Ladies View
One of the most photographed views in Ireland, Ladies View is a roadside overlook on the N71 high above the Lakes of Killarney. From here the whole valley opens out - the Upper Lake and its winding channel, the mountains beyond - in a single sweeping panorama. It takes its name, so the story goes, from Queen Victoria's delighted ladies-in-waiting.
Ladies View is a bend in the N71 with a very good habit of stopping traffic. Perched high on the Killarney-Kenmare road, well inside Killarney National Park, it looks back down the valley over the three Lakes of Killarney laid out one behind another, with the mountains folding away into the distance. On a clear day there are few finer panoramas in the country, which is why it turns up on so many postcards and calendars. It is the kind of view that makes people who had meant only to drive through pull over anyway.
The name reaches back to 1861, and to Queen Victoria's famous visit to Killarney. As the royal party toured the lakes, the queen's ladies-in-waiting - the women of her retinue - were brought to this spot and were reportedly so charmed by the prospect that it became known ever after as the Ladies' View. There is nothing built to see here and nothing to pay; the significance is entirely in the looking. It is a small piece of royal folklore, but it has stuck fast, and it captures something true about the place.
For most travellers it is a quick stop between other places - a few minutes to take in the view, a photograph or two, perhaps a coffee. There is a café and craft shop on site, and a short walkway from the upper car park leads to the best vantage, where the Upper Lake and the silvery thread of the Long Range channel come properly into frame. Even at its busiest there is room to step aside and find your own patch of railing. Linger if the weather allows: the light here changes constantly, and a passing shower can transform the whole valley in minutes.
You'll find it signposted on the N71 some way south of Killarney, roughly midway to Kenmare and only a little beyond Torc Waterfall; the pass at Moll's Gap lies a short drive further on. There are two free car parks - the second, towards Moll's Gap, is the safer and better-placed of the two, with the walkway to the viewpoint. Come early or out of season if you can, since the coaches arrive through the middle of the day, and pick a clear one: in low cloud there is, frankly, nothing to see. The café's opening can be seasonal, so don't rely on it out of the main months.
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