Discover a taleof two oceans,experience thepeople and places,find where nature startsandcelebrate legendary heroeswith theMourne Gullion Strangford UNESCOGlobal Geoparkmaps and guides. WalkingRoutes and Maps a b Viney, Michael (13 May 2017). "The link between gorse fires, farming and a disregard for nature". The Irish Times. In total, this 10 km (6.2 miles) long and should take around five to six hours to complete, and we can assure you this hike is definitely worth it. The name ' Mourne' is derived from the name of a Gaelic clan or sept called the Múghdhorna. [6] [7] The older name of this mountainous territory was Bairrche, which is likely a collective noun derived from the Irish barr, meaning 'top, peak'. [8] This survives in the Irish name for the mountains, na Beanna Boirche, literally "the peaks of the peak district". [9] [10] It was historically anglicized as 'Bennyborfy'. [11] The name Bairche or Boirche was also personified as the mythical shepherd of the mountains. [8] Rostrevor Forest is near the village of Rostrevor, County Down, between the Mourne Mountains and Carlingford Lough, in the Mourne Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The first trees, primarily sitka spruce, douglas fir and pine, were planted in 1931.

En route, note the tell-tale wedge marks around the edges of many granite stones. Such evidence of the stone-men’s ‘plug-and-feathers’ method of cutting stone can be seen on boulders large and small throughout the Mournes. The plug (a small iron wedge) was inserted between two thin pieces of steel (feathers) to split the stone along a line of roughly-prepared holes. Start in Donard Car Park and make your way through Donard forest and out onto the clear path leading up to the peak.We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from ‘Where is the secret waterfall?’ to ‘Which peak is the toughest?’. Kilmorey Arms Hotel: Stylish hotel in the southeast corner of the Mourne Mountains and not far from Cranfield Beach. Living here in partnership with nature, the people of Mourne Mountains & Ring of Gullion are to be found every day in their craft breweries and distilleries, their artisan shops, and on farms that produce some of the finest local food on the island.

Such is the beauty and history of Mourne Mountains & Ring of Gullionthat it has inspired pagan chiefs and patron saints, writers, inventors, engineers and visitors from all corners of the world for millennia.

Aside from grasses, the most common plants found in the Mournes are heathers and gorse. Of the former, three species are found: cross-leaved heath, bell heather, and common heather. Of the latter, two species are found: common gorse and western gorse. Other plants which grow in the area are: common cottongrass, roseroot, harebell, marsh St John's-wort, wild thyme, wood sorrel and heath spotted orchid. With everything close by, the Mourne Mountains & Ring of Gullion is plentiful in quaint towns, incredible scenery, ancient forests, and stately homes. Explore the vastness of our landscapes and receive a giant welcome from all you encounter here. Take a quiet moment to appreciate the bird song and babbling water on this20 milewalking path. Country Lanes, Quiet Villages and Ring DykeLandscape