Playground

The Playground is a proper woodland nature reserve that punches above its weight, despite the slightly daft name that'll make you do a double-take when you first hear it. Tucked between Fermanagh and Omagh, it's the sort of place where you actually feel like you've stepped away from things rather than just wandered down a country lane.

You're moving through mixed woodland here - beech, oak, the lot - with paths that wind through genuinely interesting terrain. The reserve does proper work for wildlife: bird populations are decent, and if you're into spotting things, there's enough habitat variety to keep you occupied. It's walker territory, absolutely. Families with older kids will get more from it than toddlers, if we're being honest. The paths are reasonable but it's not a stroll-in-pram kind of situation.

Free access, which is refreshing. Allow a couple of hours to do it justice without rushing. Early morning visits are worth planning for - light's better through the trees, and you'll dodge any crowds (though they're unlikely anyway). Omagh is barely three miles away, so it works as a morning slot before heading into town for lunch.

If you're staying at Gortin Glen Glamping just down the road, this slots in perfectly as a half-day activity. It's not going to blow your mind, but it's the kind of woodland walk that reminds you why you came to this part of Northern Ireland in the first place - proper green, proper quiet.