The history of Belle Isle Estate

History of Belle Isle

Belle Isle has a rich history dating back to before the 15th century. It is the place where the Annals of Ulster were written and in the words of the esteemed Dr Katharine Simms of Trinity College Dublin she explains that the Annals of Ulster ‘represent fifteenth-century Fermanagh’s greatest cultural contribution’. Furthermore, in her opinion, ‘In no other part of the British Isles, perhaps in no other part of Europe has society in such a small closed community been chronicled in such detail.’

Belle Isle castle has passed through many names from the McManus Clan to the present day owner the Duke of Abercorn.

We have created a short history of Belle Isle for your information. This special place hold many stories, we hope that your will create you very own Belle Isle story when you stay with us.

Make an enquiry

Download Brochure

Already planning our next stay!

Book Your New Years Break at Belle Isle Estate, Fermanagh

Situated on the northern tip of Upper Lough Erne, Belle Isle is a 400-acre estate spread over eight picturesque islands. Inhabited since the 12th century, the estate today offers a wide range of attractive accommodations to suit the needs of your business or group outing.

Belle Isle Estate is delighted to be a winner of TripAdvisor's 'Certificate of Excellence' since 2014 - to view our recent reviews please follow the link below.

Our special offers are ever-changing allowing you to find something to suit your needs and to allow you to plan a unique experience for your corporate event at the beautiful Belle Isle Castle in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh. Book your stay in our Courtyard & Cottages today.

Stay in the wonderful Belle Isle Castle

Belle Isle Castle can be booked for groups of up to 27 guests sharing. Thirteen individually styled rooms offer guests a very unique stay.

More Details

Stay in a Courtyard Apartment

8 beautifully restored Courtyard Apartments sleeping between 2 and 8 guests.

More Details

Stay in a Coach House Cottage

Our 2 lovingly restored Coach House Cottages each sleep up to 4 guests.

More Details

Stay in one of our Holiday Cottages

3 cottages right next to the shore of Lough Erne, perfect for sleeping up to 6 guests.

More Details

"*" indicates required fields

Newsletter Sign Up

Be the first to hear about our latest news and special offers.

Name*

Please tick to consent to your data being stored and for us to respond in line with the guidelines set out in our Privacy Policy

Yes, that's okay

CAPTCHA

Belle Isle was a winner at the 2023 Irish Hotel awards!

Belle Isle Estate, Castle & Cottages

4.8

Based on 469 reviews

See all reviews Write a review

Lynne Spence

08:47 05 Apr 24

Great accommodation - very clean, well stocked with everything you need and very friendly and helpful reception staff! Gorgeous walks and a great place to recharge the batteries. Highly recommend!

Margaret Taylor

11:25 02 Apr 24

Thanks for a lovely weekend and all the help you been everyone enjoyed we had 3 families staying

Rachel Frazer

20:05 01 Apr 24

We booked our wedding at Belle Isle for the final weekend in March 2024. Everything was so well taken care of, Emma went out of her way to make sure we were all looked after. She was incredible.

David McCann

16:52 24 Mar 24

Always the most relaxing stay. Love the location all the property’s are clean and fresh and such nice place to be.

Joanne Cathcart

15:28 23 Mar 24

Paddie Devon

17:44 03 Mar 24

Enchanting location & great accommodation oozing with character. I couldn’t praise the staff enough. Genuinely friendly, welcoming & efficient. My family & I thoroughly enjoyed our stay in ‘The Rowan’ & I have no hesitation in recommending Belle Isle 😊

David McCullagh

17:37 01 Mar 24

We loved going to Belle Isle Estate. It was a great location for our family to enjoy the beautiful Fermanagh countryside. There is lots to do in the surrounding area and enjoyed our three day (2 night) break. The cottages are cosy and the staff went above and beyond to ensure we had a great stay.

