Upper Lake

What makes it special

St Kevin spent his first years in the valley as a hermit here, and two spots on the lake still carry his name. Both are easy to miss if you do not know where to look.

St Kevin's Bed is cut into the cliff face high above the water. Tradition says Kevin prayed there, though it may be a prehistoric tomb far older than him. It is not safe to reach, so you see it from across the lake.

St Kevin's Cell is the other: a few stones left of a beehive hut on a narrow ledge above the lake. Steps lead down to it from a forest road through the oak woods, and the ledge is also a viewpoint over the whole lake.

The Miners' Road side of the lake is wilder ground. The track passes through Scots pine woodland, feral goats are common, and you may catch a peregrine falcon.

Visiting

Every walk at the lake starts and finishes at the National Park Information Office, which hands out a free trail map. Staff there will help you choose a route, and each trail is signposted with coloured arrows.

For the lake itself, follow the purple arrows of the Miners' Road along the Upper Lake to the ruined Miners' Village. Ask at the office which stretch of trail gives the clearest view across the water to St Kevin's Bed.

Back at the office, the bronze arrows lead up a forest road to the steps down to St Kevin's Cell. Finish at the picnic areas by the lake.

Tips

Treat the sandy eastern end, the one stretch of shore used for summer paddling and swimming, as open water with no lifeguard. The shallows are narrow and drop away suddenly into a deep lake, so keep children within reach. Life rings hang at intervals along the shore, and boats, canoes and every kind of inflatable, airbeds included, are banned on the lakes.

Pack layers, because sunshine turns to drizzle and back within an hour, and wear waterproof boots with ankle support for anything beyond the Green Road. Take your litter home, light no fires, and keep dogs on a lead, since the cliffs are a real danger to them.