Tal-y-Llyn

OS Grid Ref:- SH 7210

A real beauty spot in the true sense of the word, Tal-y-Llyn is a large glacial finger lake beneath the towering rugged slopes of Cadair Idris, near the resort of Tywyn. The lake is situated in one of the most photogenic and scenic of valleys in Wales, surrounded by heather clad slopes, but it is never crowded.

There are numerous places to relax and picnic along its shoreline. Tal-y-Llyn has a reputation for excellent trout fishing.

The small but characterful village of Tal-y-Llyn is located at the south western edge of the lake, where there are a series of small but attractive cascades on the the beautiful River Dysynni. It lies in the shadows of looming Cadair Idris and has a small church and a few hotels. Fishing boats can be hired at the village.

The lake lends its name to the Tal-y-Llyn Railway, a narrow gauge railway which runs for seven and a quarter miles from Tywyn to Nant Gwernol.

The Tal-y-Llyn Railway had its beginnings in the slate industry, the line was opened in 1865. In the immediate post-war period the line decayed as traffic dwindled.

Throughout the 1950's the dedicated volunteers and staff members of the The Tal-y-Llyn Railway Preservation Society rebuilt the line and rescued it from its state of decay. The line was to become the first railway in the world to be preserved. Today, the railway survives as a succesful and popular tourist attraction.