Lough Dan

A long, curving ribbon lake sitting around 200 m above sea level, tucked into a glacially carved valley at the foot of Luggala and Knocknacloghoge. It covers about a square kilometre, fed by the Cloghoge River from the northeast and the Inchavore from the northwest, and drains south into the Avonmore. Dark, still water, conifer plantation, blanket bog and rough peaks all in one view.

• From the public road: the R759 runs through this landscape with open outlooks over the valley and surrounding mountains.
• From the public uplands: the Wicklow Way crosses open hillside east of the lake and gives the classic look straight down its length, with the water narrowing between steep slopes. That high angle is genuinely the best version of this place.
• Stick to waymarked trails and durable ground, and keep dogs on leads.

The valley is textbook glacial work, a deep trough with the lake pooled along its floor. Small pockets of native sessile oak woodland grow in this part of the mountains, some of it a century old, alongside heather, bilberry and sphagnum on the wetter ground. Deer roam the wider hills and are sometimes spotted at a distance, though nothing is guaranteed. Blanket bog and ground-nesting birds here are easily damaged by foot traffic, another good reason to stay on public paths.

Waterproofs, proper boots with grip for boggy and steep ground, water and food, and a downloaded map plus a way to navigate that does not rely on signal. Roadside stopping options are limited and informal, so drive slowly, park only where it is legal and safe, and never block gates or farm access.

You trade the satisfaction of standing at the water for something quieter and, from the right vantage, more dramatic. Come for the wide view over a wild valley rather than a lakeside afternoon, and it delivers.