Ott Mountain

Sitting in the central High Mournes, this heather-clad peak offers a relatively gentle ascent compared to its more rugged neighbours. Most walkers approach via the stony Ott Track, reaching a rounded summit that serves as an excellent vantage point for the dramatic granite tors of Slieve Bearnagh and the conical Doan.

• •The name likely derives from the Irish 'Ucht', meaning a breast or a lap of a hill, which describes the mountain's rounded, shelf-like profile when viewed from the Deer's Meadow to the west.
• •The Ott Track, which provides the primary access to the summit, was historically used by local shepherds and stone-workers as a direct bypass into the heart of the range.
• •From the summit, you gain an unobstructed view into the Silent Valley and can clearly trace the blue line of the Ben Crom Reservoir tucked beneath the cliffs of Slieve Lamagan.
• •While the famous Mourne Wall does not actually cross the summit of Ott, it passes within a few hundred metres at the col between Ott and Slieve Loughshannagh, marking the edge of the Silent Valley catchment area.
• •It is the kind of peak that seasoned walkers often treat as a mere stepping stone; a ten-minute detour on the way to Slieve Meelmore that provides a summit tick with remarkably little effort.