Barnett Demesne

Barnett Demesne is a 40-hectare park in south Belfast, bequeathed to the city in 1934.  The estate was originally established in the seventeenth century, but was extensively landscaped in the 1830s resulting in the open parkland and mature specimen … [Read more...]

Belvoir Forest Park

Belvoir Forest Park, the largest forest on the outskirts of the city, was opened in 1961.  It contains a Norman motte and a fourteenth-century, ruined graveyard.  Today the site is a working forest and contains the oldest known oaks in Ireland dated, … [Read more...]

Portglenone Forest

The entrance to the forest and car park is signposted just south of Portglenone village and there is a good network of paths through the woodlands. Portglenone Forest is famous for its wonderful carpets of bluebells in May. The groundflora also … [Read more...]

Sallagh Braes

Sallagh Braes, a prominent basalt scarp in the uplands to the west of Ballygally, can be accessed by following the Ulster Way footpath, which is signposted from Linford car park on the Feystown Road. There are a number of historical records for … [Read more...]

Portmuck and Isle of Muck

Portmuck is accessed via a steep, twisting road at the northern end of Islandmagee. There is a car park by the harbour. Access is not permitted to Muck Island, which is an Ulster Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve. A footpath at the harbour leads to a … [Read more...]

Cranny Falls

Access is via a footpath that follows the route of the former mineral railway line from the harbour at Carnlough up the hill to the site of the quarry. Cranny Falls includes a beautiful, secluded waterfall in a wooded valley and a disused … [Read more...]

Brown’s Bay and Skernahan

Brown’s Bay, a sandy beach at the northern end of Islandmagee and the adjacent National Trust site at Skernahan are popular destinations, particularly in hot weather. There is good road access and car parking. The coastal strip around Skernahan, … [Read more...]

Antrim Coast Road

The dramatic coast road north of Larne is rightly famous for its dramatic cliffs of black basalt and white limestone and is also a great place to discover wildlife. There are car parks and stopping points along the route. The vegetation associated … [Read more...]

Carrickfergus Mill Ponds LNR

Carrickfergus Mill Ponds is three hectares of land which is an urban oasis for wildlife. The main features of the site are the two former mill ponds which form part of the rich and varied industrial heritage of Carrickfergus. The site also includes … [Read more...]

Straidkilly Nature Reserve

This Ulster Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve is situated by the Straidkilly Road, an inland route between Glenarm and Carnlough on the hill slope above the Coast Road. Informal paths provide a circular walk around the site, though the ground is uneven … [Read more...]