Overview
The draw at the top of Mullaghcarn is Darach the Guardian, a giant wooden figure by the Danish artist Thomas Dambo and one of the three Giants of the Sperrins. The important thing to know is that he stands on the summit, not at the car park: reaching him means a 7.6 km round trip on gravel and tarmac up from Gortin Glen Forest Park. It is a made path and a steady rather than steep climb, which is why this has become one of the more family-friendly big walks in the Sperrins.
Mullaghcarn itself is the most southerly summit of the Sperrin range, 542 m (1,778 ft), about 8 km north-east of Omagh and 5 km south of Gortin. Conifer plantation covers the western slopes and heather the northern ones, with red grouse on the higher heath. The top carries a trig pillar and a cluster of telecommunications masts, and on a clear day the view runs across the Sperrins, over the drumlin country of Tyrone, and out to the Antrim coast.
History and tradition
The name Mullach Cairn means ‘peak of the cairns’. None survive on the summit today, though the stony ground still hints at what the name records. The last Sunday in July is Cairn Sunday, a tradition said to run back more than a thousand years, when local people climbed the hill to mark those cairns; after fading for a while it has been revived, with families gathering for a communal ascent and a picnic at the top.
The mountain’s other history is louder. During the Second World War it was a live firing range used by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and by United States Army units stationed in the North; American troops trained here for the D-Day landings, working with anti-tank weapons, mortars, machine-guns and rifles. Nothing of the range is visible now, but it is an odd thought on a quiet summit.
Geology and wildlife
Mullaghcarn is an Area of Special Scientific Interest, protecting a mosaic of upland habitats – peatland, small lakes and the oak woodland of Boorin Wood on the north-facing slope – alongside landforms left by the retreating ice. The stand-out feature is the Gortin proglacial delta complex, one of the best examples of its kind in Northern Ireland, laid down between roughly 17,000 and 13,000 years ago as meltwater filled the valley with gravel, sand and clay.
On the ascent you cross acid grassland, heather and managed conifer. Red grouse are regular on the heath, with meadow pipits and buzzards about and dragonflies over the upland pools in summer.
Hiking the summit
The main route is the Mullaghcarn Walking Trail from Gortin Glen Forest Park to the summit and back, 7.6 km return on gravel and tarmac, passing Darach the Guardian at the top. It suits walkers of reasonable fitness and older children happy with a moderate hill; there is some rockier ground near the summit. A shorter approach of about 6.6 km (4.1 miles) climbs from Glenpark Road.
Parking is free at Gortin Glen Forest Park, and there is alternative parking near Oak Lough and at the Lenagh lay-by, both off the B48, for quieter starts onto the ridge. A paved service road also climbs part of the mountain for those with limited time, leaving a short final push to the trig pillar.
For a longer day, a forest walk combines woodland, open mountain and a second top (Slieveard) before looping back through the trees; it is marked but longer and rougher underfoot than the main trail, so allow extra time and check the distance locally before setting out.
The Mullaghcarn Giant hill race runs in late July, part of the Northern Ireland mountain-running series, and in the 2023 WalkNI awards the trail to the Giant was named the area’s best new trail.
Practical information
- Getting there – the handiest access is the Gortin Glen Forest Park car park, reached via the B48 or B46 from Omagh. Parking is free, and there is no charge for the walks.
- Facilities – the forest park has a play park, a trim trail, toilets with baby-changing, picnic tables and barbecue spots, and a summer café (Brie’s Barista Bar).
- Seasonality and safety – routes are open year-round, but the weather turns quickly, so bring waterproofs and sturdy footwear. Keep to defined paths to protect the heathland and the ASSI habitats.
- Dogs – welcome on all routes on a lead.
- Nearby – pair the walk with the waterfalls in Gortin Glen Forest Park, Oak Lough, the town of Gortin, or the neighbouring summits of Bessy Bell and Dart Mountain.
Do the out-and-back from Gortin Glen: 7.6 km return on a made path, gentle enough for older kids, with Darach waiting at the top. Just check the forest-park gate times before you set off, or you’ll find the car park locked when you come down.