Strangford Lough

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About Strangford Lough

Strangford Lough is a large shallow sea lough on the County Down coast, separated from the Irish Sea by the Ards Peninsula and linked to it by the fast-running tidal narrows at Portaferry. It is one of only three Marine Nature Reserves in the United Kingdom and is internationally important for its intertidal mudflats, eelgrass beds and wintering wildfowl.

The story of Strangford Lough

Strangford Lough was designated Northern Ireland's first Marine Nature Reserve in 1985, one of only three such reserves in the UK alongside Lundy and Skomer, and was also designated a Special Protection Area and Ramsar site for its internationally important bird populations. The lough has a long human history, with Viking longships sailing through the Narrows — the name Strangford comes from the Old Norse for "strong fjord", referring to the fierce tidal currents that can reach 8 knots. The lough contains over a hundred small islands called pladdies, and the National Trust owns and manages around 40 kilometres of its shoreline, including the important wildfowl refuge at the Quoile. It supports up to 100,000 wintering wildfowl and waders, including light-bellied brent geese that migrate each autumn from Arctic Canada.

Visiting with care

Take the Strangford–Portaferry car ferry to cross the Narrows, or drive the Ards Peninsula and follow the lough shore road. Good viewpoints include the National Trust hides at the Quoile, Scrabo Tower above Comber and Exploris aquarium at Portaferry, which showcases the lough's marine life.

Interesting facts

• Strangford Lough is one of only three Marine Nature Reserves in the UK, designated in 1985.
• Up to 100,000 wildfowl and waders winter here, including most of the world's light-bellied brent geese.
• The name Strangford comes from the Old Norse for "strong fjord", describing the Narrows tidal currents of up to 8 knots.
• The National Trust manages around 40 kilometres of the lough's shoreline, including the Quoile wildfowl refuge.