People asked not to visit Fermanagh's famous Cuilcagh boardwalk

The six kilometre boardwalk trail, which takes roughly six hours to complete, has become a firm favourite for tourists and day-trippers. Credit: UTV

People are being asked to stay away from a tourist hotspot in Fermanagh after a huge number of walkers made a beeline for the trail after it reopened in June. A record number of roughly 8,000 visitors made their way to the Cuilcagh Boardwalk in one weekend alone after lockdown restrictions were eased, equating to double the number of people that would usually visit the site each month.

As a result safety and social distancing are becoming major concerns for the emergency services and those in charge of the Global Geopark, and people are being asked to delay their visit.

The local mountain rescue team has been finding it difficult to reach casualties because of the vast numbers of cars being parked at the roadside.

Keith Thompson from North West Mountain Rescue Team said: “The number of people at the minute has surprised most people. “It is an awful lot of vehicles and an awful lot of people up there. Even when we get beyond the vehicles the actual volume of people on the pathway up can slow us down immensely.”

A visitor enjoys the views during quieter times. Credit: @Cara_utv

The Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark, where the walkway is situated, has warned that social distancing is not possible on the boardwalk itself and have asked people to consider postponing their visit until the autumn.

Imelda McCarron from the Global Geopark said: “It’s not a fact that we are saying to people that Fermanagh is not open. I would just ask people to maybe leave their visit to Cuilcagh until later on, when she’s just not as busy so you’ll have a better experience.”

Watch Sara O'Kane's report:

For the latest information check the Geopark's social media or their website.