Jonathan Watson

10:46 26 Feb 24

Faye Moulton

16:01 23 Feb 24

We had a fantastic one night stay in Belle Isle courtyard apartments. The accommodation is a beautifully renovated farm building/stable which was clean,spacious and cosy especially with the wood burning stove. The location is perfect, tranquil and beautiful countryside. I didn't want to leave! Fantastic walks around the grounds and gorgeous views for miles. It was the first time we took our 2 dogs away with us and this was the perfect place for them. They were exhausted when we left!The staff were extremely friendly and very helpful. They gave lots of info about places to visit and eat in the area.

Grainne Byrne

18:16 19 Feb 24

Very peaceful place to stay, lovely grounds for walks, added bonus that you can bring your dog, loved the open fire very cosy, 10/10 easy check in and out . Highly recommended for anyone who loves the outdoors with plenty of places to fish , Enniskillen not to far for eating out and shopping. Look forward to returning thank you

Stephen Garner

09:36 19 Feb 24

Aoife Hastings

10:20 18 Feb 24

Very good value for high quality accommodation in fabulous location

Sandra Scharlach

11:26 17 Feb 24

Had a beautiful stay at Belle Isle. Staff was so friendly and helpful.

Rhona Gannon

21:10 16 Feb 24

We stayed for 3 nights at No 1 Coach House and loved every minute of our time there. This was our second visit to Belle Isle with our little dog. The house is warm, cozy, impeccably clean and well furnished and has all facilities needed for a get away from it all break. The weather was mixed but the changing light on the many surrounding lakes provided wonderful photo opportunities- great for camera enthusiasts. Lovely walks on the estate and in the general Enniskillen area. Highly recommended!

Natalie McDowell

12:26 16 Feb 24

The most beautiful place to stay. We stayed in the Bridge House with stunning views of the lough. The house was so clean and cozy. It had everything we needed. The staff at reception could not have been nicer and more helpful. Great for families. Our 4 year old loved feeding the donkeys and playing on the climbing frame.

Owen Kennedy

19:10 30 Jan 24

John & Joan Graham

16:56 30 Jan 24

We had a fabulous four nights at Ash Cottage and our 13 year old fur babies enjoyed it even more. The cottage was very well equipped and we look forward to returning in January to make use of the wood burning stove. The staff were excellent particularly Emma who went out of her way to help. we look forward to returning.And we did return in January, 24 and had another excellent four night stay, only this time using the cosy wood burning stove with all the firewood and other essentials provided. The cottage is, as we now know, extremely comfortable whatever the season. As usual the staff were excellent. It was a pleasure to meet up again with Emma and to meet Amy who, I am certain, will be a great addition to the Belle Isle team.

Bradley Smith

19:35 23 Jan 24

We were there for a wedding. The hospitality was exceptional and the rooms were comfortable. The views of Lough Erne and the pastures from the sitting room were enough to draw us back

Wes McDaniel

14:29 18 Jan 24

Daniel Linden

10:05 14 Jan 24

John Nealon

22:38 08 Jan 24

Really beautiful location for a quiet getaway as a couple with a dog.

Hal Wilson

18:25 02 Jan 24

Really great service. We had issues with noisy neighbors and were moved without any drama- much appreciated

