There is a beautiful walk here, which is approximately 3 miles. The terrain is a rocky coastal path with some steep steps.
The Rocky outcrops of Orlock Point contain a mosaic of semi-natural habitats which support a rich diversity of plants and animals. The walk affords stunning views of the Copeland Islands and out across the Irish Sea towards Scotland. The area is steeped in archaeology and history, with evidence of Vikings, smugglers and World War II defences.
Orlock Point The path around Orlock Point has been managed by The National Trust since 1984. It runs from Portavo to Sandeel Bay and is a section of the North Down Coastal Path. Making up part of the Outer Ards Special Protection Area (SPA) and Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI), it is recognised for its international and national importance for breeding, wintering and migrating birds.
The area around Orlock has a strong cultural heritage with close associations to Scotland. Long before the time of the Scottish settlers, the land would have been inhabited by Vikings, whose longships crossed the seas between the North Down coast and Scandinavia. The discovery of Mesolithic flints at Orlock provides evidence of even older settlement by man.
The Copeland Islands Three miles off shore, the three islands that make up the Copelands are clearly visible from the footpath. Centuries ago the islands were called the ‘Copman Iles’, which is Nordic for “merchants’ land”. This tells of the history of the Isles as a trading post for Vikings, who are believed to have coveted pigs and lambs for the high quality and sweetness of the meat. Nowadays only the largest of the three islands (Big Copeland) is lived on with a few holiday cottage retreats. The second island, called Mew Island, has a lighthouse to warn approaching boats of the treacherous conditions of this stretch of coast. None-the-less, dozens of shipwrecks litter the sea bed in this area. The third island is confusingly called Lighthouse Island, as it was the location of the original lighthouse in 1715, before it was rebuilt on Mew. Locals rather sensibly refer to it as ‘Bird Island’ because it has been managed for The National Trust by the Copeland Bird Observatory for over 50 years. Amongst their claims is the successful capture of the oldest known wild bird in the World. The Manx Shearwater was caught in 2005, 52 years after it was first ringed as an adult on this same island.
A famous sea battle “The Battle of the Copelands” was fought between the American Continental Navy ship A.C.S. Ranger and the English H.B.M. Drake on April 23rd 1778. It ended in a victory for the newly fledged American Navy.
Orlock Farm The National Trust has recently acquired sections of farmland immediately adjacent to the Orlock Coastal Path. It is planning to manage these agricultural fields in an environmentally sensitive manner to encourage wildlife and in time, provide public access by introducing a series of footpaths. Positive results can already be seen by the abundance of farmland birds such as Skylark, Linnet and Finches feeding in the stubble fields while keeping an eye out for birds of prey like, Buzzards, Merlin, Kestrels and Short-eared owls.
North Channel Swim From here, the Scottish coast seems so far away and is not even visible on cloudy days. Amazingly, however, the North Channel swim from Port Patrick to Orlock has been successfully completed on seven occasions with swimmers battling 26 miles of treacherous currents, jellyfish and bitterly cold water.
Things to see on the walk Orlock point is a peaceful haven, ideal for catching a glimpse of a wide variety of wildlife. In the sheltered bays listen for the eerie call of the Eider ducks and watch them dive for food such as mussels and other shellfish. Expect to see other seabirds in the area, especially the perfectly ‘painted’ Shelduck and acrobatic flocks of Golden Plover, Turnstone and Dunlin. In the summer months, the sea provides ample food for Terns and Gannets who will perform breakneck diving stunts in order to catch fish.
Closer inland, the rocky shore is a good place to see Herons staking out their prey and Redshanks, Curlews and Oystercatchers busily searching in the sand. Orlock is a great place for spotting seals, which are often seen basking on the rocks or bobbing around in the water as they curiously observe the passers by on the path. Passing porpoises are also occasionally glimpsed.
In the spring and early summer, the coastline is ablaze with the colour of Yellow Iris, Sea Aster, Thrift and Campion along with a multitude of other sea shore plants that thrive along the paths. Delicate lichens and Stone Crops cling to the rocks while Gorse and patches of Heather provide cover for numerous invertebrates, birds and mammals such as badgers and foxes.
The area has a fascinating history, with the remains of the old coach road and Second World War defences forming part of the walk. The Orlock Coach road is clearly cut and blasted out from the rocks. Built in the 1830’s this road was thought to aid various smuggling activities in the area. Orlock played an important part towards British coastal protection during the war years. The ‘look out’ was positioned so that it could detect German boats or planes approaching the entrance to Belfast Lough. A number of gun emplacements were also situated around the Point, although there is little evidence of these remaining.
The sheltered coves and bays along the walk have been useful harbours through the years, allowing small fishing boats to be hauled up the shingle beaches. Keen eyes will still spot some of the rusting metal rings sticking out of the rocks where boats were moored. Today, these beaches make great places to discover the fascinating diversity of shells, seaweeds and other natural flotsam washed in by the tide. After stormy weather, you may notice large amounts of coal washed up on the beach. This is the spilt cargo from a coal boat that sank just off the shore and has been providing locals with a supply of fuel ever since.
The coordinates above are for the cache. The carpark is at N 54° 40.162 W 005° 34.493, and then take a walk along the coastal path towards Orlock. The cache is a small camouflaged container, byop. It is well hidden. There is a FTF prize. Care should be taken when reaching for this cache!
This cache has been placed with kind permission of the National Trust Warden.
