Mourne Wall Challenge Trail

Start : The walk starts at Carrick Little car park at the end of the Oldtown Road. (BT34 4RW)

(S/E) From Carrick Little car park, take the track Northwards (to the left) for 1 Km and cross the Mourne Wall using the stile provided.

(1) Follow the Mourne Wall to the North-West and ascend Slieve Binnian (747m). The wall rises steeply on the rugged slopes of Slieve Binnian, but it is an obvious line to follow almost all the way to the summit. There is a break when the wall runs into a bare face of granite, and before this point you should bear right and aim for a notch in the top of the mountain. Going all the way to the summit involves easy scrambling to summit the tors and taking care on the rock.

After 2.8 Km, the reward is a fine panorama of the surrounding mountains. In clear weather it’s possible to see the Isle of Man out to sea and the Wicklow Mountains beyond Dublin.

(2) Continue following the Mourne Wall in a South-Westerly direction for around 800 m, descending steeply to Wee Binnian and across Moolieve.

(3) Continue the descent following the Mourne Wall to Silent Valley Mountain Park for around 1.6 Km. A network of paths lead West across to the other side of the park. You can cut across at this point and travel West to regain the wall or continue following the wall South until the wall ends at the junction of Head Road and the entrance to Silent Valley Park.

(4) Continue in a Westerly direction along Head Road for 1 Km and regain the wall where it meets Head Road after the forested area to the north ends.

(5) Continue along the wall in a Northerly direction for 1.5 Km where the wall takes a sharp Westerly turn.

(6) After 500m, there is a junction of two walls, follow the wall to the North-East to ascend Slievenaglogh.

(7) Descend Slievenaglogh following the Mourne Wall in a North-Westerly direction.

(8) Cross the Bann Road and steep ascending towards Slieve Muck (674m).

(9) At the summit of Slieve Muck, take the Northerly fork in the Mourne Wall. Continue East along this route to the summit of Carn Mountain (588m).

(10) Follow the Mourne Wall, passing Lough Shannagh on the right. Continue following the Mourne Wall to traverse the summits of Slieve Loughshannagh (619m).

(11) Walk North-East to Slieve Meelbeg (708m).

(13) And continue up North-East to the summit of Slieve Meelmore (687m).

(14)Continue to descend steeply following the wall in a South-Easterly direction, cross Pollaphuca and ascend Slieve Bearnagh (739m). Continue following the Mourne Wall in a North-Easterly direction to descend into Hare’s Gap.

(15) From Hare’s Gap ascend Slievenaglogh (586m).

(16) Continue following the wall in an Easternly to South-Easterly direction to ascend Slieve Commedagh.

(17) Excellent views of Newcastle, Donard Wood and the Glen River can be enjoyed here. Continue South-East along the wall to ascend the highest mountain in Northern Ireland, Slieve Donard (853m).

(18) The summit provides spectacular views of the coast and as far afield as Belfast, 30 miles north, and Dublin, 55 miles to the south. Continue descending along the Mourne Wall in a South-Westernly direction where the Bog of Donard spreads out before you. Continue along the Mourne Wall skirting past Chimney Rock Mountain to the east and Rocky Mountain to the west.

(19) From the north east side of Rocky Mountain, the wall trends South-East towards Long Seefin.

(20) From here the 90 degree turn (South-West) in the wall will lead you towards Annalong Wood. Continue following the wall for 500m, to meet a minor untarred road.

(21) Follow this road in a South-Easterly direction to meet the Head Road at Rourkes Park.

(22) Follow the Head Road right in a Westerly direction for 1.5 Km back to Carricklittle car park. (S/E)

Start : The walk starts at Carrick Little car park at the end of the Oldtown Road. (BT34 4RW)

Driving to start : To get to Carricklittle car park, follow the Moneydarragh Road out of Annalong for 1.3 Km, continue straight on at the crossroads on the Oldtown Road for 2.4 km, Carricklittle car park is at the end of the Oldtown Road.

Parking : Car park available at Carricklittle and Silent Valley (charge applicable at Silent Valley).

Terrain : Single file mountain track

Public Transport : Translink

Facilities : Coffee shop. Visitors Centre and toilet facilities available at Silent Valley.

Dog Policy : Dogs must be kept on leads

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.

Find more information and walk ideas at Walk NI here.

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.

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.