13,000 years ago, when the ice sheets finally melted, the drumlin field in the east of County Down was drowned and what was left of the drumlins formed islands. These islands are in various stages of erosion and pladdies, as they are known locally, are eroded islands submerged at high tide.
That sea inlet is 30km long and the largest sea lough in the British Isles. There are seventy islands and numerous pladdies in the Lough. It is named Strangford Lough, a derivative of the Old Norse Strangfjothr, meaning "strong fiord or rather "fjord of the strong current".
Strangford Lough sees upgraded navigation aids for safer sailing - One of the new navigation aids positioned off Strangford Lough Yacht Club.
As an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the first Marine Conservation Zone in Northern Ireland, the Lough is beloved of sailors, fishermen, kayakers and visitors.
Navigation, especially for those unfamiliar with the Lough, has now been made much easier with the upgrading of Aids to Navigation by Ards and North Down Borough Council as its commitment to develop safe navigation through the Borough’s waters with the help of funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Four new routes are now in place in addition to a main arterial route through the Lough.
In March 2022, ANDBC worked collaboratively with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council to utilise the Northern Ireland Environment Agency’s Challenge Fund to start the process of upgrading AtoNs. Both Council areas border the Lough.
Using this fund, a consultant was appointed to carry out navigational risk assessments and stakeholder engagement sessions to help devise a new system of navigation. After extensive engagement, the final report detailed that a single, lit, arterial route should be provided through the centre of the Lough.
New routes established to enhance navigation through the Lough. Mayor Alistair Cathcart at the Wheel of a RIB on Strangford Lough following the installation of the new aids to navigation
Inspecting Strangford Lough's new navigation aids
The Council subsequently secured £80,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to implement the findings. This was a Communities and Place investment priority as part of the Council’s ‘creating positive outcomes for it’s communities and places project. Following further engagement with the Royal Yachting Association and sailing clubs in the area, additional routes were identified to complement the main arterial route. These included west across the Lough from Kircubbin to Whiterock, Whiterock south to Ringhaddy, Rainey Island in the north east and Comber River at the head of the Lough.
Main and Local routes to Strangford Lough 2025 are downloadable below as a PDF
