The Mournes

Rising dramatically 610m (2000 feet) from the sea, the Mountains of Mourne dominate Co. Down from Carlingford Lough in the south to the lower hills of Slieve Croob 16km (10 miles) to the north.  The Mourne mountain range is dominated by a compact ring of twelve summits, each rising above 600m (1968 feet), with the highest peak, Slieve Donard, reaching 852m (2795 feet).  The area is renowned as one of the most picturesque mountain districts in Ireland.  It has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in recognition of the quality of its landscape.

The impressive scenery of Mourne owes much of its appeal to the diversity of semi-natural habitats intermixed with land that is actively farmed or forested. The uplands of the Mournes contain one of the best preserved areas of heathland in Europe, while the lowlands contain some important oak woodlands, rivers, and fens.  These habitats support several of Northern Ireland’s “priority” species including red grouse, the Keeled Skimmer dragonfly, juniper, Irish Ladies Tresses orchid and red squirrel.

Since the last Ice Age, man has altered the land around the Mournes to make a home for himself. Early settlers began the process of clearing land for agriculture and over centuries this long tradition of farming has left its mark on the landscape. From the eighteenth century the abundant granite in the mountains was exploited as a building stone and resulted in numerous small quarries being opened. In more recent times the mountains have been used as a source of drinking water. All this human activity has helped shape the living landscape which we see and appreciate today in the Mournes AONB.