I’ve seen this place in a short video from cultruretrip on Facebook and they call it the most beautiful walk in all of Ireland. I googled the place instantly and said to myself that one day i'd go, and I did. I made few friends here in Belfast and they were nice enough to drive for me and show me around.

It was a long scenic drive from Belfast to Enniskillen. We had couple of places planned out, but this one is on top of our list. Cuilcagh Mountain sits right at the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland which is pretty cool for me because I am not allowed to go down to Republic of Ireland (it'd be illegal). But here I can step at the border and be in 2 countries at the same time.

The Walk

The route wanders through one of the largest expanses of blanket bog in Northern Ireland, traversing over tracks, boardwalk and staircase. A steep climb is required to reach the viewing platform which provides breath taking views of the surrounding low lands.

The first part of the walk passes through a fascinating limestone landscape, often referred to as “The Fertile Rock” due to its flower rich pastures. Visible along the trail you will see abandoned Irish cottages, dry stone walls and potato cultivation ridges (“lazy beds”) all remnants of Ireland’s past heritage.


Continuing along the gravel vehicle track the landscape starts to change to blanket bog where the unmistakable, flat-topped ridge of Cuilcagh Mountain is visible in the horizon. In the spring, an abundance of bog cotton carpets the bog in a blanket of white, while in late summer the purple moor grass glistens with shades of red and purple.


After 4km, you start your ascent of Cuilcagh Mountain. The way is negotiated by a section of boardwalk, providing protection to the sensitive blanket bog beneath.

Your final ascent is via a steep section of steps, these are not for the faint of heart! As you steadily climb you meander and weave your way through a rocky landscape to eventually reach the viewing platform. The viewing platform positioned precariously at the edge of the mountain plateau offers breath-taking views over the surrounding landscape.


Once you get to the top you will want to take a bit of a break to take in the scenery and the million-dollar view and have a sandwich and some water. The hike back down is fairly easy but gets a bit crowded with the folks coming up.

Make sure to wear good walking or hiking shoes and bring a rain jacket just in case in your day pack. Weather can change fairly quickly.

The walk is linear, took me bloody 6 hours (there and back) but overall, it was a spectacular day out!

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INFORMATION

Tel. NI / UK:028 6634 8855

Tel. ROI:048 6634 8855

Opening times: 10am - 4.30pm from Mar - Nov