Meelmore and Meelberg Trail

Start : The walk starts at Ott car park (BT34 5XL) along Slievenaman Road.

(S/E) Cross the obvious stile on the opposite side of the road from Ott car park. After 150m the stony track splits in two.

(1) Take the upper path (South) and continue along the obvious track ascending to the col between Slieve Loughshannagh and Carn Mountain where you will meet the Mourne Wall after 1.6 Km or so.

(2) At the wall, turn left (North-East) and follow the Mourne Wall up the summits of Slieve Loughshannagh (619m) and Slieve Meelbeg (708m), up to the summit of Slieve Meelmore (687m). (A) and (B)

(3) Retrace your steps 300m back down Slieve Meelmore to the wall intersection and descend into the valley using the right-hand wall at this intersection. Continue to where the wall meets a walking track and the river.

(4) Follow the river downstream, following the walking trails on either side.

(5) At the bottom of the valley pick up the Ulster Way, before reaching a pocket of evergreen woodland, follow this in a South-Westerly direction passing Fofanny Dam after 750m on your right-hand side. The Ulster Way emerges onto the Slievenaman Road.

(6) Turn left (South-West) and continue for 800m along the road back to Ott car park. (S/E)

Start : The walk starts at Ott car park (BT34 5XL).

Driving to start : To get to Ott car park, follow the Kilkeel Road out of Hilltown for 7 Km, turn left at the junction with Slievenaman Road and continue for 1.5 Km, Ott car park is on the left-hand side.

Terrain : Unsurfaced tracks, mountain path

Public Transport : Translink

Facilities : Picnic facilities available at Ott car park.

Dog Policy : Dogs must be kept on leads

Find more information and walk ideas at Walk NI here.

(A) Mourne Mountains : The Mourne Mountains, also called the Mournes or Mountains of Mourne, are a granite mountain range in County Down in the south-east of Northern Ireland. They include the highest mountains in Northern Ireland, the highest of which is Slieve Donard at 850 m (2,790 ft). The Mournes are designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and it has been proposed to make the area Northern Ireland's first national park. The area is partly owned by the National Trust and sees many visitors every year. The Mourne Wall crosses fifteen of the summits and was built to enclose the catchment basin of the Silent Valley and Ben Crom reservoirs.

(B) The Mourne Wall : The Mourne Wall (Irish: Balla an Mhúrn) was constructed to enclose a catchment area of the Silent Valley Reservoir in the Mourne Mountains, Northern Ireland. The 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) high stone wall, which was built to keep livestock from contaminating water supplies, took almost twenty years to complete (1904 to 1922). The project was overseen by the Belfast City and District Water Commissioners.