McArt’s Fort is the flat top of Cave Hill, the basalt scarp that rises 368m (1,207ft) straight up behind Belfast and shows the city the profile it calls ‘Napoleon’s Nose’ (the hill’s older name is Ben Madigan). The fort is the best viewpoint in Belfast, full stop: from the edge the whole city lies out below you, the River Lagan threading through it to Belfast Lough and the shipyard cranes, with the hills of County Down across the water on a clear day. That’s the reason to make the climb – the earthworks themselves are subtle.
The fort
It’s an Iron-Age rath, so the better part of two thousand years old. The flat top runs about 46m north to south by 55m east to west (150ft by 180ft), defended on one side by the sheer cliff – the ‘nose’ itself – and around the rest by a single ditch roughly 3m deep and 7.6m wide, still clear on the ground. The O’Neills of Clandeboy were inaugurated here, and a rough stone chair known as the Giant’s Chair, thought to be their inauguration stone, stood at the fort until it was smashed by vandals in 1896. The name most likely comes from an O’Neill – either MacArt O’Neill, said to have died in the Elizabethan wars, or Brian McArt O’Neill of the Nine Years’ War; the derivation was never quite settled.
Rebellion on the hill
Cave Hill’s real fame is political. In 1795 Theobald Wolfe Tone, Henry Joy McCracken and other United Irishmen are said to have climbed to the summit and sworn to break the connection with England – the compact that fed into the 1798 rebellion. Three years later, with the rising collapsed, McCracken was captured on the hill before he could escape. The five caves that give the hill its name are cut into the basalt below the fort; likely early iron mines rather than natural, they added to its long use as a refuge.
The walk
The quickest way up is from the Upper Hightown Road car park – roughly 30 minutes of steady uphill on an uneven gravel path to the summit. Longer, more scenic routes start lower down at Belfast Castle or the zoo and climb through woodland before breaking onto the open top; note that Belfast Castle is a destination in its own right at the foot of the hill, not a quick detour off the summit path. Whichever way you come, a few things on the tops are worth a look:
- The Devil’s Punchbowl – a deep, natural amphitheatre gouged by ice, once used to corral cattle, with its own drop of a view over the city.
- Napoleon’s Nose – the profile reads best when it’s backlit; come near sunrise or in the late afternoon for the shadowed outline.
- The grassland – the summit is species-rich grassland, grazed by cattle to keep it that way; ravens, buzzards and kestrels ride the updraughts off the cliff.
Practical information
Getting there – the Upper Hightown Road car park is the shortest start; from there follow the signed path up. Free parking is also available at Belfast Castle and Belfast Zoo, both a longer walk in.
Opening and admission – Cave Hill Country Park opens at 7.30am daily and closes at dusk, so the actual closing time shifts through the year (roughly 4.30pm in midwinter, as late as 10pm in high summer). There’s no charge for the park, the fort or the walking routes.
Facilities – public toilets are at the zoo and near the Belfast Castle visitor centre. There’s an information board at the fort with a map of the loop.
Safety – the summit is fully exposed and the wind gets up fast, even in summer. Wear boots with grip – the gravel is slick when wet – check the forecast, and take extra care in winter for ice and short daylight. For current park or trail conditions, call 028 9077 6925.