Overview
Lough Tay looks like a giant pint of Guinness – dark water, a collar of white sand at one end – and that isn’t quite an accident: the Guinness family, who owned the estate, imported the sand. What most visitors don’t realise until they arrive is that you can’t get down to the lake itself. The lake, beach and shoreline are private Luggala land and closed to the public. What you get, and it’s plenty, is the view from the designated viewing route above.
The lake sits in a deep trough between Djouce Mountain and the granite cliffs of Luggala, in the Wicklow Mountains. Luggala Estate identifies Ballinastoe Woods as the authorised place to view the lake, and the J.B. Malone Memorial viewpoint there is the spot to head for. Use a designated car park off the R759 and keep the road itself clear: it is narrow and busy, and the car parks are small and can fill at weekends, so an early start helps.
Where to see Lough Tay
Head to the J.B. Malone Memorial viewpoint in Ballinastoe Woods, a short walk from the car park, and keep to the marked paths. The memorial commemorates the walker who championed the Wicklow Way, which passes through these hills. There are steep drops around the valley, the R759 carries heavy traffic, and surfaces can be uneven and slippery after rain. Keep back from any edge, mind children, and do not step onto private land to get a better angle.
The name and the Guinness lake
Long before it looked like a pint, the lake was on the maps: the 1650s Down Survey records it as ‘Logh Tea’. The ‘Guinness Lake’ name is newer and has two roots. The estate around it belonged to the Guinness family – Ernest Guinness bought Luggala in 1937 as a wedding present for his daughter – and it was they who shipped in the white sand for the northern beach, giving the dark water its stout-and-head look.
On screen
The shore was used for the Kattegat settlement in Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla. The lake also appeared in the 2024 Netflix film Irish Wish, which gave the spot a fresh surge of online interest. Wicklow County Tourism lists other locations used by the Viking series.
Walking trails
The J.B. Malone trailhead is the starting point for most walks here.
- Djouce Mountain – a steeper climb to the summit trig point, with the best aerial view of Lough Tay laid out below. Check weather and trail conditions before adding the climb.
- The Wicklow Way – the waymarked long-distance trail runs straight through, with a boardwalked stretch by the Malone memorial. Walk a short section between viewpoints, or take on the full 131 km.
Stay on the marked trails in Ballinastoe Woods, and do not use tracks from walking sites that cross private land.
The J.B. Malone memorial and boardwalk
A short walk from the car park, the J.B. Malone Memorial marks the man behind the Wicklow Way. John James Bernard Malone (1913–1989) was a civil servant and army cartographer who wrote a weekly hill-walking column for the Evening Herald for decades and pushed for proper walking routes; the Wicklow Way, opened in 1982, was the result. The memorial is a granite plaque and a wooden seat, reached by a boardwalk of old railway sleepers that protects the peat underneath. From here the view runs across Lough Tay, with the Great Sugar Loaf on the skyline.
Getting there
By car – Lough Tay is in the Wicklow Mountains, reached by the R759 Sally Gap road. Use a designated car park for Ballinastoe Woods or the J.B. Malone trailhead and keep the road clear.
By public transport – there is no formal footpath to the viewpoint from the nearest bus stop at Roundwood, and the road is narrow and busy, so do not plan to walk it. Check current bus and guided-tour options before you go.
Can you swim in Lough Tay?
No. The lake, beach and shoreline are private Luggala estate land and closed to the public, so there is no legitimate way to reach the water for a swim. The white sand at the northern end is on private ground too. Stay on the marked trails in Ballinastoe Woods. Our guide to swimming in Ireland’s lakes covers the access position and the nine lakes in the country that are monitored bathing waters.
Practical information
- When to come – late summer (July–August) brings heather to the slopes; autumn turns them gold and amber; winter can deliver snow-capped peaks but short daylight and fast-changing weather.
- Photography – early or late light sharpens the contrast between the black water and white sand; a polarising filter deepens the tones.
- Facilities and dogs – check current facilities at the car parks, and keep any dog on a lead to protect ground-nesting birds and the peatland.
Nearby attractions
- Ballinastoe MBT – a mountain-bike trail centre, a short drive on.
- Glenmacnass Waterfall – a long cascade in an open valley.
- Powerscourt Waterfall – a waterfall a short drive away.
- Lough Ouler – a heart-shaped lake beneath Tonelagee.
- Glendalough – the monastic valley a little to the south, an easy add-on to the day.
If you do only one thing, stand at the J.B. Malone Memorial viewpoint in the first hour of the day, before the coaches arrive – the light is better and so is the parking.