Divis

About Divis

Rising above the Belfast skyline, this sprawling heathland peak offers a surprisingly wild escape from the city below. Now managed by the National Trust, the summit provides a clear panorama across the city docks to the Mourne Mountains, Slemish, and, on clear days, the distant peaks of Scotland and the Lake District.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Irish Dubhais, which translates to 'black ridge,' a fitting description of the dark basalt and wet peat that characterise the mountain's high plateau.
• •For much of the 20th century, the summit was strictly off-limits to the public, serving as a Ministry of Defence training ground and a strategic lookout until the National Trust acquired the land in 2004.
• •The summit is crowned by massive telecommunications masts that are visible from across County Antrim, serving as a reliable, if un-aesthetic, navigational beacon for hikers in the surrounding hills.
• •From the trig point, the view is remarkably expansive; to the south, the granite peaks of the Mourne Mountains are distinct, while looking north-west, the lone profile of Slemish stands out against the Antrim plateau.
• •The existence of a tarmac access road to the top makes it one of the few Marilyns where you might find yourself being overtaken by a briskly moving National Trust ranger in a Land Rover.