Discover the Belfast Hills, renowned for providing a unique backdrop to a thriving urban area.
Being so close to the city, fantastic views over Belfast and beyond can be easily enjoyed at Cave Hill and Belfast Castle or Black Mountain. If you really want to get some fresh air, the upland heath and wildflowers of Divis or Slievenacloy are a must.
Walkers are rewarded with spectacular views of Belfast Lough, the Castlereagh Hills, the Ards Peninsula, the Isle of Man, Scotland, Slieve Gullion, the Mournes and Carlingford Mountains on the one side, and on the other the Sperrins, Antrim Plateau and Lough Neagh. The Harland & Wolff cranes, the Hospital Tower Block, The King’s Hall and the Stormont Parliament Buildings are all easily visible.
Belfast’s Hills are thought to be inspiration for Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels” as the hills are the embodiment of a sleeping giant safeguarding the city.
The Belfast Hills Partnership (BHP) is an independent charity which seeks to improve how the hills are managed. There are six main sites which are open to the public:
Carnmoney Hill
Cave Hill Country Park
Divis and the Black Mountain
Slievenacloy Nature Reserve
Glenside Community Woodland
Colin Glen Forest Park
Address: Belfast Hills Partnership, 9 Social Economy Village, Hannahstown Hill, Belfast Northern Ireland
Antrim is the county town of County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Antrim is a small town not frequently visited by tourists, yet it is one of the more historic towns in Northern Ireland with many interesting sights and buildings of historic note.