Ross Island Mining Trail

Ross Island Mining Trail is a gentle loop from Ross Castle through woods and along the southwest shore of Lough Leane to the historic copper workings. The full route is about 3 km (1.9 miles), easy and mostly level, and takes around an hour. A shorter paved Copper Mines circuit is also described at about 2 km, so follow the signs for the Mining Trail when you want the full loop rather than a quick lakeside stroll.

From Ross Castle car park, walk past the castle on the tarred road; after about 50 m, turn right onto the narrow walking trail. Turn right again, then after roughly 800 m take the left fork for the Copper Mines loop. At the next junction, turn left to start back toward the castle. The route passes the shoreline and returns to the same car park. The longer Governor’s Rock and Library Point walks can be joined to it but are separate outings.

Numbered markers and interpretation panels explain how people mined copper on Ross Island. Local histories trace mining here to more than 4,500 years ago; extraction ended around the middle of the 19th century. Ross Cottage, an ivy-covered ruin beside the approach, is linked by local tradition to the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, though the story of his stay is uncertain. The old workings are a lakeside history stop.

The path has a few mild rises and alternates between hard-surfaced track and wooded trail. A bench looks over Lough Leane toward Mangerton Mountain and Horses Glen; the wider views toward the MacGillycuddy Reeks and Ross Castle are the trail’s payoff. Pause there and include the waterline so the mountains have scale. Parts of the paths can flood in winter or after heavy rain, and the lakeshore needs supervision for children. Dogs may accompany you on lead, especially near old mine shafts. Toilets, visitor information and a seasonal coffee shop are at Ross Castle rather than on the trail.