Overview and history
You can see Scrabo Tower from most of north Down, which was rather the point. It’s a folly – a building put up to look grand rather than do a job – raised in 1857 as a memorial to Charles William Vane, the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, on a 540-foot hill above Newtownards and Strangford Lough. The architects Lanyon and Lynn gave it a Scottish-Baronial style, echoing the medieval peel towers of the Stewart line, though it was never meant to defend anything.
The hill was occupied long before the Victorians got to it: the tower stands on the site of a prehistoric hill fort, and there’s been settlement up here since Neolithic times. Its cap of hard dolerite over softer sandstone is what gives the summit that sharp profile above the lowlands. The Irish name Scrabo is usually traced to screabach, ‘rough stony land’, though some prefer scraith bó, ‘cow pasture’.
Funding came from 730 local subscribers, with an unexpected contribution from the French Emperor Napoleon III. The foundation stone was laid on 27 February 1857, but costs ran over – to somewhere north of £3,000 – and work stopped in 1859 with the interior unfinished. It was listed Grade B+ in 1977 and refurbished in 1992 to fix structural wear and add lightning protection.
The climb and the views
A spiral stair of 122 steps winds up the south-east corner to a crenellated parapet walk. When it’s open the view is the reward, and it’s a wide one:
- Strangford Lough spreads out to the south, its tidal waters full of islands and drumlins.
- Helen’s Tower stands to the north, another Scottish-Baronial folly on a neighbouring estate.
- The Copeland Islands and their lighthouse mark the eastern horizon, and on a genuinely clear day you can trace the Scottish coast – the Mull of Kintyre and Ailsa Craig.
- South-east, the Isle of Man shows as a faint silhouette; the Mourne Mountains rise in the south; west, you can pick out Divis and Cave Hill over Belfast.
The exterior earns a look on its own: a square base rising to a cylindrical storey under a steep conical roof, four turrets with their own caps, and machicolated battlements linking them to a central platform. The north entrance carries a dedication plaque to the 3rd Marquess, topped by a white-limestone relief of the Londonderry coronet, a Stewart dragon crest and a Vane gauntlet.
Here’s the honest bit: the tower is usually shut. It’s been closed on and off for years while water damage to the electrical systems is dealt with, so don’t drive out expecting to climb it – check the Discover Northern Ireland page first. When it does open, admission to the tower is a small charge (around £3 per adult); the park and grounds are always free.
Walking Scrabo Country Park
Closed tower or not, the park around it is reason enough to come. Managed by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, it has marked routes through the beech of Killynether Wood and past the old sandstone quarries that supplied the tower’s stone – a sheltered, shaded contrast to the exposed summit. The best walk is the Scrabo Hill Walk, a 2.3-mile circular that takes in the wood, the quarries and the climb to the tower base.
The eastern slope is an Area of Special Scientific Interest for its geology. Picnic tables sit near the main car park, dogs on leads are fine, and film-spotters may recognise the woods from Dracula Untold (2014), which shot several exterior scenes here.
Practical information
Location and parking Scrabo Tower is off Scrabo Road, Newtownards, BT23 4SJ. On-site parking is free, though charges can apply during peak summer event weekends.
Admission and opening The country park is free and open daily. The tower interior is currently closed for maintenance; when it reopens for special access, a small per-adult charge applies. Check the official Discover Northern Ireland page for updates.
Accessibility The approach to the car park is steep, and the tower’s 122 steps are a single unbroken flight. It’s not suitable for visitors with limited mobility, pushchairs or wheelchairs.
Contact Phone: 028 9082 3207. Email: scmenquiries@communities-ni.gov.uk. Grid reference: J4776072600.
Nearby A short drive south brings you to the Castle Espie Wetland Centre, with its hides and guided walks, and Scrabo Golf Club sits right below the hill. Time your visit for late afternoon to catch the golden light across Strangford Lough, and bring a windbreaker – the summit is breezy year-round.