Overview
A tarmac transmitter road runs almost to the 534-metre summit of Slieve Croob, which makes this one of the easiest big views in County Down to reach on foot. The hill crowns the centre of the Dromara Hills, just north of the higher Mourne Mountains, and the whole area is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The name is Sliabh Crúibe in Irish, ‘mountain of the hoof’. On a clear day the summit looks south to the Mournes, west to Lough Neagh, north to Belfast, east to Strangford Lough, and – if the air is really clear – out to the Isle of Man and the Scottish coast. On a dull one you get the radio masts and not much else, so pick your day.
The summit cairn and local legend
At the top sits a weathered stone mound that archaeologists read as a Bronze Age burial cairn. Nineteenth-century surveys recorded it as roughly 70 metres around and some 16 metres high, ringed by forty-two kerbstones. Centuries of erosion and stone-robbing left a scatter of smaller cairns piled on top, which earned the site its nickname, the Twelve Cairns.
Local folklore has twelve kings buried beneath the stones, and warns that disturbing the cairn invites misfortune. The mountain also turns up in medieval legend tied to the giant Crom Dubh, whose severed head is said to have landed here after a battle.
Every August those threads come alive at Cairn Sunday, also called Blaeberry Sunday, held traditionally on the first Sunday of the month. Rooted in the old Lughnasa harvest festival, it brings locals and visitors up the path to carry a stone to the cairn – which sits beside the summit triangulation pillar – forage for wild bilberries and enjoy music and dancing.
Walking the hill
Reaching the top is straightforward, with two main options from the Dree Hill car park.
- Summit trail: a 4.35 km (2.7 mi) out-and-back of roughly 90 minutes. The tarmac road gives way to a short grassy track near the top, crossing three wooden stiles before the cairn and the masts. Fine for families and moderate fitness.
- Twelve Cairns walk: an 11 km (6.5 mi) loop from the same car park, following the tarmac road then branching onto the Pass Loaning lane and transmitter tracks for a fuller moorland walk. Allow about 3½ hours.
Near the cairn, a small spring and boggy patch mark the true source of the River Lagan. A sculpture near the Dree Hill car park also marks the source, depicting Legananny Dolmen and the Lughnasa festival, with bog cotton framing the stream before it heads for Belfast Lough. The ground here can be soft and slippery, so watch your footing.
Nature and seasons
The summit plateau is carpeted in heather, deep purple in late summer before fading to bronze and gold in autumn. Bog asphodel shows in the wetter hollows. The lower slopes are thick with bilberries in July and August, and the open moorland holds buzzards, stonechats and the occasional peregrine. Sheep graze year-round, which keeps the hill open – and is why dogs are not allowed. Winter brings snow and ice to the top, so sturdy footwear matters in the colder months, and autumn often gives the clearest air for the long views.
Practical information
- Parking: free car park at Dree Hill (grid reference J300452), room for about 15 cars, with a picnic bench and information board. It fills on fine summer days, so arrive early.
- Access: through the green gate onto the tarmac transmitter road; the route is well marked.
- Dogs: not permitted, due to active sheep grazing.
- Accessibility: the tarmac section takes sturdy wheelchairs and prams, but the final grassy stretch and three stiles block wheelchair access to the cairn.
- Safety: the summit holds active radio transmission equipment, so keep clear of the masts and fenced areas. The tarmac road turns slick in heavy rain.
- Facilities: none on the hill – no toilets, no refreshments. Bring water and snacks.
- Transport: public transport here is very limited; you really need a car.
- Navigation: OS map sheet 20 covers the area.
Getting there and nearby
From Belfast, take the M1 south to junction 8 (Sprucefield), continue on the A1, then turn left onto the Dromara Road, followed by the Hillsborough and Rathfriland roads to Finnis. Turn left onto Dree Hill Road; the car park is on the left just after a short bridge over the River Lagan. The drive takes roughly 35 minutes (about 23 miles).
After the walk, Castlewellan and Banbridge are within a ten-minute drive for cafés and pubs, and Newcastle a little further for seafood. The nearest ancient site worth pairing with the hill is Legananny Dolmen, a fine tripod portal tomb a short drive south. Check the Met Éireann forecast first: the summit is exposed and the temperature drops fast once you leave the tree line.