THE Marble Arch Caves reopened for guided tours today (Monday, May 24), following the gradual easing of lockdown restrictions.

From today, visitors can enter a world of subterranean rivers, winding passages, lofty chambers and an array of spectacular cave formations by pre-booking a cave tour on the Marble Arch Caves website or by contacting the visitor centre directly.

With hand-sanitising stations, directional signage, pre-booking and numbers limited for tours, visitors will have the time and space to enjoy the million-year-old cave network and appreciate why it is the most active river cave in the UK and Ireland.

The Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Diana Armstrong, welcomed the reopening of the Marble Arch Caves as "another welcome step as we move into the summer holiday period".

She continued: "We are incredibly fortunate to have a world-class tourism product on our doorstep in Fermanagh and Omagh.

"The district is the perfect place to enjoy a staycation this summer with its stunning landscapes and spectacular waterways, rich built and cultural heritage, as well as a fantastic retail and hospitality offering.”

The Marble Arch Caves Visitor Centre had already reopened, with outdoor family activities and guided walks now on offer and available to book. Toilet and takeaway café facilities are also open.

For those looking to learn more about the caves and their counterparts, a free one-hour online talk, 'Caves and Karst of the Marble Arch Caves and other UNESCO Global Geoparks', takes place at 7.30pm on May 27 with guest speaker, Dr. Kirstin Lemon of the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland.

To book your place for the free talk, see https://tinyurl.com/h7pbpkw.