Anyone lucky enough to take a ramble along one of Mayo’s magnificent loop walks at the weekend would surely have had all the cobwebs of the winter blown away by the bitter North East wind.
However, the beautiful Alpine like sunshine more than compensated for the chilly conditions when we enjoyed one of our favourite treks along the Burrishoole Loop Walks near Newport.
On this occasion, we had only time for the Green Trail – the shortest of the three beautiful trails that all start at Derradda Community Centre – just off the N59 to Mulranny.
In all, there are 12 walks, ranging in distance from 3 to 16km in the Burrishoole Walks – so there is literally a walk to suit everyone.
Indeed, whichever walk you decide to take, you can look forward to a wonderful, tranquil few hours with panoramic views of lake, sea, mountain and only the baaing of sheep to disturb the bird song.
Easy on the feet
The trails are a credit to Mayo County Council with well-kept stiles all along the way, and plenty of sign-posting to make sure you never take a wrong turn.
And the entire trail is easy on the feet as it is nearly all tarred and very well maintained.
The trails cross the Great Western Greenway at a number of locations so you never know who you might come across cycling to Achill. The trailhead is also close to Burrishoole Abbey which is well worth a visit.
On Sunday, we took the Green trail, having previously walked the longer routes, which along with being the shortest is also one of the most enjoyable and with lots of gentle hills it will certainly give you an indication of your true fitness levels.
The views of Clew Bay and Clare Island are absolutely breathtaking, and, for this alone, I can highly recommend the shortest of the Burrishoole Loop Walks.
You will find more about the Burrishoole Loop Walks here.
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