Killen to Newtownstewart - Bollaght Mountain Trail

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This 2nd section of Bollaght Mountain Trail, part of The International Appalachian Trail (IAT), follows quiet country roads, areas of woodland, picking up the Ulster Way on the northern slopes of Bollaght Mountain. You then ascend Bessy Bell, where panoramic views of the western Sperrins can be enjoyed. The route is waymarked from here using yellow on blue Ulster Way signage.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: Killeter to Gortin - Bollaght Mountain Trail

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 18.99 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 10h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 2,162 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 2,313 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,371 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 187 ft
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Description of the walk

Start : Killen Primary School, 82 Learmore Rd, Killen, Castlederg (BT81 7SD)
The route is waymarked from here using yellow-on-blue Ulster Way signage.

(S) Leaving the Killen Primary School car park, turn left (South) into the main street and keep walking 325 m until the road junction to the left.

(1) Turn left (South-East) onto the Lisleen Road and continue to walk for 2 Km on quiet roads through the open countryside. You will reach the crossroads where the Lisleen Road meets Garvetagh Road.

(2) Turn right (South) in Garvetagh Road, walk 800 m or so to the next junction.

(3) Continue straight over the cross roads, staying on the Garvetagh Road.

After around 900 m or so, continue straight when the road merges with the Lettercarn Road.

(4) Then after walking for around 1.2 Km, turn right (South-East) onto the Bolaght Road, following signs for the South Sperrins Scenic Route. After 1.5 Km and upon reaching a cross roads, you will join the Ulster Way.

(5) Take a left-hand turn (North-East) onto Kirlish Road, where the IAT route has now joined up with the Ulster Way walking route. Continue along the Kirlish Road, enjoying fine views throughout. After approximately 3.3 Km, you will arrive to a crossroad.

(6) Turn left (North-East) (still called the Kirlish Road) and descend through a crossroads to the B50 Drumquin-Castlederg road. (1.7 Km or so)

(7) Turn right (South-East) and proceed carefully along this road for 840 m to a fork.

(8) At the fork, take the left-handed path (East) and walk for 600 m to a junction.

(9) Turn left (North) again shortly afterwards, and then follow a straight road for 2.9 Km, climbing up through the village of Drumlegagh to a crossroads.

(10) Turn right (East) onto Magheracreggan Road and walk for 1.6 Km to a junction.

(11) Turn right and straight away left before descending into the southern reaches of the Baronscourt Estate.

(12) On the way, pass a pretty church and continue along a minor road through forest and up onto the B84 Drumquin-Newtownstewart road. Keep the same direction for a couple of hundred metres.

(13) Turn right (South) and walk for a 220 m or so to find a path on your left.

(14) Then turn left (South-east) into Upper Cloonty Wood. Climb steadily along a forest track through several junctions and into Manus Wood before reaching a road (2.5 Km).

(15) Turn right (South-East) onto a road for 230 m. Be aware of a forest track on your left.

(16) Then turn left onto another forest track leading into Cashty Wood. Continue on this way for 1.4Km.

(17) Turn right at a crossroads and climb steeply for thirty or forty minutes, passing a wind farm, on the way to the triangulation pillar on the summit of Bessy Bell.

(18) From the pillar cross the stile some 200 metres to the west and continue descending in a southeasterly direction, keeping to the right of a fence.

Cross a stile and walk beneath the turbines of Beltany Windfarm.

Pick up a track and go down through fields using a series of stiles.

At the bottom turn right along a track and follow this down to a deserted farmhouse where the road becomes surfaced. Now descend steeply for a few minutes to Castletown Road.

(19) Turn right and walk along the road for fifteen minutes.

(20) Turn left down a very steep and narrow lane.

(21) Turn left into the A5 with care and reach Mellon Country Hotel at 134 Beltany Rd, Omagh (BT78 5RA). This is the end of this section. (E)

Waypoints

  1. S : mi 0 - alt. 341 ft - Killen Primary School
  2. 1 : mi 0.2 - alt. 354 ft - Lisleen Road
  3. 2 : mi 1.62 - alt. 413 ft - Garvetagh Road
  4. 3 : mi 2.12 - alt. 384 ft - Crossroads
  5. 4 : mi 3.43 - alt. 354 ft - Bolaght Road
  6. 5 : mi 4.34 - alt. 738 ft - Kirlish Road
  7. 6 : mi 6.41 - alt. 673 ft - Junction - Kirlish Road
  8. 7 : mi 7.49 - alt. 262 ft - Drumquin-Castlederg road
  9. 8 : mi 8.01 - alt. 279 ft - Fork (turn left)
  10. 9 : mi 8.37 - alt. 233 ft - Straight road
  11. 10 : mi 10.16 - alt. 446 ft - Drumlegagh - Crossroads
  12. 11 : mi 11.14 - alt. 289 ft
  13. 12 : mi 11.23 - alt. 262 ft - Church
  14. 13 : mi 12.03 - alt. 351 ft - Junction B84 Drumquin-Newtownstewart road (right)
  15. 14 : mi 12.16 - alt. 348 ft - Upper Cloonty Wood
  16. 15 : mi 13.7 - alt. 741 ft - Manus Wood - Junction (right)
  17. 16 : mi 13.78 - alt. 768 ft - Cashty Wood
  18. 17 : mi 14.69 - alt. 801 ft - Begining ascend of Bessy Bell
  19. 18 : mi 15.77 - alt. 1,371 ft - Summit of Bessy Bell
  20. 19 : mi 17.76 - alt. 463 ft - Castletown Road
  21. 20 : mi 18.53 - alt. 404 ft - Steep and narrow Lane
  22. 21 : mi 18.86 - alt. 190 ft - A5
  23. E : mi 18.99 - alt. 200 ft - Mellon Country Hotel

Notes

Start : Killen Primary School, 82 Learmore Rd, Killen, Castlederg (BT81 7SD)
The route is waymarked from here using yellow-on-blue Ulster Way signage.

Arrival : Mellon Country Hotel, 134 Beltany Rd, Omagh (BT78 5RA)

Terrain : Country roads, hillside, forest

Public Transport : Translink Halfway House Bus stop

Facilities : The Hawks Claw Bar, 1 Main St, Killen, Castlederg (BT81 7SE)
Mellon Country Hotel, 134 Beltany Rd, Omagh (BT78 5RA)

Dog Policy : Must be kept on a lead.

Note : Please be aware that this walking route passes through areas of open land such as hillside, working farmland and working forests. Livestock may be present, ground conditions may be uneven or wet underfoot and all forestry signage should be adhered to. Please refer to the ‘Walk Safely’ information that can be found in the useful information section adjacent.

Find more information and walk ideas at Walk NI here.

Other walks in the area

Walking Killeter to Killen - Bollaght Mountain Trail (IAT)

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↔3.86 mi ↗+338 ft ↘-262 ft ◔2h 05 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Strabane
Starting in the village of Killeter, this 1rst section of Bollaght Mountain Trail, part of The International Appalachian Trail (IAT), follows quiet country roads, areas of woodland, before picking up the Ulster Way on the northern slopes of Bollaght Mountain. The route is waymarked from here using yellow on blue Ulster Way signage.

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This 3rd section of Bollaght Mountain Trail, part of The International Appalachian Trail (IAT), follows quiet country roads, areas of woodland, picking up the Ulster Way on the northern slopes of Bollaght Mountain. You then see panoramic views of the western Sperrins can be enjoyed. The route is waymarked from here using yellow on blue Ulster Way signage.

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