Agnew's Hill

About Agnew's Hill

Rising steeply above Larne, this basalt escarpment forms a dramatic edge to the Antrim Plateau. The summit provides a wild, peat-covered platform with expansive views over the North Channel. It is frequently reached via the Sallagh Braes, offering a quintessential experience of the region’s rugged, high-level moorland.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Agnew family, who were the hereditary constables of Larne Castle and major local landowners. Unlike many surrounding peaks with Gaelic descriptive names, this hill bears the mark of the region's later aristocratic history.
• •The summit is a key waypoint on the Ulster Way. The most popular approach follows the dramatic cliff edge from the Sallagh Braes, a spectacular natural amphitheatre created by prehistoric landslips where the basalt plateau has slumped over softer limestone.
• •From the 474m high point, the view to the west is dominated by the unmistakable profile of Slemish, the volcanic plug where Saint Patrick is said to have tended sheep as a youth.
• •On a day of good visibility, the vista extends across the North Channel to the Scottish coast, with the distinctive 'Paddy’s Milestone' (Ailsa Craig) and the Mull of Kintyre appearing clearly on the horizon.
• •The hill's eastern face is remarkably steep compared to its gentle western slope, a topographical quirk that makes it look like a significant mountain from the coast, but merely a high moor when approached from the inland plateau.