Our last full day in the North saw us driving south through Belfast without stopping because we have been there many times before. We drove near the Giant's Ring on our way towards Newcastle and didn't stop there, either. On this mostly driving day, we stayed on secondary roads because we wanted a chance to walk into the mountains to visit the Mourne Wall, a 22-mile-long dry-stone wall built around the city reservoirs of Belfast. Somewhat at random, we picked a trail up a barren ridge near Slieve Loughshanogue and found the wall and its location equally impressive.
The rough stonework of the Mourne Wall contrasted with the carefully clipped golf course at Royal County Down which we walked to from our rather fancy Harbour House accommodations.
Before returning our car at Dublin Airport, we hiked 5 miles from Harbour House up into the Donard Forest Park. The walk started very civilized and park-like but climbed high onto the side of Thomas's Mountain before passing Lindsay's Leap [sic] and becoming significantly rougher in an area of burnt heather and barren mountainside before returning steeply to leave us across the street from the harbor and our hotel.
The trailhead map to Donard Forest Park
Looking down at Newcastle Bay and the red brick buildings of Royal County Down Golf Club
Is that really a sunburned face in Ireland in May?
We returned to DUB where we handed in our faithful VW after over a thousand miles of scrape-free, left-side driving. And then we relaxed at the Gresham Hotel, definitely a splurge - but this is Dublin and there aren't any cheap accommodations in this city that I have ever found.
It was another eventful, satisfying journey anchored by our fourth Hillwalk Tours expedition. No disasters that weren't fixable and no pains that weren't bearable. Let's do it again!
Full photo album for Mourne Mountains 2026
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