The brooding peaks of the Mournes rise up from the farming country of south Down and roll down to the Irish Sea.
Northern Ireland’s highest range was immortalised by the balladeer Percy French in 1896, who in The Mountains of Mourne sang about a young man who pines for home and “To be back where the dark Mourne sweeps down to the sea”.
BBC2’s Mountain Vets gives a glimpse of why these granite summits might prompt such longing. The documentary series follows the staff at two veterinary practices in the Mournes, and every now and then the camera pulls back to reveal sweeping views of its tightly packed summits. Although it was never a true kingdom, this spectacular area where hill and sea meet is known as the ancient Kingdom of Mourne, and partly inspired CS Lewis’s fantasy land in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which was published 70 years ago.
As a boy, Lewis often went on holiday to Mourne country, staying near the pretty village of Rostrevor on the shores of Carlingford Lough, a vast glacial fjord. Decades later, he wrote that the landscape of the Mournes “made me feel that at any moment a giant might raise its head over the next ridge”, and described Rostrevor forest as “my idea of Narnia” in a letter to his brother. Today this magical corner of County Down has plenty to inspire visitors, from soaring views and epic hikes, to enchanting forest walks and beautiful beaches.
EXPLORE THE HAUNTED FOREST
The 4,000-acre Rostrevor Forest carpets the western flank of the Mournes, sloping steeply down to Carlingford Lough. Nowadays it’s best known for its mountain bike trails, but there are also walking trails. The Queen regularly holidayed at neighbouring Kilbroney Park, back when it was an earl’s estate. Nowadays its parklands are open to all and home to what might just be Northern Ireland’s most scenic camping and caravan site. The area is steeped in mythology (visitmournemountains.co.uk/chroniclesofnarnia).
After exploring the Narnia Trail, you could visit Rostrevor’s Fairy Glen and the Mountain Vets (Friday 8.00pm, 8.30pm BBC2) Cloughmore Stone, a gigantic boulder perched high above the village. According to local folklore, it was thrown there by mythical hunterwarrior Finn McCool during a fight with a Scottish giant. When the giant retaliated, his handful of earth missed and became the Isle of Man. On the opposite side of the Mournes, you can enjoy the way-marked trails of lovely Tollymore Forest, which is better known as Game of Thrones’s Haunted Forest and Wolfswood.
HIKE TO THE HILLS
The Mournes has no shortage of spectacular walks, ranging from forest rambles and gentle trails on the fringes to tough hill hikes. Mountain guide Peter Rafferty (walkthemournes.com) says, “There are places where you could walk for three or four days and not see
anyone. On a good day, you the welcoming town of Newcastle sits in the shadow of Slieve Donard and stretches along the beach. It’s here you’ll find the Mournes’ grandest hotel:120-year-old Slieve Donard Hotel and Spa, which lives up to its majestic, turreted
façade. Another popular spot is Cranfield West, a swathe of sand and shingle at the entrance to Carlingford Lough. Forming part of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, the lough links the Mournes to the wooded slopes of the Cooley Peninsula. It’s thought that the Vikings set up camp on its shores when they invaded Ireland in the ninth century. Nowadays catamarans and kayaks ply its waters, and you can sail across the border on a 15-minute ferry that shuttles between Greencastle and the picturesque medieval village of Carlingford on the south’s shore.
The brooding peaks of the Mournes rise up from the farming country of south Down and roll down to the Irish Sea.