MINI GUIDE
Outdoors in Northern Ireland
COMPILED BY LORNA PARKES, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM CATHERINE LE NEVEZ AND RYAN VER BERKMOES. PHOTOGRAPHS: PETER UNGER/GETTY, STEPHEN BARNES/FARMING ALAMY, CANOE NI, JOE DAVID PRICE/GETTY, FRANK KRAHMER/GETTY IMAGESNorthern Ireland essentials The know-how
FURTHER READING
Lonely Planet’s
Ireland
(US$24.99)
includes
downloadable
chapters
(US$4.95 each; lonely
planet.com) on all of
Northern Ireland’s counties,
as well as detailed
information on outdoor
activities. Reading the Irish
Landscape (US$16; Town
House) by Frank Mitchell and
Michael Ryan chronicles
Ireland’s formation through
geology and history. Reading
in the Dark (US$11; Vintage) is
Seamus Deane’s fictional
account of a young boy’s
struggles in
Belfast during
the Troubles.GAME OF THRONES TRAIL
Filming locations from the epic TV
series are dotted around Northern
Ireland. Try a bus tour
(gameofthronestours.com) or
visit discovernorthernireland.
com/gameofthrones.
O Planted in the 18th century, the
gnarled beech trees of the Dark
Hedges (pictured below) are now
famous after doubling as the
Kingsroad (Ballymoney).
O Castle Ward Estate in County
Down, built in the 1760s, stars as
Winterfell, seat of the Starks.
There are entertaining guided
tours (nationaltrust.org.uk).
O The ancient redwoods in
Tollymore Forest Park at the foot
of the Mourne Mountains played
the Haunted Forest, stalked by
the White Walkers.
O Downhill Strand, under the
18th-century Mussenden Temple,
was where Melisandre
burned the statues of
the gods on the shore
of Dragonstone.the Upper Lough Erne guarantees
a peaceful night at Watermill
Lodge, with seven luxurious lake-
view rooms and also the plush
Watermill Restaurant
(watermillrestaurantfermanagh.
com; Kilmore Quay; from US$111).
A former Belfast bank given a
feng-shui makeover, Ten Square
is an opulent, Shanghai-inspired
boutique hotel with dark wood,
futon-style beds and sumptuous
linen. Former guests include
Bono and Brad Pitt (tensquare.
co.uk; 10 Donegall Square; from
US$155).WHERE TO STAY
Villa Farmhouse is a lovely
old whitewashed farmhouse set
on a hillside just north of
Cushendun, with great views
over the bay and the warm
atmosphere of a family home.
The owner is an expert chef and
breakfast will be a highlight of
your stay (thevillafarmhouse.
com; 185 Torr Rd; from US$75).
A secluded lakeside setting onTRANSPORT
It is easiest to fly KLM from
Singapore or Kuala Lumpur with
one stopover in Amsteradm to
get to Belfast city (from US$930;
klm.com). Airport Express 300
buses run to Belfast city centre
from both of its airports every
10–15 minutes (translink.co.uk;
US$9.25). Northern Ireland’s bus
network is quite extensive but
many of its outdoor areas of
interest are not served by buses.
Car hire is quite cheap at around
US$15 a day; the airport has a
good stash of car-hire agencies.Watermill Lodge’s thatched
restaurant by Upper Lough ErneActivities Sights Sleepings
B
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