Murlough National Nature Reserve Car Park

The car park at Murlough is your gateway to one of Northern Ireland's finest coastal nature reserves, just a short drive south of Newcastle. Park up here and you're stepping straight into a landscape that shifts from dune systems to salt marsh in a way that feels genuinely wild - no manicured paths or visitor centre preamble.

What you get is access to proper walking terrain across 600 hectares. The dunes themselves are the draw: golden, wind-sculpted, and backed by low scrubland that's home to red squirrels and roe deer if you're quiet enough. The beach stretches for miles in either direction, and on a clear day you can see across to the Isle of Man. Allow two to three hours minimum if you want to do it justice - a quick stroll is possible, but you'd miss what makes it worth the journey.

Walkers will absolutely get the most from Murlough. Birdwatchers come year-round for migrating species and overwintering flocks. Families with older kids do well here too, though younger ones might flag on the sand and shale underfoot.

It's free to use, and the car park sits within spitting distance of three caravan parks - Mourneview is barely half a mile away. If you're basing yourself at one of the parks clustered around Newcastle, Murlough makes a proper half-day excursion. The Mourne Mountains dominate the backdrop, so you could easily combine this with hill walking or a drive through Tollymore Forest Park just inland. Best visited outside school holidays when the car park isn't rammed.