Kiely Mee

15:38 21 Dec 23

My now husband and I got married at the Belle Isle Estate. We live in Chicago, so planning a destination wedding seemed like it would be a stressful endeavor, but the team at Belle Isle made it incredibly stress-free. Calling it our dream wedding would be a major understatement, it exceeded all of our expectations. We rented the estate for a week so that all of our guests could stay with us for the days surrounding the wedding. Cherry was there every step of the way to help me plan and coordinate all of the events and make sure that we all had everything we needed and desired. She provided me with outstanding outside vendors for the wedding (Saddlers for catering, Clare Flowers for florals, Jill Wallace for makeup, Eden Hair for hair) as well as activities we could plan at the estate or nearby (Falconry- The Northern Ireland School of Falconry, horseback riding at The Forest Stables, Marble Arch Cave tour, Devenish Island boat tour, day at Florencourt) and helped me setup an afternoon tea and rehearsal dinner service with Saddlers. Cherry even provided recommendations on where to eat in Enniskillen and provided us with a travel itinerary for our honeymoon. Cherry was incredibly responsive, willing to answer all of my questions and really went above and beyond to make sure every detail was how we wanted it to be. Her communication was stellar and our meetings were always so productive and thorough. You wouldn’t know we were in another time zone or country for that matter! On the day of our wedding we had Emma there to handle every single thing big and small. She was right there when I needed her and somehow there when I didn’t know I needed her.The estate itself is just breathtaking and incredibly comfortable. The bridal suite is absolutely perfect for a “big day” stay and made for gorgeous photos. We loved being able to meet everyone for breakfast in the morning and getting to spend such quality time together throughout the week. It’s a week we’ll never forget with memories we are so grateful we were able to make with our friends and family.A huge thank you to Belle Isle and for everyone who helped make our wedding week spectacular! I hope to go back some day to celebrate an anniversary and show our kids where we were married. I can’t recommend this venue enough and I’ll be forever grateful!-Kiely

Maddie Byrne

21:19 07 Dec 23

Absolutely loved our stay here! Staff was all around fantastic, accommodations were lovely, and we had a wonderful time. Beautiful views in every direction. **We didn’t ;)** have anything bad to say about this place.

nelson reynal

05:52 03 Dec 23

Amanda Fisher

15:02 26 Nov 23

I love Belle Isle I keep returning as it’s a great location and just 15 mins from the centre of Enniskillen. The walled cottage garden is excellent for my dogs.

Jen Baker

16:00 24 Nov 23

Jack Lymanskyi

11:18 23 Nov 23

Amazing place. I shot a video for couple from America. Great place for elopement. "Lyman-sky videographer"

Sharon Hadden

15:36 20 Nov 23

Our families and friends met at Belle Isle Castle for 4 days and nights to celebrate our son and daughter-in-law’s wedding. The wedding day was wonderful and went very smoothly. We truly appreciated the professional staff who took care of us all so well. The castle felt like home for the 4 very special days we spent together there.

JEAN GILLESPIE

09:49 20 Nov 23

'Simply the best'....Belle Isle never lets us down......we leave feeling refreshed and relaxed. A little gem in the heart of Fermanagh

Erica Houtten

14:09 17 Nov 23

From start to finish, Belle Isle Castle and its staff exceeded our expectations! Planning our wedding from another continent was a breeze! Emma is such a thoughtful and beautiful person, she mad sure everything was perfect for us and our guests throughout our entire stay (4x nights castle and cottages). They are true professionals and it was a magical experience we and our guests will remember forever. The property itself is such a dream, it has so much charm and character. Hopefully we get to visit again one day! Million thanks to Emma and the team!

pam nugent

14:12 12 Nov 23

The walled garden cottage was beautiful cosy and peaceful with wonderful window viewsCherry was very helpful and made us very welcome. We will definitely come back again highly recommend it

Gary McCoo

11:06 12 Nov 23

Just love this place , best place by far we have stayed , ideal for our fishing trips with our boat as there is jetty to Moor up close to accomadation, def a 10 out of 10 as it ticks all the boxes , this is our 3rd time staying here and will for sure be back , A big thank you to belle isle and all the staff , best regards Gary , Jeff, Mel

Rachel Cunico

16:20 10 Nov 23

There is not a place I would recommend more highly than Belle Isle. We stayed there for several nights and had our wedding ceremony/reception in their sunken gardens/great hall. We did the whole thing sight unseen so we had to put a lot of trust in Emma and the staff. They did not disappoint!! The pictures do not do it justice, it's everything one could want for their special day.Emma in particular was an absolute dream to work with. She made everything go smoothly and was an complete joy to be around.My only advice would be to stay as many days as you can!

