Fairy Castle Loop: all you need to know about this family friendly Ticknock Walk

What to expect on the Fairy castle Loop, family friendly Ticknock walk with beautiful views over Dublin City and the bay

If you are looking for a beautiful family walk in Dublin parents and kids will like, then I highly recommend you head to the area of Ticknock and the Fairy Castle Loop.

This is a lovely, easy hike with beautiful views over Dublin and it is perfect when you want to stretch your legs and find yourself surrounded by nature but cannot stray too far from the city and do not want a strenuous mountain walk.

The loop takes less than 2 hours to complete and while there is some elevation gain, it is easy to tackle even for children and does not require any special level of fitness.

What it does require, however, is hiking shoes! The very first part of the walk is on tarmac and it is even buggy friendly however, most of the loop is on mountain terrain so having good traction soles is paramount.

We have done this trail with the kids many times, the last one on a chilly snowy day in January. Every time, we simply marvel at how close to the city yet how beautiful this trail can be.

This is all you need yo know about waking the Fairy Castle Loop Ticknock Walk

How to get to the Fairy Castle Loop

Access to the Fairy Castle Loop Trail is from the Ticknock Forest parking lot, at the back of Marlay Park on the Dublin Mountains.

The places is well indicated and there is plenty of parking both at the mountain bike rental station and a little farther up, closer to the actual start of the trail.

Once you leave the car, the trail is well indicated: a map board is at the entrance of the trail and from then on, you follow the green markings, which appear as an arrow or white footprints on a green background.

Ticknock Walk Fairy Castle Loop trail description

The first part of the fairy castle Loop is on a tarmac road that gently climbs up through the forest. This first stretch is not particularly scenic, however, the forest is beautiful and occasionally opens up to show views of the hills, a small glimpse of views to come!

After a short walk, the forest finishes and you find yourself a the first scenic spot on this Dublin walk: as you come to a clearing in the woods, the city and the bay opens up in front of your eyes!

The view from here is beautiful: on a clear day, you see the whole of Dublin City at your feet and your eyes can take in Howth and the whole coastline. It is stunning!

This is a first viewpoint and, truly, the spot from where the really beautiful part of this hike starts.

Here is where the tarmac ends and the trail begins. The climb is steady yet easy and you find yourself walking along a mountain path with the forest on your right. Soon, the forest finishes and you find yourself on the top of the hill, with views on Dublin and the mountains all around you!

The summit here is covered in heather and the air is crisp and refreshing.

If you are not from here and you have been dreaming of wild Ireland, this is just the place to experience it! Green lawns, brown soil, pink heather, wind and hills until the eye can see: it is hard to believe you are in Dublin, the place feels wonderfully remote!

The actual top of the hill is a little farther up the path and it is marked by a cairn, which is also what gives the name to the trail.

From there, you walk on path and boardwalks to start your descent.

The first part of this section of the hike is among heather and it is stunning: signs tell you this is place with birds of pay and wildlife and indeed, if you look up you are likely to see falcons (we did).

The last part of the walk brings you back to the woods however, it feels quite different from the start. Rather than tarmac, you are on the path here so even if you know you are losing elevation, the feeling of being surrounded by nature stays.

The end of the path is only a few meters down the road from where you started so, once here, getting back to your car is easy.

Overall, the walk took us about 2 hours or even less. We find this an easy and highly enjoyable walk to take with the kids and highly recommend it!