 Strangford Lough (from the Old Norse: Strangrfjörthr meaning " 'strong' 'ford'" describing the fast flowing narrows; and Loch Cuan in Irish meaning the calm lough describing the gentle waters of the mud flats) is a lough in County Down, Northern Ireland, separated from the Irish Sea by the Ards Peninsula. It is a popular tourist attraction noted for its fishing and the picturesque villages and townships which border its waters. The most notable of these is Portaferry, a small village of around 3,000 people.
The island studded sea lough is the largest inlet in the UK and Ireland, covering 150 square kilometres. Almost totally landlocked, the lough is approached from the Irish Sea through the eight kilometre long fast-running tidal narrows, which open out into more gentle waters where, it is said, there are 365 islands, one for every day of the year. In reality there are 70. Countless tidal rocky outcrops called pladdies litter the Lough and mudflats, along with marshes, rocks, bays and headlands. |
