Slievemartin

Overlooking the village of Rostrevor, this western outpost of the Mournes offers a gentler character than the range’s rocky interior. While much of the ascent follows forest tracks through Kilbroney Park, the open summit reveals a spectacular perspective across Carlingford Lough toward the Cooley Mountains of Louth.

• •The name is an anglicisation of the Irish Sliabh Máirtín, meaning 'Martin's Mountain', likely referring to a local ecclesiastical figure or the feast of St Martin.
• •On the lower slopes sits Cloughmore, a 50-tonne glacial erratic known as the 'Big Stone'. Local folklore insists it was thrown across Carlingford Lough by the giant Finn McCool during a skirmish with a Scottish rival.
• •The views from these slopes were a formative influence on C.S. Lewis, who later wrote that the landscape of the Mournes overlooking the lough inspired his vision of Narnia.
• •The summit panorama is distinctive for its maritime perspective, offering a clear sightline down the narrow sea lough to the peak of Slieve Foye and the undulating Cooley Peninsula in the Republic of Ireland.
• •Despite its status as a Marilyn, the greatest challenge of the ascent is often dodging the mountain bikers and Sunday strollers in Kilbroney Park before you finally break onto the quiet, open hillside.