Taggart Island

The Mourne Mountains rise up behind Taggart Island like a proper dramatic backdrop, which tells you straight away this is serious countryside. It's a small nature reserve just outside Downpatrick, the kind of place that rewards a quiet morning walk rather than a rushed afternoon visit. You get wetland habitat, open water, and enough birdlife to keep twitchers occupied for hours - waders, wildfowl, the lot. The paths are straightforward enough, though bog underfoot means wellies aren't a bad shout even in decent weather.

Walkers and keen birders will get the most from it. If your kids are the type who perk up at spotting a heron or mucking about by the water's edge, they'll enjoy it. Others might find an hour does the job. The real draw is how it slots into a broader explore of the area - Delamont Country Park is barely three miles away and offers more facilities if you need coffee and a sit-down, while Castle Ward Caravan Park puts you within reach of both the reserve and the bigger attractions up toward the Mournes. Peak visiting times tend to be spring and autumn when migration brings in interesting species, though summer's pleasant enough if you don't mind the midges.

There's no entrance fee that we can find, and no formal opening times - it's the kind of reserve you visit when it suits you. Allow two hours if you're genuinely interested in the wildlife; half that if you're just passing through.