entire Acres Lake Loop (12km) can be completed in  2 to 2.5 hours without to much of an effort, this as entire loop is flat and well surfaced.