Mourne Way

Directions

1. From the tourist office in Newcastle, you need to cross the street and turn right
2. Turn left into Castle Park just before the Shimna bridge.
3. Take the paved walk past the lake where people go boating and over the busy Shimna Road.
4. Walk through Islands Park until you reach an overpass.
5. Traverse the bridge and walk along the river, where there are a number of places to play.
6. Turn left out of the park and follow Bryansford Road.
7. After crossing a bridge, turn right onto Tipperary Lane. This will lead you to Tipperary Wood, a small area of broadleaf forest along the Shimna River.
8. Hike through the trees and past a few houses to get to a road.
9. Go right for 400 metres, then turn left onto a small road.
10. Now, go up a steep hill to get to the gate at the end of the road.
11. Cross the opposite stile and keep going until you reach a second gate at the edge of Tollymore Forest.
12. Follow the paths and trails through Tollymore Forest Park for the next 6.5 km.
13. Start by going up until you reach a road, then turn left. The track starts to go downhill as it curves to the right.
14. Turn left at the next intersection and walk along the stone wall that is the southern border of Tollymore.
15. Stick to the left at the next two forks and go downhill until you reach the Spinkwee River. 16. After you cross Hore’s Bridge and turn right, you will soon see the beautiful 10-meter-high Cascade Falls.
16. At the end of the Spinkwee River, there is a point where two tracks meet.
17. Turn right at the intersection at the bottom of the Spinkwee, then seek a path on the left that leads down to stepping stones over the Shimna River. These stones have been here for more than 200 years.
18. If the water has risen to much to cross, turn back to the Spinkwee crossing.
19. Proceed straight along the south bank of the river, and about 500 metres upstream, cross the Shimna on a wooden walkway.
20. Once you’re on the north side of the river, turn left onto an idyllic walk that follows the falls and rapids upriver.
21. Pass more stepping stones, then traverse Parnell’s Bridge by going left. Now, turn right onto the next track and keep going straight at the next intersection.
22. Keep going past stiles and gates until you reach a road. Just 20 metres to the left is a closed path.
23. The Trassey Track is one of the most popular ways for walkers to get into the Mournes.
24. Cross the stile and keep going south on the path. You will pass two more gates before you hit expansive mountain land.
25. At the last gate, you can see a stone wall going west. Follow this wall to get to the next part of the path.
26. Veer right onto a pathway and follow the wall. You will go under the steep northern slopes of Slieve Meelmore.
27. After almost 2 kilometres, you’ll reach a stream that runs among Slieve Meelmore and Slieve Meelbeg and empties the Happy Valley.
28. From Happy Valley, keep going around the northwest portion of Slieve Meelbeg on the road. You’ll get to Fofanny Reservoir soon.
29. Traverse a metal footbridge and follow a narrow path between gorse bushes along the east side of the pond. After a short stretch through pine trees, you reach a road.
30. Head left here and stroll 900 metres along the asphalt to get to Blue Quarry car park, which is also called Ott Mountain car park.
31. Here, there are different ways to go. The legal way to get to Spelga Pass goes over an open mountainside that isn’t marked. (Consider this choice only if the weather is clear and you know how to find your way around mountains. If not, take the other road along the side of the road.)
32. To follow the mountain path, mount the stone steps and traverse the stile above the parking lot.
33. Following a faint grassy path straight up the hill to the ridge’s top. The highest point of the route, the 500-meter-high peak of Butter Mountain, is just to the left.
34. From there, you can see great views of the northwestern Mournes.
35. Now, walk northeast along the hill until you reach a fence with Mourne Way signs. Turn left and walk 600m along the fence.
36. Now, go left (southwest) and follow a weak path through wet tussock grass until you reach the top of Spaltha.
37. Continue to the wide col below Spelga Mountain, then turn right (west) and go down steeply, staying just south of a stream.
38. Keep going down until you reach a stone wall. This is where the waymarkers will meet you again.
39. Head left and follow the wall until you get to the road at Spelga Pass.
40. At Spelga Pass, you have to cross the road and go through two metal gates.
41. Now, go down a walkway that goes over the young River Bann.
42. Swing right on the other side of the river and go around the bottom of Slievenamiskan. 44. The path then goes to the right and goes down through a hollow towards a stone wall that goes around the base of Hen Mountain. 45. When you get to the wall, bear left and go under the mountain’s northern slopes.
43. The road can get wet, but it leads to a firm surface called the New Bog Road (or Hen Track) on a mountain.
44. Here, go left and follow the path for 2 km as it slowly climbs up the Rocky River valley. At first, you can see the granite tors on the top of Hen Mountain, which is a famous place for rock climbing. As you move up into the upper part of the valley, you feel more and more secluded.
45. Follow the path towards Pigeon Rock Mountain, turn right, and cross the Rowan Tree River at a ford.
46. Veer right again on the other side of the river and walk down rough terrain until you reach a crossing across the Rocky River.
47. Now, start climbing west up an open mountain slope, going for the col among Rocky Mountain and Tornamrock. The way across the sometimes wet ground (high bog) is marked by a faint path.
48. At the col, the road comes together, and if you keep going down, you’ll reach a track at the bottom of the valley.
49. At Leitrim Lodge, there’s a track junction where you can turn left to reach the end of this stretch.
50. At the fork in the trail near Leitrim Lodge, turn left and start to circle southwest along the bottom of Altataggart Mountain.
51. You are now in the old Batt’s Estate, and tall Scots pine trees are spread across the hillside. 55.  As soon as you reach a forest plantation, the road turns to the right, but you should keep going straight along a rough footpath that goes along the edge of the trees.
52. Go around the farm and keep going until you reach the open area again. The path quickly goes up to the lower slopes of 57. Tievedockaragh and then goes down to a stile. Cross this and you’ll be on a dirt forest track, which is more stable.
53. Soon, the path goes down into a dense forest of pine trees, and you reach a junction with another path.
54. This is where you can get to the Yellow Water Picnic Area, where you can rest.
55. Along a wooded path, you slowly go downhill until you reach the end, which is just above Carlingford Lough.
56. Turn left from the picnic area.
57. Turn right in 30 metres and walk across a wooden bridge over the Yellow Water River. 63. 63. Go uphill until you reach the end of a path, then turn right and start going up and down the mountain through pine trees.
58. As you move forward, the view opens up to encompass the town of Rostrevor and the Kilbroney Church, which is on the northern edge of the town.
59. The track goes through a few forks, but the way is always clear and usually goes straight ahead.
60. As you get closer to the end of the part, you slowly start to go down through the trees.
61. Pass the camping area and get on the paved forest drive at the bottom.
62. After crossing a stone bridge, the path officially ends at the main parking lot for Kilbroney Park, which is 200 metres away.