Slieve Gullion, Co Armagh

Walk grade: Strenuous

Meeting Point:
For this challenging walk, let's meet at Killeavy Castle Car Park which is free, rather than Slieve Gullion Forest Park (£5 charge).

If you rather meet us at the Courtyard Centre inside Slieve Gullion Forest Park, we'll meet you in the car park near the loos and will be there at 12:15pm.

About the walk:
We'll walk up the path’s gentle slope through deciduous woodland and a magical children's forest. The open mountain paths then become steeper.

We'll walk up to the passage tomb that can be accessed at the top after a steep climb. This is the same as the one at Newgrange. We'll walk to the stunning lake at the summit. After the summit, we'll walk past Calliagh Berra’s Lake and descend on the other side of the mountain where we'll have a car drop to ferry the car drivers back to the lower carpark at the Courtyard.

This is an all day event and return to Belfast could be as late as 6pm.

What to bring:
Bring a packed lunch. After the walk, we can go for coffee/tea and scones at Killeavy Castle, I've reserved a place, so just indicate in your RSVP if you'd like to come for coffee. It's a bit more expensive, but saving the £5 parking charge helps offset that and the clotted cream and jam scones do sound yummy!

Wear warm, suitable walking gear including proper walking boots/shoes. ABSOLUTELY NO TRAINERS. Walking poles, sticks would be helpful too.

Getting there:
Post up if you need a lift and another member coming from your area may oblige. As always drivers receive petrol fare from each passenger.

Click on the location for map and directions.

Head towards Newry on A1 from Belfast at Sprucefield. Come off A1 at Forkhill & follow signs for Slieve Gullion Forest Park which will bring you through the village of Meigh. Continue straight through Meigh and take the 2nd right after 0.8miles which is Ballintemple Road. There's a brown sign on the left for Killeavy Church & Castle. Killeavy Castle is on the left after about half a mile.

Walk costs £6 for non-members and guests and £1 for members. Please read 'Pages' for more info on the group.

See you then. Take care. Maria
Lost or late, phone or text me on 07583 042962

Here's some folklore:
Slieve Gullion (‘slieve’ meaning mountain in Gaelic), stands at 573m and is the highest point in Co Armagh.

We'll see great views of the Ring of Gullion peaks of Croslieve, Slievebrack and Mullaghbane Mountain.

Views of the peaks of Slievenacapple and the Ring of Gullion stretch to the north. This is where legends abound with the legendary giant Finn McCool.

At the summit of Slieve Gullion is the Neolithic South Cairn Passage Grave. The tomb, the highest remaining passage tomb in Ireland, can be entered from just below the summit.

Panoramic 360 degree views from the summit take in the Mourne Mountains, Carlingford Lough, The Cooley Peninsula, the Armagh Drumlins and beyond.

We'll also explore the eerie Calliagh Berra’s Lake. It is named after a sorceress who bewitched Finn McCool. Tricked by the femme fatale into diving into the lake, Finn was transformed into a wrinkly old man with silver hair (that must be what has happened to some of our male walkers - only joking!).

The spell was mostly reversed – but with the exception of his silvery mane. Legend has that the same silvery fate awaits anyone unfortunate enough to fall in!