RHH's photos with the keyword: strangford lough

Castle Espie is an Estate that has been turned into a wildfowl refuge. It lies near the upper end of Strangford Lough. This picture was taken looking northwest from Castle Espie towards Newtownards and Scrabo Tower which lies to the south of the town. The second picture is of Scrabo Tower. "Castle Espie is a wetland reserve managed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) on the banks of Strangford Lough, three miles south of Comber, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is part of the Strangford Lough Ramsar Site. It provides an early wintering site for almost the entire Nearctic population of Pale-bellied Brent Geese. The Castle which gave the reserve its name no longer exists."

This is from west shore of Strangford Lough near Audley's Castle.

In Explore December 11, 2009, #373. The website of the NIEA gives the following information about this site: "Nendrum is generally regarded as the best example of a pre-Norman monastic site in Northern Ireland that still has ruins from the original buildings. Thought to have been set-up by St Machaoi in the 5th century, it has also been linked to St Patrick in later sources. The monastery consists of three round dry-stone walled enclosures, one within the other, with evidence of industrial work being carried on outside.The central enclosure has a church ruin with sundial, the remains of round tower and a graveyard. The middle enclosure contains remains of huts and workshops." The ruins are on Mahee Island, the largest Island in Strangford Lough, and somewhat out of the way. This view shows the stump of the round tower that once dominated this site. We visited the place many times while living in Northern Ireland, but at least one time after reading to the children "The Bell of Nendrum" by J.S. Andrews, a children's book about the destruction of the monastery by the Vikings in 976 AD.

Strangford Lough is an arm of the sea that runs up along the southeast coast of Northern Ireland, separating the Ards Peninsula from the rest of County Down. From earliest times it has provided secure and safe harbors, and access to the coast, as well as fishing grounds and locations for villages and homes. It is the largest inlet in the British Isles.