walking – WrookieSchU

Hi everyone! I hope you’re all enjoying your weekend. Today I want to share with you an amazing landmark in Northern Ireland that is very well known here and is quite the spectacle. We took a drive here yesterday for a walk and some fresh air.

It is known as Scrabo Tower and was built in 1857. Situated on Scrabo Hill, Newtownards (just outside Belfast) you can see the most amazing views of Strangford Lough and across the whole of Co. Down, as far as the Mourne Mountains. I simply put the landmark in to Google maps to find this spot, very simple to do thankfully.

I had always wanted to visit here as I had seen some spectacular photos from other Northern Ireland fanatics and I also love buildings like this one, towers and lighthouses are my absolute favourites. I love the tower’s design and how it is made from stone found at Scrabo Hill, including sandstone. Researching about this tower, I was surprised to read that a family actually grew up in this tower for many years and they even ran a successful tea room, specialising in Irish country teas. You can read more information here if you are interested.

My photos do not even do the view any justice, you really need to see with your own eyes to truly appreciate the beauty all around the tower. If you want some information on the history of the tower and how to get there, you can click the link here. My advice would be to wrap up warm as this site, being so high from sea level, will be very cold and extremely windy. We nearly had our heads blown off! Also try visiting on a clear day to ensure you have the best views possible.

At the bottom of Scrabo Tower, just beside the car park, you can find Scrabo Country Park. This is a beautiful woodland park where the paths meander, taking you up and down and round and around. We actually got a little lost here believe it or not but it was worth it for the views at the top of the park that we happened to stumble across. We stopped here for some sandwiches and a cup of tea. This was a real highlight and I was just so grateful that the tea had managed to stay hot in my flask, very welcoming when it’s so cold. The view from our pit stop was out of this world and just encapsulated Northern Ireland for me. You could see hills, green pastures, Strangford Lough, the Mourne Mountains and even Harland & Wolff, the two most famous cranes from Belfast’s ship yards. Thankfully, there were also bathrooms at the end of the walk 😅.

This is a great park to walk in if you’re looking for somewhere different to try and you have the added benefit of having Scrabo Tower just beside you. I can’t wait to return, maybe in the summer and maybe even take a walk inside Scrabo Tower (only open in summer).

Thanks for reading and enjoy your Sunday.

Wayne ✌🏽

Last month we managed to squeeze in a few different walks here in Northern Ireland. Some of these, you can spend maybe an hour walking around and others you can spend longer as it will take more time to walk around or you may find yourself snapping away at the beautiful scenery. They are great walks for getting out of the house and taking in some beautiful views and fresh country air. I have provided the websites for each location so you can check them out for yourselves also. These are perfect if you are looking for somewhere different to walk or if you ever plan to visit Northern Ireland in the future. There are many other walks that I have taken or plan to take but these are just the last few that I have walked recently.

Castlewellan Forest Park

https://discovernorthernireland.com/things-to-do/castlewellan-forest-park-p675411

This is a stunning lake side walk in Castlewellan, about 4.3 km long and is a loop walk, my favourite type of walk. Beautiful surroundings and you will find many walks in Northern Ireland tend to revolve around a castle. Here you can find Castlewellan Castle. There is also a large maze that you can enjoy just before you commence the walk (accessible from the car park).

Silent Valley Reservoir

https://www.niwater.com/the-silent-valley-trails/

Here you can take a beautiful walk around Northern Ireland’s largest reservoir, where the water is used to supply most of Co Down and Belfast. Set in the Mourne Mountains, it offers breathtaking views and also a walk to Ben Crom Dam that’s about 10km round trip.

Gosford Forest Park

https://discovernorthernireland.com/things-to-do/gosford-forest-park-p675161

Located in Markethill, this is a fantastic woodland area with lots of walkways, trees and wildlife. This forest park is great if you’re after a quiet space to get away from everything and also boasts picnic benches and food trucks in the carpark if you’re looking a bite to eat or grab a coffee for your walk. You could spend hours in this park, especially in summer time and it always brings back good memories of my childhood. We had so many picnics here as children and I always remember running around the treks and admiring the flower gardens (sadly these are no longer there). Gosford Forest Castle can be seen here also, although at present it is cordoned off for maintenance.

Hillsborough Forest Park

https://visitbelfast.com/partners/hillsborough-forest/

I have to admit, this is one of my favourite parks of late. It’s a beautiful walk in Hillsborough taking you around the lake. You can see Hillsborough Fort here and a fun fact, this was the first home of the Hill family, where the town’s name derives from. You can also see Hillsborough Castle from the park, where I really look forward to visiting one day. The park also has some wooded areas, a play park and large animal art works that are pretty spectacular.

Scarva Park

https://getactiveabc.com/parks/scarva-park/#:~:text=Scarva%20Park%20is%20a%20Green,site%20an%20important%20educational%20tool.

This park is close to where I am living at the moment in Banbridge. It’s a small park with a walk way around a beautiful pond filled with lots of wildlife. It wouldn’t take you long at all to complete the loop but you will find yourself stopping to stare at the natural beauty of this place. It’s a very simple walk with a play park for the kids and lots of ducks. This also brings back many memories of coming here as a kid to feed the ducks. You can grab a coffee after in the quaint village of Scarva.

Craigavon Lakes

https://discovernorthernireland.com/things-to-do/craigavon-lakes-p694861

This is a great walk if you’re looking for something easy with no hills or obstacles. It’s almost a 5km loop with a newly built leisure centre and cafe at the beginning or end of your walk. It’s beautiful to see the water and trees whilst walking along a normal walkway with no leaves or debris and funny enough, it’s located in Craigavon.

I hope you enjoy seeing the walks that I have taken over the last few weeks. They are all unique in their own way and offer a place that’s perfect for clearing your mind and taking in some fresh country Northern Irish air.

Take care and keep walking!

Wayne ✌🏽

Tag: walking

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