Fans of the History Channel’s epic Vikings series will be no strangers to the incredible scenery throughout.
The TV series, which follows Norse legend Ragnar Lothbrok around in the 9th century as he pillages and conquers lands far and wide, is based in Ireland and has consistently shone a light on some of the most beautiful aspects of the Irish landscape since it first started back in 2013.
We wanted to collect together the most famous Vikings filming locations on offer in the Emerald Isle so, if you’ve ever fancied following Ragnar’s footsteps, read on
Lough Tay, also known as the Guinness Lake as it’s owned by the famous family, is one of County Wicklow’s most famous locations, second only to the Glendalough valley.
Vikings fans will recognize it as Kattegat village, home to the series’ hero Ragnar and his family.
Ps. If you view Lough Tay from above (using Google Maps) you’ll notice it loosely resembles a pint of Guinness!
Luggula Estate, and more specifically the mountain which is also known as “Fancy Mountain”, is situated right beside Lough Tay and features in Vikings as the rugged landscape surrounding Kattegat.
A quick look, either online or in Vikings, will reveal that this area, and Wicklow in general, is rightly famous for its breathtaking beauty and dramatic backdrops.
Vikings fans might be swept up in the majesty of seeing an ancient form of Paris and the River Seine but what they’re actually looking at is a CGI spectacular set against Ireland’s River Boyne.
The River Boyne runs through a number of counties including Meath and Louth but much of the Vikings filming occurs near the famous Slane Castle, known for hosting the worlds biggest acts including U2, Madonna, The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen amongst countless others!
One of the most evocative images of the Vikings series is Ragnar and company journeying forth in a famous Scandinavian longship.
Many of these scenes occur at Blessington Lakes which, despite covering 500 acres of water in the majestic Wicklow Mountains, are completely man made and have only existed for the last 50 years!
Powerscourt Waterfall, and the Estate in which it’s situated, featured as the backdrop when Vikings viewers were first introduced to Aslaug, future wife of Ragnar.
It’s easy to see why Powerscourt caught Vikings production team’s eyes. The estate has been in existence since the 13th century, originally as a castle dwelling, and is famed throughout Ireland for its residence and gardens covering 47 acres in total!
It’s probably obvious by now that Vikings is an east Ireland affair 99% of the time so you can be sure the production team were only going to go west for the best.
Well, Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way is famed for rugged, wind battered, beaches and covers and that’s exactly what you get at County Kerry’s Nun’s Beach, just outside Ballybunion.
The beach featured as the shores of Northumbria.
Interestingly, just around the corner from Nun's beach is a blowhole known as the Nine Daughters. According to the legend, the 9 daughters of the village chief fell in love with 9 Vikings invaders. They had planned to elope but the chief threw his daughters and the Vikings into the blowhole where they drowned!
Lough Dan, which is just a short distance from Lough Tay, is another waterway featured in Vikings from time to time, used in a similar manner to filming at the Blessington Lakes.
Finally, and not quite as exciting as the rest, is Ashford Studios. The Wicklow studio has become a defacto base for Vikings filming since 2013 and much of the CGI and green screen trickery you witness on TV begins life here!
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As you can see, much of Vikings is filmed in County Wicklow in the east of Ireland so if you want to discover more about Ireland’s Ancient East just click here. You can also check out our guide to Glendalough, also in County Wicklow, by clicking here!
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