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Lough Eske (Lake of the Fish) is no longer a particularly great fishing spot, though it is known as a place to catch char, a tasty nine-inch-long species of the salmon family. They lurk in the depths at the centre of the lake, moving out to the shallower edges around late October where they can be easily fished using worms. The sandy banks of the River Eske are also known for freshwater oysters - some of which are reputed to contain pearls - but they're a protected species so it's illegal to take them. The ruins of an O'Donnell tower, once a prison, stand on one of the small islands. At the southern end of the lough stands Harvey's Point (tel 073/22208, harveyspoint@eircom.net ; GBP90-110/?114.28-139.67), a hotel owned by a Swiss millionaire with fine accommodation and one of the best restaurants in the county (lunch GBP12.50/?15.82, dinner GBP25/?31.64). There's also high-quality B&B at Ardnamona (tel 073/22650, www.tempoweb.com/ardnamon ; GBP90-110/?114.28-139.67), set in glorious lough-side gardens planted in the 1880s using many seeds and cuttings from the Imperial Gardens in Peking and palace gardens in Kathmandu. The most enjoyable way to get to this area of soft beauty is to take the minor road which runs north of the river, signposted "Lough Eske Drive", half a mile out of Donegal town on the Killybegs road. This leads to a forgotten, forested estate, once belonging to the Brooke family but now owned by the Forestry Commission. Circling the lake clockwise from here, you'll pass the western gate of the estate and then a farmyard. A hundred yards or so further on look out for a gap in the hedge on the left, where you'll find hidden a massive cauldron nearly six feet high and six feet round. This is a Famine Pot , manufactured in Britain and shipped over to Ireland by English landlords. It would be filled with Indian maize (a substitute porridge) and placed in a field where local people would come during the Famine and fill their own smaller pots to take home.
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