Solo

13:26 07 Nov 23

The most perfect place to get lost and heal!The courtyard we stayed in and the whole estate was beyond well maintained.All you need is you, your pup, a book, pen and paper and a good pair of wellies and you'll have the perfect break.We can't thank the beautiful staff for their kindness, chats, laughs and looking out for our doggo!John, Emma, Bríd, Bronagh, Claire and all the ladies we had the joy of meeting,Thank you from Jane and I.X

Stuart Blair

06:32 01 Nov 23

Nigel Swanwick

16:50 30 Oct 23

Perfect location for some end-of-season boating. Lovely cottage

Claire McComb

15:42 30 Oct 23

First time staying here and we absolutely loved it. Our cottage was well appointed and we didn’t feel like we were on top of each other. Would love to come back.

Jessica Smyth

09:19 30 Oct 23

Richard Lavery

11:37 24 Oct 23

As the celebrant of a wedding recently at this stunning venue I found all the staff to be wonderfully helpful and friendly. Cherry was on hand for any request and ensured that the ceremony room (beautiful BTW) was laid out perfectly. Food, provided by Saddlers of Enniskillen under Norman Coalter was excellent and he can be very proud of his staff who made everything seem effortless.The castle is very impressive with luxury accommodation and fabulous views over Lough Erne but not too big to be intimidating.

steven leveillee

18:26 20 Oct 23

Beautiful place to stay very nice staff to take care of all your needs and sheep the donkeys are very nice they liked apples and carrots

Albert Uy

14:29 19 Oct 23

My wife and I had our wedding here at Belle Isle Castle and it was absolutely perfect. The staff were very helpful in keeping things moving and on schedule the day of. They were also very helpful in assisting us in finding vendors as we had to do this an ocean away. Overall, it'll be a memory for both my wife and I that we will cherish forever, and wish to visit again when we find ourselves in Northern Ireland again!

John Bell

15:13 17 Oct 23

Blown away from we entered the cottage. Fabulous location, tranquil... cottage very well equipped. spotless throughoutMost definitely will return.

Sean Donohue

21:33 15 Oct 23

Beautiful, peaceful and tranquil location set on an island (accessible by bridge) in Lough Erne with a captivating view over the lakes from the South-facing Castle. The bedrooms and bathrooms were luxurious, comfortable and exceptionally spacious. The receptions rooms/drawing rooms were large, opulent and equally spacious. We had a truly remarkable long weekend in the characterful house/castle. The catering was excellent and the staff were friendly, helpful, professional and courteous. For us, it was a perfect location for a family reunion to celebrate a 90th birthday and cost pp was reasonable. My only regret was that it was too short - I would have loved to stay longer!

Pamela

16:55 03 Oct 23

Beautiful comfy, cosy cottage in lovely woodland setting.Our only quibble was the lack of basic toiletries.

Gary Scott

14:36 30 Sep 23

Great relaxing location

Jackie Anderson

17:25 29 Sep 23

Michael Fay

13:50 23 Sep 23

We stayed at Belle Isle for our wedding in September 2023. Our whole experience was magnificent. The venue itself was just gorgeous, and Emma was the most fantastic event planner. Nothing was too much trouble for her. We enjoyed our stay there immensely.

Alan Bailey

18:10 10 Sep 23

Incredible!! Amazing wedding venue and the rooms we're beautiful

Belle isle Estate and Private Island, Lisbellaw, Enniskillen, BT94 5HG, +44 (0) 286 638 7231

The history of Belle Isle Estate

History of Belle Isle

Book Your New Years Break at Belle Isle Estate, Fermanagh

Stay in the wonderful Belle Isle Castle

Stay in a Courtyard Apartment

Stay in a Coach House Cottage

Stay in one of our Holiday Cottages

Newsletter Sign Up

Spring & Easter Offers 2024