PUBLIC access on Cuilcagh Mountain has been temporarily closed to facilitate the construction of a new boardwalk across the blanket bog following the line of the old path.

Fermanagh District Council has successfully secured European funding under the INTERREG IVA programme to finance the project. Work on the new path began yesterday (Monday) and is expected to finish by January 2015. Public access to the summit of Cuilcagh Mountain will remain closed in the Cuilcagh Mountain Park beyond the end of the gravel lane although walkers will still be able to reach the top of the mountain via the Hikers Trail from the Gortalughany Viewpoint.

Cuilcagh Mountain is a distinctive landscape familiar to everybody in Fermanagh, straddling the border of counties Fermanagh and Cavan and, at 665 metres (2,182ft) above sea level, Cuilcagh is the highest point and the only true mountain in County Fermanagh.

Cuilcagh Mountain is designated under European environmental legislation as a Special Area of Conservation, an Area of Special Scientific Interest and a Natura 2000 site. It also has one of the largest expanses of mountain blanket bog in Europe and is internationally important for its array of natural habitats, wildlife and plant species. It is no surprise then to see that the Cuilcagh Mountain Park is a key site within the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark.

Ranging from rugged uplands, caves, lakes and forests through to gently rolling drumlins, the landscapes teamed with some of the very best facilities the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark is the perfect location for an activity holiday.

A challenging but popular walk within the Geopark is the Cuilcagh Way, which starts at the entrance to the Cuilcagh Mountain Park and leads up to the summit of Cuilcagh. Due to the environmental sensitivity of the blanket bog and to damage caused by a land slip as well as by walkers, the Cuilcagh Way was temporarily closed in September 2012. Since then, Fermanagh District Council, along with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and local landowners, has been looking for a way to resolve the environmental issues whilst providing access to the mountain for walkers.

More information is available on the Geopark website www.marblearchcavesgeopark.com or by telephone on 028 6634 8855.