Explore the Estate and Gardens
As well as being boasting the finest in Irish Victorian architecture Markree Castle is also famous for its wonderful estate and gardens. Situated on 800 acres on unspoilt park and woodland. The river Unsin, one of the cleanest in Europe is home to otters and kingfishers as well as a whole host of other wildlife. The estate has recently been included in studies of rare Daubenton’s Bats and native Irish Red Squirrels (which are regularly seen in the surrounding woodlands). Early morning walks in the grounds will afford glimpses of foxes, badgers and hares as well as fallow deer. Our resident flock of Wensleydale sheep add a touch of domesticity to this wildlife haven.
As well as providing a haven for Irish wildlife, Markree Castle boasts some of the very best in Victorian garden design. A garden-lover’s delight, Markree plays host to a number of interesting and beautiful plants in its herbaceous borders, shrubbery and beyond. The newly planted Winter Garden as well as the current restoration work on the Victorian Rockery attest to the continuing development of what has to be one of the finest gardens in the northwest.
Local Attractions
Markree is an ideal location from which to explore the Sligo area as well as for making day trips into neighbouring counties of Donegal, Leitrim and Mayo. Markree Castle is a base from which to make drives and walks that take in the beauty of the Sligo landscape that inspired WB Yeats. From climbing up to Queen Maeve’s grave on the top of Knocknarea, to watching surfers from the comfort of a beach-front pub in Strandhill to a visit to historical Lissadell, we would be happy to help you plan the particulars of your day trip. Horse riding is available on the estate and clay pigeon shooting and archery can be arranged in advance. Sligo is a mecca for golfers with no fewer than a dozen of Ireland’s top golf courses within easy reach of this Sligo hotel. The castle offers a relaxing and peaceful haven to return to after a busy day’s touring while its home-from-home atmosphere makes it a comfortable and cosy base.
To help plan your visit, check out sligotourism discoverireland and discoversligo.
