Life

3Top New Year walks

Whether you want to walk off Christmas indulgences, get out of the house for a few hours or spend some time together as a family, going for a good walk is a life-affirming thing to do. Weekend and WalkNI have picked our top three New Year walks in the north. So get your boots on, get outside and enjoy yourself

1

Slieve Donard, Commedagh and Bearnagh, Mourne Mountains http://www.walkni.com/walks/575/slieve-donardcommedagh-and-bearnagh/

Nearest town: Newcastle, Co. Down Map: Sheet 29 of Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland Discoverer Series.

Suitability: This is a strenuous walk only suitable for those with a high level of fitness and used to walking in the high mountains.

A 10.9-mile circular walk taking in three of the four highest peaks of the Mournes (Slieve Donard 853m, Slieve Commedagh 765m, Slieve Bearnagh 739m), this challenging walk with some strenuous ascents is well worth the effort, with wonderful views out to the Irish Sea and back into the High Mournes.

Starting at Trassey Track, follow the path up towards Hare's Gap (a saddle between Slieve Bearnagh and Slievenaglough) before taking the right-hand track where you will meet the Mourne Wall. Follow the Wall up Slieve Bearnagh to be greeted by an impressive Summit Tor and wonderful 360 degree views of the Mournes.

Follow the steep track down Slieve Bearnagh towards Hare's Gap. From here take the easily identifiable Brandy Pad, a well-trodden smugglers track, bearing left at the distinct cairn on the path at the col between Slieve Beg and Slieve Commedagh. Walk along the path underneath the 'Castles' (pinnacles on the south side of Slieve Commedagh) before bearing left and continuing on the path up to where it meets the Mourne Wall at the col between Slieve Donard and Slieve Commedagh.

At this point for those feeling fit it is possible to walk up Slieve Donard and retrace your steps back to the col before commencing the summit of Slieve Commedagh.

From the summit of Commedagh continue along the wall, up Slievenaglough and then down towards Hare's Gap on the south side of the Mourne Wall.

At Hare's Gap climb the stile and descend through the rocky terrain to meet the Trassey Track, following it back to the start.

2

North Antrim Cliff Path, Causeway Coast and Glens http://www.walkni.com/ walks/400/north-antrim-cliff-path-to-dunseverick-castle/

Nearest Town: Bushmills Map: Sheet 4 of Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland Discoverer Series Terrain: This walk is on grassy cliff top path with a number of stiles to climb over. Start the New Year with some of Northern Ireland's most spectacular panoramic views. The North Antrim Cliff Path is a stunning five-mile

3

Gosford Forest Park http://www.walkni.com/ walks/232/gosford-forest-park/

Nearest Town: Armagh Map: Sheet 19 of Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland Discoverer Series Terrain: Off road paths through parkland, grassland and woodland Designated the first conservation forest in Northern Ireland in 1986, Gosford Forest Park comprises 240 hectares of diverse woodland and open parkland set in rolling drumlin countryside.

Prior to the Forest Service acquiring the site in 1958, the Earls of Gosford owned the estate, home to Gosford Castle, for several centuries.

Four way-marked trails of varying length, all signposted from the main car park, wind through the forest leading into some of the park's most beautiful and tranquil areas. Highlights include the arboretum, featuring a variety of individual, conifer walk boasting breathtaking coastal landscapes and a rich biodiversity. Starting from the Giant's Causeway Visitor's Centre, this walk sets off eastwards around the first headland of Weir's Snout, where you can enjoy stunning vistas back towards the causeway World Heritage Site.

The clifftop path veers to the right and passes above 'The Amphitheatre', a spectacular bay. For the next two miles you will be greeted with some of the finest coastal scenery in Europe. You will soon reach the largest bay

and broadleaf tree species, some more than 150 years old, and a deer enclosure where you can find one of the three varieties of red deer found in Ireland.

Disclaimer: This information has been provided by WalkNI.com in association with The Irish News. Every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information. However, neither WalkNI.com nor The Irish News can

along this walk, Port Moon, which offers incredible views to Rathlin Island and further out to sea with the Scottish Islands of Islay and Jura in the distance. Here, you will notice a small red-roofed fisherman's bothy, once the nerve centre of a busy salmon fishing operation.

The final stretch sees the cliffs gradually fall in height as you approach the ruins of Dunseverick Castle, which has a rich history of resident Ulster clans, raiding Viking invaders and close associations with Saint Patrick.

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