The mountain is one of the most prominent features of the city,
towering above most of west Belfast. It reaches a height of 1,275ft
and is composed of limestone. There have been flint finds in the
area, which also contains raths, deserted farms and overgrown paths
joining the fields and homesteads scattered over the mountain. The
mountains offer spectacular views across Northern Ireland. The
Mourne Mountains, Strangford and Belfast Loughs, the Castlereagh
and Holywood Hills and the Sperrins are all visible. So are the
coasts of England, Scotland and the Isle of Man.
• 1,500 acre mosaic of upland heath and blanket bog
• Home to a wealth of flora and fauna and archaeological
remains.
• Working farm environment with free grazing cattle and
horses.
• Wear suitable clothing and bring refreshments, binoculars and a
camera for all those unique photographic opportunities.
Management:
The site is owned and managed by the National Trust with the aim of
protecting this wonderful landscape and providing access for
everyone, forever.
The
Cache
This is a tradition cache placed near the summit of Black Mountain.
Paths from the car park will take you to the Trig Point, and the
cache is only a short distance away. If the weather is fine I would
suggest you bring a picnic and relax at the cache and take in the
view of Belfast and watch the world go by. The round trip is
approximately 6Km.
Belfast Hills Access
Code
- Plan ahead - know where to walk, what to wear and how to
minimise waste.
- Be safe - pay attention to signs, weather conditions traffic
levels. Consider your personal safety, don’t walk alone, bring a
mobile phone, let people know where you are.
- Understand Access - know where you are allowed to go and leave
gates as you find them.
- Minimise impact - TAKE ALL LITTER HOME, extinguish matches
cigarettes carefully, don't pollute water.
- Control dogs - Please keep dogs on a lead especially near farm
animals.
- Respect the countryside - don't disturb or feed wildlife.
- Consider others - don't interfere with livestock, crops or
machinery.
- Minimise noise.
The Belfast Hills the
Partnership
The Belfast Hills stretch from Colin Mountain in the south to
Carnmoney Hill in the north and are home to important wildlife and
archaeological sites, stunning landscapes and scattered
communities. The Belfast Hills Partnership Trust was established in
2004 as an independent company with charitable status with the
following aims:
- To increase people's appreciation of
the value of the Belfast Hills
- To plan and carry out work programmes to protect and enhance
biodiversity on the hills
- To help people enjoy the hills through a range of well managed
public sites
- To improve the quality of life for local people
The Belfast Hills Geocaching Series is supported by the Belfast
Hills Partnership (BHP) – for more information about their
activities and walks check out their website –
www.belfasthills.org. If you would be interested to add to this
Geocaching series please contact the BHP for up to date access
information and landowners’ permission.
Take up the Challenge and win a prize! On the inside of
each of the lids will be a number, add together all these numbers
and contact the Belfast Hills Partnership by e-mailing
info@belfasthills.org – if you are one of the first 10 people to
give the correct total number then you will win one years free
membership to the ‘Friends of the Belfast Hills’. This prize is
worth £10 per person and will entitle you to receive free
newsletters and other BHP literature, attend exclusive Friends only
events, get money off other events and get your own Friends of the
Belfast Hills membership badge.