Carrick-on-Shannon – Leitrim – Ballinamore – Ballyconnell – Belturbet – Enniskillen – Devenish Island – Bellanaleck
1 week - 24 hours - 168 km - 16 locks
Leave Carrick and head up the Shannon to Leitrim village for your first night. There are a couple of lovely bars so eat out and get an early night. Next morning, check you have a lock card for the locks on the Shannon-Erne Waterway and head into Lock 16.
All the locks are self-operated but they are fully automatic so there is no hard work. Start working your way through the waterway to get to Ballinamore for your first night. There are plenty of jetties in the town so go out for dinner and spend all your Euros as tomorrow you will need sterling.
Finish the last of the locks and get to Carrybridge on the River Erne between the Upper and Lower Loughs. There is a bar and restaurant so maybe eat out (or eat on board and head up for a pint of Guinness afterwards). Next day, enjoy a short day to Enniskillen to stock up on supplies and enjoy the wide range of things to do an see in Enniskillen.
Leave Enniskillen and head for the remote islands of the Lower Lough. Tie up at Devenish Island and eat on board. This is an island so there are no facilities on shore.
A long day the next day to try to get to Kesh at the very North of the Lower Lough. If not, don't worry, there are plenty of moorings you can use along the way.
And finally it is time for a long day back to Bellanaleck to finish your cruise. Ideally, this cruise is better over two weeks, but you can see a lot of the Erne in one week. Or you can spend more time on the Shannon and less on the Erne - the choice is yours.