Carran loop
Grade
Strenuous
Length
9 km
Am
4 hours
Format
Loop
Ascent
100 m
Dogs Allowed
No
Waymarking
Purple arrow
Start Point
Cassidys Pub, Carron village
Finish Point
Cassidys Pub, Carron village
Nearest Town to Start
Carron
Lat. and Long.
53.03564, -9.07609
This loop follows minor roads, animal tracks and grassy lanes, taking in the Clab Valley, St Fachtnan's Holy Well and part of Termon Hill as it traverses fields of stone slab and passes a €˜turlough' (an area which floods in winter but disappears in summer).
Maps and other information
Facilities
Carron
Take care as the limestone pavement may be slippery during or after wet weather

OSI Maps
Discovery Series Sheet 51
Mary from Dublin
A beautiful hike but difficult to navigate as markings impossible to find. Very easy to get lost and that took the enjoyment out of what should have been a great day out. Will not be returning.
John from Dublin
Got a bit further this time (August 2021) before losing the trail. The waymarkers are completely inadequate - either you have a well marked trail, or an accurate map. Here we have neither. Good views today but trail marking is very disappointing. It's not a physically challenging walk although it's very uneven underfoot in parts: the challenge is in finding the trail markers. Bring binoculars to see the next one, and a search party to fan out to try to find them.
NOTE FROM SPORT IRELAND OUTDOORS: The downloadable map on this website has been changed
NOTE FROM SPORT IRELAND OUTDOORS: The downloadable map on this website has been changed
Elaine from Clare
We attempted this walk on a beautiful sunny morning but unfortunately our walk was halted 2km in by 2 very large dogs in the roadway who were quite aggressive. We had to turn back as it was clear these dogs were not going to let us pass. Very disappointed. We are both dog lovers (& owners) and would imagine that owners would be vigilant on a designated walking trail.
Tom from United Kingdom
Good walk - lack of signs really from the top downwards. One particularly confusing part just as you come off the summit. As others have also commented that the final section can be a little confusing. Shame the pub wasn't open at the end of it!
John from Dublin
A good hike but very poorly marked from the halfway point.
The map at http://www.burren.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Carron-Loop-Walk.pdf has the NUIG research station in the wrong place.
The route description in the "Burren Explorer" only goes as far as point E which is where it becomes challenging and where we lost the markers.
Incidentally, the map on the display board opposite Cassidys' pub has the "You are here" point in the wrong place too: you are about 600 metres south of where the map says you are.
The map at http://www.burren.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Carron-Loop-Walk.pdf has the NUIG research station in the wrong place.
The route description in the "Burren Explorer" only goes as far as point E which is where it becomes challenging and where we lost the markers.
Incidentally, the map on the display board opposite Cassidys' pub has the "You are here" point in the wrong place too: you are about 600 metres south of where the map says you are.
Jim from Limerick
Yes, I agree with other walkers' comments. More waymarks are needed especially in the event of mist. Other than that it is a wonderful walk - but more waymarks.
Grainne from Cork
Lovely hike, stunning views of the Burren, one of my favourite loops yet walked. The markers are a little scattered and this is the only drawback, could do with a little more consistent signposting, but definitely will be doing this walk again!
Gail from Kildare
This trail is very over grown with hazel and very poorly marked once you reach the summit. We didn't find any markers to the section overlooking the Clab Valley & completely missed the section leading down to the UCG research station. Very disappointing
Pat from Clare
Beautiful walk, would not rate it "Hard" but site may be using a different rating system. The route sections E-F and F-G could be better marked. Met a few who had struggled in these sections finding markers, a few supplementary arrows using paint would suffice. All in all a great day out.
Phil from United Kingdom