Castle Archdale Country Park

We were not that impressed by Castle Archdale Country Park but as it has free entry, we can't really complain. There's not much to the gardens, there's not really many flowers, wild or otherwise. But the area is well maintained. The country park does look extensive with many walking paths/trails throughout.

· via Google

Terrible would not recommend, place is covered in tents and cars everywhere, no organisation at all, place was untidy, no WiFi and no network signal, no proper place to dispose of waste water. Stayed in a deluxe spot but nothing deluxe about it. Emailed castle archdale and no one was interested in helping. Far nicer places to stay in the area.

· via Google

There are a series of pleasant waymarked walks of varying lengths throughout the country park. These range in length from 1 mile / 1.6 km to 2.5 miles / 4 kms. There is also a path suitable for wheelchair users. Entry is free. Car parking is free and available at several different locations. Clean toilets can be found in the courtyard. Information boards are dotted around. Picnic benches are available at various locations Castle Archdale was a very important Royal Air Force Flying Boat base during World War Two and the German battleship, Bismark, was discovered by a RAF Catalina aircraft operating out of here. There are remnants of the old base still here, for example, bomb and aviation fuel storage sites. It is possible to pick up a leaflet from the office in the courtyard showing the locations of these sites around the country park. Poignantly, there is also a War Graves commemoration stone beside the beacon at the lough's edge. This remembers the crew of an aircraft that crashed on a return flight. "Lest We Forget". If you like wildlife, you may be lucky enough to see Red Squirrels in the woodland. Birds such as Swifts, Swallows, Mute Swans, Black-headed gulls, Robins , Song Thrushes Malkard ducks and Coots can also be seen here. We visited midweek in July 2025 and the Countryside Centre and Castle Archdale at War Exhibition was open in the Courtyard buildings. The member of staff there was pleasant too. In my opinion, this is a nice place to visit if you are in the area and/or have an interest in World War Two.

· via Google

Nice to walk around and learn a few details about the history of the place like the flying boats. As for the campsite, well catered for if you have children. The only thing I would say is there aren't enough toilets. In the block I used there were plenty of showers but only two toilets. Nice and clean though. Some wonderful nature and wild life to see. Of course it's great for sailing and water activities.

· via Google