Discover Enniskillen: History, Museums and Lakeside Scenery

Enniskillen brings together architectural and military history with walking trails and experiences on the water. If you’re looking for a hotel for a trip to Enniskillen, you could start by considering what you want your stay to focus on: museums and historic sites, scenic trails or activities on Lough Erne. The town offers a range of options.

Castle and Museums

Enniskillen Castle is around 600 years old. Hugh “The Hospitable” is credited with founding the castle sometime in the 1420s. The Castle Garden and Walkway offers views of Enniskillen and the lakes and rivers. You can book a self-guided visit to the museums at Enniskillen Castle. It includes the historic castle grounds, the Fermanagh County Museum and the Inniskillings Museum.

The Inniskillings Museum displays weapons, military vehicles, medals, uniforms, regimental tableware and trophies. Its exhibition tells more than 300 years of military history. At the Fermanagh County Museum, the Medieval Maguires Gallery leads to Enniskillen’s oldest rooms. The art collection includes paintings by William Scott and T. P. Flanagan, as well as rare Belleek Pottery. This means the museum complex brings together a range of subjects: military collections, historic rooms and art.

Places with a History of Their Own

The Buttermarket Craft and Design Courtyard is housed in a restored dairy market building dating from the early 19th century. Headhunters Barber Shop & Railway Museum recreates railway journeys through Fermanagh and the adjoining border areas up to the closure of the railway lines in 1957. Portora Castle, meanwhile, was built by Sir William Cole in 1613 at a former crossing point where the river flows into Lough Erne. These three places offer different ways to explore architectural history, railways and the historic link between river and lake.

Walks and Views

Forthill Park is a wooded urban park in the centre of Enniskillen. Its features include walking trails, ornamental gardens and a children’s playground. Cole’s Monument also stands in the park: 108 spiral steps lead to a viewing platform with views across Enniskillen and the surrounding area. The wooded landscaped grounds of Castle Coole slope down to Lough Coole and are ideal for longer walks. As trail conditions can vary seasonally, it’s worth checking the latest information before setting out on a longer walk.

Town Tour and Activities on the Water

The virtual “Raised in Enniskillen” town tour is around 2.5 kilometres long and has 17 stops. On the water, Erne Water Taxi offers guided chauffeur-driven tours on Lough Erne, beside the castle museum in Enniskillen. Blue Green Yonder rents out canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards from its base in Enniskillen, and runs guided paddling tours around the island town. For rentals and tours, it’s a good idea to check the latest booking and availability information.

Erne Adventures rents out hydrobikes in Enniskillen and offers adventure rides on electric-powered eBoards. Hydrobikes take cycling onto the water; eBoards are another, motorised way to get around. The Enniskillen Taste Experience adds an activity on land: the gourmet tasting tour of Enniskillen lasts three hours and includes tastings of locally produced craft gin and craft beers. Duration and tasting options may change, so check the latest information before booking.

Discover more destinations: Lisnarrick, Ederney, Irvinestown, Aghnablaney, Belleek, Letterbreen, Derrygonnelly, Drumgoon.

For the wider travel overview: Fermanagh.