{"id":11421,"date":"2022-02-17T11:53:18","date_gmt":"2022-02-17T10:53:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/?p=16900"},"modified":"2022-02-17T15:11:29","modified_gmt":"2022-02-17T14:11:29","slug":"best-walks-in-northern-ireland","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/best-walks-in-northern-ireland\/","title":{"rendered":"Best walks in Northern Ireland"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Daniel Graham\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 17 February 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Northern Ireland contains just 1.8m people \u2013\u00a0roughly a fifth of\u00a0London\u2019s population. Indeed, the density of humans is so low that\u00a0it can often feel as though you\u00a0have the countryside to yourself;\u00a0each path your own, save the scuttle of a red squirrel<\/a> or the chirrup of a songbird.<\/p>\n

With hundreds of miles of dramatic coastline, wild hills and mountains, magical forests and numerous beautiful rivers and lakes, Northern Ireland is a walker\u2019s paradise. We\u2019ve put together a selection of the best walks in Northern Ireland, including route distance, duration and difficulty, as well as walking directions and maps.<\/p>\n

\""Ballycastle,\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The view from Torr Head, Ballycastle\/Credit: Getty<\/span><\/figcaption> Getty<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Best walks in Northern Ireland<\/h2>\n

Take to the trail and discover the mountains, loughs, forests and\u00a0coastlines of this magical country with some of our favourite walks.<\/p>\n

Ballintoy and Portbraddan, County Antrim<\/h3>\n

5 miles\/8km | 3\u20133.5 hours | moderate (return)<\/em><\/p>\n

\""Sea\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Looking west from Ballintoy Harbour along\u00a0the Causeway Coast to the dune-backed sands and dolphin-rich waters of White Park Bay\/Credit: Alamy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Set in the midst of Antrim\u2019s famous Causeway Coast, Ballintoy is a small village whose name translates as \u2018town of the north\u2019. The title is apt; Scotland\u2019s Mull of Kintyre is visible on the Atlantic horizon.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The village jewel is its harbour, a time-honoured haven for fishing boats, constructed from limestone blocks and protected by a jumble of offshore stacks. So evocative is the location, it was chosen as the setting for the Iron Islands in HBO\u2019s popular TV series Game of Thrones.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet long before its small-screen fame, this coastline was celebrated by walkers and naturalists. The signed Causeway Coast Way stretches off in both directions, providing 33 miles of superlative coastal hiking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Less than two miles east along the path lies the unique and thrilling Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. The route west towards Portbraddan is even better, and an out-and-back hike in this direction is not to be missed.<\/p>\n

Ballintoy and Portbraddan route and map<\/a><\/p>\n

Slieve Binnian, County Down<\/h3>\n

6 miles\/ 9.7km |\u00a04.5 hour | challenging<\/em><\/p>\n

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\""Mourne\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Looking towards the central peaks of the Mourne Mountains from Slieve Binnian\/Credit: Jake Graham<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Severe weathering during the last ice age sculpted Slieve Binnian into the most distinctive peak in Northern Ireland\u2019s Mourne Mountains.<\/p>\n

The scenic splendour of these mountains is well known. After all, this is the landscape that inspired CS Lewis to create Narnia. It\u2019s also worth watching out for winter wildlife. The most commonly spotted wild mammal is the Irish hare, which can reach up to 48kph in full sprint. During particularly snowy winters, some upland hares change to a white or partially white coat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Slieve Binnian walking route and map<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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