Dinis Cottage

Dinis Cottage is an eighteenth-century cottage on Dinis Island, beside Muckross Lake. The former Herbert family hunting lodge is now a seasonal tea room and a useful pause on the park's walking and cycling routes. Follow the signed Dinis Road from Muckross House, or walk in from the car park beyond Torc Waterfall on the N71. You reach the cottage on foot or by bike, not by driving to the door. Keep it on the list if a cup of tea and a cake sounds like a good break.

A moderate 1 km round trip from the cottage reaches Old Weir Bridge and the Meeting of the Waters. The beginning can flood, and the boardwalk can be slippery, so this is a short walk that still deserves care underfoot. If you want a longer outing, the Muckross and Dinis circuit is about 10 km and also takes in Torc Waterfall.

The Herberts built the cottage as a hunting lodge in the 1700s, when they owned Muckross House and the surrounding park. It has served as tea rooms for more than two centuries. Look at the window panes: some names scratched into the glass date to the 1820s. A local tradition says newly engaged couples carved their names with a diamond for luck.

The light cottage sits behind a planted garden, with mature trees around it. Step back on the path and include the front gable with the garden and trees; a tight shot loses the setting that makes this stop distinctive.