Silent Valley Mountain Park

The Mourne Mountains rise up properly dramatic behind Newry, and Silent Valley Mountain Park sits right in the heart of it all. This is a working water catchment area that doubles as a nature reserve - you get vast open moorland, steep hillsides dotted with rough grass and heather, and on a clear day the views stretch for miles across Down and into Armagh.

It's the walking that brings people here. The valley floor gives you gentler trails suitable for families, while the rim walks climb proper high - Slieve Donard looms nearby at 850 metres and draws walkers from across Ireland. Allow a full afternoon if you're doing anything serious, or an hour's stroll if you just want to breathe in the scale of it.

Historically it's interesting too. The Victorians dammed the river here in the 1920s to supply water to Belfast, which means the landscape itself tells a story of engineering ambition. You'll see the dam wall, the reservoir glinting below, and the industrial heritage plaque if you look closely.

Families get the most from the easier lower paths - kids won't manage the high moorland hikes without complaint, mind you. Serious hikers should base themselves at one of the nearby glamping spots like Oakwood or Willowtree, both in the Mourne Mountains proper, then tackle Silent Valley as part of a longer hill-walking itinerary.

Access appears free, though confirm locally in Newry before driving out. There's a car park at the main entrance. Go early on weekends - the place attracts walkers from as far as Dublin.