Lough Tay Viewing Point

Overview

About Lough Tay Viewing Point

Why stop

Classic dark-water and white-sand panorama

Heads up

Crowded roadside stop on fine weekends
The lake shore is private and off-limits

From the road above it, this small mountain lake sits in a deep trough between Djouce Mountain and the cliffs of Luggala, and the effect is unmistakable: near-black peaty water with a band of bright white sand along the northern shore, like a pint of stout with the head just settled. The sand was brought in by the Guinness family when the surrounding estate was theirs, which is how the "Guinness Lake" nickname stuck. The wider valley has drawn film crews over the years, including for Vikings and Excalibur, though the view stands on its own.

Parkwolf’s verdictWhy stop

Map

Where it is

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Full map

SightLough Tay Viewing Point53.11398, -6.26332

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Plan your stop

Before you go

Best time to go

Arrive early, ideally before 10 a.m. at weekends, for a space and a quieter stop. Early and late light give the best contrast between the dark water, the pale sand and the surrounding slopes. Clear conditions matter more than anything else here: low cloud and rain can erase the view completely, and the ground is exposed and windy with weather that turns fast. If the tops are in cloud when you set out, treat the stop as a maybe rather than a plan.

Getting here and parking

The viewpoint is on the R759 Sally Gap road, reached either over the Sally Gap itself or up from the R755 Kilmacanogue to Roundwood road. There is a small free surface parking area beside it, and the view opens up from the pull-in with only a short walk. A few other public pull-ins serve this same stretch. All of them are small and fill quickly on fine weekends and through the busy season. The road is narrow and carries a steady flow of tourist traffic, so park properly and never stop where you block a lane or a passing place.

3 active Wicklow Mountains alerts

CautionExtreme upland fire riskDo not use solid-fuel BBQs in Wicklow Mountains National Park, and take extreme care with cigarettes and other naked flames because the hills are dry and at extreme risk of fire.Official details
CautionGlendalough Spinc trail works and intermittent disruptionsExpect intermittent disruption on the Glendalough Spinc trails while NPWS upgrades the White Trail.Official details

See all 3 alerts

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Wicklow Mountains Tour Guide

Your drive to Lough Tay Viewing Point, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Wicklow Mountains National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

Recorded for this place

Lough Tay Viewing Point

0:00 / 0:27

“Up ahead is the roadside viewing point for Lough Tay. A short walk from the pull-in gives you the view down over dark water and a bright strip of white sand.”

Plays as you drive up to Lough Tay Viewing Point in the Parkwolf Wicklow Mountains Tour Guide.

More about Lough Tay Viewing Point

The lake itself is off-limitsLough Tay, its white shore and the land around it are private Luggala Estate property, with no…

Lough Tay, its white shore and the land around it are private Luggala Estate property, with no public access. What you get here is the view from above, and that is the whole visit. Do not cross fences, walk onto estate land, or look for a way down to the water. Some ground near viewpoints along this stretch ends in sudden sheer drops, so stay well back from edges and keep children and dogs close.

Practical notesNo verified toilets, café or drinking water at the viewpoint or the nearby parking areas, so…

No verified toilets, café or drinking water at the viewpoint or the nearby parking areas, so bring water and snacks.
Bring a windproof and waterproof layer even on a promising day.
Take all litter away with you.
Honest drawbacks: it is a roadside stop rather than a destination in itself, it can be crowded and breezy, and the payoff depends entirely on visibility.
If you want to walk, the separate J.B. Malone Car Park nearby serves the Wicklow Way and more demanding Djouce-area routes, with mixed gravel, earth and boardwalk underfoot. Treat that as an optional add-on with its own parking, not as the way in to this viewpoint.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Wicklow Mountains

All Wicklow Mountains wildlife maps

204 sightingsSika DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map

18 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map

15 sightingsGrey HeronMost seen around 7 PMSighting map

11 sightingsCommon RavenMost seen around 8 AMSighting map

28 sightingsEuropean Common FrogMost seen around 7 PMSighting map

11 sightingsViviparous LizardMost seen around 11 AMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Wicklow Mountains. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.