About this property
Belle Isle Estate is an exceptional mixed-use country estate situated in an outstandingly picturesque and ecologically important location on the banks of Lough Erne in County Fermanagh, an area which is famed for the variety of its landscape and natural beauty.
The estate comprises a wide range of assets and attractions including an exceptional principal residence at its core. Designed in a castellated style, it is listed Grade B+ for its architectural and historic importance. The castle offers well balanced and beautifully proportioned accommodation measuring about 15,524 square feet gross internal area. Its commanding waterside position within traditional parkland allows for impressive far reaching views across Upper Lough Erne.
Within the estate are 17 cottages and apartments which provide excellent accommodation for guests, staff and residential lettings.
The estate has attractive formal gardens, a beautiful walled garden and wooded policies. There are wonderful walks, opportunities for boating on Lough Erne, glorious scenery and an abundance of wildlife including game, birdlife, flora and fauna.
The estate has been hired for prestige events and weddings. The let accommodation throughout the estate can presently sleep up to 65 guests.
There is a well renowned and high-quality shoot across the estate, while excellent fishing can be enjoyed on Lough Erne.
The estate extends to about 448 acres (181 hectares) in total with about 239 acres of pasture land. There are about 178 acres of woodland, including ancient woods of mixed species. A key feature of the estate is the extent of water frontage (about 6.5 miles in total) which includes four private islands, a sizeable jetty for a boat and planning permission to construct an additional private jetty.
The combination of rental income and venue-related revenue currently contributes a diverse income. The estate infrastructure has been maintained to a high standard, while the estate itself has been well managed under the direction of the present owners. There is however scope for the next custodian of Belle Isle to develop or diversify the estate further and to make use of natural assets for those wishing to offset their carbon footprint or mitigate the effects of climate change.
Local information
- Belle Isle Estate has a glorious situation on the banks of the tranquil River Erne and is located about 8 miles south-east of the town of Enniskillen. A county town, Enniskillen offers a broad range of services, amenities, cultural activities and education including the Enniskillen Royal Grammar School whose notable alumni include Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett.
- Country Fermanagh is the most westerly county of Northern Ireland and is renowned for its abundance of scenery, history, and culture, making it one of the most attractive counties on the island of Ireland. Fermanagh is a water-lover’s paradise, with extensive lakes, rivers, inlets and waterways providing fishing, boating and water sports.
- Lough Erne provides some of the most breath-taking lake views in the county and comprises two lakes connected by Enniskillen, the only island town in Ireland. Lough Erne is connected to the River Shannon by the Shannon-Erne Waterway, a series of canals and lakes that allow navigation from County Fermanagh in Ulster to County Clare in Munster.
- Due to the varying terrain throughout the county, there are many scenic walks, including Cuilcagh Mountain, the highest summit in the county and a part of the Marble Arch Caves UNESCO Global Geopark. Fermanagh has many forests open to the public, providing a variety of charming walks.
- The area is well-served for the fieldsports enthusiast, with world-class driven snipe and woodcock shooting. There are also a number of premier driven pheasant shoots in the area, with let-days available. The abundance of lakes and rivers provide fishing for salmon and wild brown trout, as well as stocked rainbow and brown trout. There is equestrianism in the form of the Fermanagh Harriers Hunt, a pony club and an equestrian centre near Enniskillen. The Kingfisher Cycle Trail extends to 298 miles, with much of it passing through Fermanagh.
- Belle Isle Estate is in the ideal location for leisure activities with many amenities in close proximity including three National Trust properties – Castle Coole (about 9 miles), Florence Court (about 10 miles) and Crom Estate (about 12 miles).
- For boating enthusiasts, Crawford’s Marina is situated about 3 miles away. This marina offers private boat owners a range of comprehensive facilities including deep water sheltered mooring, floating jetties throughout and a maintenance / repair workshop on site.
- For golfing enthusiasts, Belle Isle has three renowned courses nearby including Lough Erne Golf Resort (about 13 miles) – home to two championship golf courses, Enniskillen Golf Club (about 8 miles) – an 18-hole parkland course dating from 1896 and Castle Hume Golf Club (about 13 miles). The neighbouring county of Donegal has many excellent links courses which are playable year round.
- Belfast International Airport (about 78 miles) and Dublin International Airport (about 100 miles) offer regular flights to the UK and also to a variety of destinations throughout the world.
