Tomies Wood

On the banks of Lough Leane sits Tomies Wood, a mystical oak woodland with a carpet of moss and a network of streams bubbling down to the lake. The area is filled with nature and wildlife, including red and sika deer, red squirrels, pine martens, buzzards and white-tailed eagles.

The oak forests there have been severely reduced by industrial planting of conifers and by an invasive rhododendron variety (which reproduces by seed rather than roots and is also called 'Frankenstein'). For years, attempts have been made to eradicate the rhododendron and replace it and the conifers with fresh oak trees. This is likely to take generations. The fresh oak seedlings are already growing on the other side of the lake (near Muckross).
Tip: The barrier to the parking lot closes at 6 p.m., but you can always drive out 😉