Overview
At 850 m, Slieve Donard is the highest peak in Northern Ireland, and it anchors the Mourne and Slieve Croob Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – 57,000 ha of south Down running from the granite Mourne Mountains and the rolling uplands of Slieve Croob out to sand dunes, rocky coves, lakes and the Silent Valley Reservoir. The landscape is free to enter; what you pay for, if anything, is parking at the forest parks. If you’ve a single day, the choice is simple: the high Mournes for hillwalkers, Tollymore Forest Park for an easy riverside wander with children.
History
The name ‘Mourne’ derives from the 12th-century Mac Mahon clan, whose settlement gave the range its modern spelling. Between 1904 and 1922 the Belfast Water Commissioners built the 22-mile dry-stone Mourne Wall to protect the catchment of the Silent Valley Reservoir, which still supplies much of County Down and Belfast. A massive 19th-century cairn once stood at the summit of Slieve Croob, originally 70 m round and 16 m high; only scattered stones remain.
What to see and do
The Mourne Mountains
The heart of the AONB is the Mourne range, with Slieve Donard (850 m), Northern Ireland’s highest peak. Slieve Bearnagh, Slieve Commedagh and Slieve Binnian are all reachable by marked trail. The usual entry points are the High Mournes Scenic Loop, Donard Forest and the Silent Valley Visitor Centre.
Climbing Slieve Croob
Slieve Croob, the highest hill in the Dromara Hills, is a compact climb. The popular route starts at the Dree Hill Road car park and follows a metalled transmitter road to the top.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Distance (out-and-back) | 4.35 km (2.7 mi) |
| Estimated time | 1h 30min |
| Difficulty | moderate, linear mountain route |
| Terrain | metalled road, open grass hill |
| Parking | Dree Hill Road car park |
| Dogs | not allowed (open mountain grazing) |
On a clear day the summit gives a 360° view taking in Strangford Lough, Carlingford Lough, Belfast Lough, the Mourne peaks and, in the distance, Scotland and the Isle of Man.
Cultural highlights
- Legananny Dolmen – A 5,000-year-old Neolithic portal tomb at the foot of Slieve Croob.
- Tollymore Forest Park – Northern Ireland’s first state-owned forest, known for its stone bridges, the Hermitage and Game of Thrones filming.
- Castlewellan Forest Park – Home to the National Arboretum and the Peace Maze, planted with over 6,000 yew trees.
- Dundrum Castle – A 12th-century Norman stronghold above Dundrum Bay.
Visitor centres and facilities
Silent Valley Visitor Centre
Beside the Silent Valley Reservoir, the centre has interpretive displays on the reservoir’s engineering and the surrounding landscape. Opening hours vary by season; check on-site or on the Mourne Live website before travelling.
Tollymore Forest Park
Tollymore is a 630-hectare state forest at the foot of the Mournes near Newcastle. Planting began in 1752 under the architect Thomas Wright, and the park opened to the public on 2 June 1955. Historic features include the Barbican Gate, the Clanbrassil Barn, stone bridges two centuries old and the Cedar Avenue of Himalayan cedars.
Walking routes – Four way-marked trails run from 0.5 mi to 5.5 mi, among them the Arboretum Path, the River Trail (following the Shimna River past the Hermitage) and the Mountains and Drinns Trail. All connect to longer routes like the Mourne Way and the Ulster Way.
Facilities
- Opening hours – daily 10am to sunset, year-round.
- Parking – main car park £5, lower car park; motorcycle £2.50, minibus £13, coach £35.
- Amenities – toilets, showers, picnic tables, a campsite for tents and motorhomes (£23–£27 a night), wheelchair-friendly paths in the lower park, and an information kiosk.
- Wildlife – otters, kingfishers and dippers along the Shimna; the woodland holds redwoods, Monterey pines, Deodar cedars, eucalyptus, monkey-puzzle and native oak.
- History – Oak timber from the park went into the RMS Titanic, and the woods served as the ‘Haunted Forest’ in Game of Thrones.
Lesser-known walks
Away from the main peaks, the AONB has quieter routes showing other sides of the landscape.
- Windy Gap Pad – A short farm track (around 1 km) between the Slievenaboley and Legananny Roads, with big-sky views, passing close to the Finnis Souterrain and Legananny Dolmen.
- Lough Shannagh Circuit (via Banns Road) – A 10 km loop climbing Carn Mountain (587 m) and skirting the highest natural lake in the Mournes.
- Rocky Mountain – An overlooked trail dropping into the Annalong Valley, a favourite with photographers for the winter light.
- Dromara Bridleways Walk – A gentle route across the northern fringe through hedgerows, drumlins and farmed fields; dog-friendly on a lead.
- The Fallows Trail, Rostrevor – A newer long-distance loop skirting Kilbroney Forest, with forest-to-lough viewpoints.
Pilgrimage and cycling routes
The AONB forms a key section of Saint Patrick’s Way, an 82 km (about 50-mile) way-marked pilgrimage route opened in 2015. It is split into seven sections (5 km to 38 km) with 10 free-stamp landmarks where walkers collect a pilgrim’s passport stamp. The route runs through the Mourne foothills, Tollymore Forest Park and Newcastle.
Cyclists have the Newry Canal towpath, Britain’s first summit-level canal (opened 1742). The flat, traffic-free path runs from Scarva through the AONB, past the Newry River, Lough Shark and the canal summit. Bike Mourne in Scarva hires e-bikes and runs guided rides, which makes the towpath workable for families and less-experienced cyclists.
Practical information
The AONB is free to enter, with no charge for the landscape itself. Parking is at the Dree Hill Road car park (for Slieve Croob) and other trailheads such as Donard Forest, the Silent Valley Visitor Centre and the Windy Gap Pad lay-by. Dogs are barred from the open grazing on Slieve Croob, but many of the lower bridleways and forest tracks, including the Dromara Bridleways Walk, take dogs on a lead.
Tollymore fees – car £5, motorcycle £2.50, minibus £13, coach £35. Campsite £23–£27 a night (electricity optional). Open daily 10am to sunset; parking charges apply year-round.
Reaching the AONB really does mean a car. From Belfast, take the M1 south, exit at junction 8 (Sprucefield), continue on the A1, then follow the Dromara Road, Hillsborough Road, Rathfriland Road and Finnis Road to the Dree Hill Road turn-off, roughly 37 km (23 mi), about 35 minutes. Public transport is limited; for the canal towpath, hiring a bike is the easier option. Newcastle, Castlewellan and Kilkeel have the range of B&Bs and hotels.
Contact and further details
- Website: https://mournelive.com/
- Phone: +44 (0) 28 4372 4059
- Address: Causeway Road, Newcastle, County Down, BT33 0DL