Clare Glen

Walk into Clare Glen and you're suddenly in proper woodland, the kind where the light gets filtered green and you can actually hear yourself think. It's a forest gorge near Markethill - steep sides, a stream running through the bottom, trees everywhere. Nothing fancy, just a decent patch of Northern Irish forest that feels properly wild once you're five minutes in.

The main draw is the walk itself. There's a path that takes you down into the glen, following the water, and it's the sort of thing that works for families with kids old enough not to need constant entertainment, and for anyone who just wants an hour of fresh air without the crowds you'd get at a more famous spot. The steep banks make it feel more enclosed and atmospheric than you'd expect - it's not massive, but it punches above its weight for scenery.

Bring decent shoes because it can get muddy and slippy after rain, and allow a couple of hours if you're taking it slowly. There's no visitor centre, no cafe, no facilities to speak of - just the forest. That's rather the point. It's free, and close enough to Markethill that you can pair it with a meal in town if you're making a day of it.

If you're basing yourself at Tepee Valley Campsite just down the road, Clare Glen makes a solid morning or afternoon break from whatever else you're doing in the area. It won't blow your mind, but it's genuinely nice.