Eco Friendly Holiday

Sustainable tourism in the Mourne Mountains & Ring of Gullion

The locals are rightfully proud of their little corner of the world. In recent years, there has been a concerted effort to preserve the Mourne Mountains & Ring of Gullion’s natural beauty and work with it to make sure that it is here to be enjoyed for generations to come. With that in mind, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has been awarded Geopark status (May 2023) for the Mourne Gullion Strangford region, official recognition as a place of unique heritage both in terms of its land and its culture. A key component of this recognition is sustainability and there is a major focus on sustainable tourism around the region.

Eco-friendly places to stay

That renewed focus on living with nature has seen a surge in sustainable accommodation for visitors. Happy Vale Self Catering Cottages are a cosy pair of recently built self-catering cottages nestled on the side of a small hill farm in the Mourne Mountains. With a stream running past and views out of every window, these cottages are a showcase of eco-friendly accommodation and use under floor heating throughout. Just a stone’s throw from Tollymore Forest Park and Donard Forest, you’ll also have your pick of the Mourne Mountain peaks right on your doorstep - which ones to take on is entirely down to you.

Self-catering is not for everyone of course, but if you still want to keep your carbon footprint down then Killeavy Castle Estate near Newry offers an eco-friendly bed in the seclusion of the Ring of Gullion. Here you’ll be surrounded by woodlands on the Ring of Gullion. You’ll be close to nature and cut off from the world if you want to be.

The Cuan is a four star hotel in Strangford and it is a top destination. This hotel has been adding and upgrading its facilities and offerings and has achieved Silver certification from world body, Green Tourism.  They also have something of a heritage in this beautiful town and have been welcoming guests since the early 1800s. The hotel location overlooking the harbour in Strangford is second to none and its stellar performances at the Taste of Ulster Awards where it has won at least one award every year since 2006 speaks volumes.

On your bike for a two-wheel mountain hike

Of course you’ve not come all this way to loll about on couches all day long. The Mourne Mountains & Ring of Gullion is one giant green playground waiting to embrace those who wish to play, particularly if it’s playing the sustainable way.

Why not push off your eco-friendly weekend by renting some E-bike from Bike Mourne based in Castlewellan, Rostrevor and Newcastle. Have a go of their fully-guided Electric Mountain Biking experience that takes groups of at least four along their dedicated track across the Mourne Mountains. The centre has a whole host of other activity offerings including archery, canoeing and the increasingly popular wet bouldering. Castlewellan boasts the Gold standard in those aforementioned Green Tourism Awards and has a reputation for keeping the whole area clean, green and above all fun.

When you’re done cruising over mountain tops, you might fancy swooping down to the sea and combing the County Down coastline with Crawford’s Rock Seaweed Company. On their popular Foraging Tours, you can choose to comb the beach for seaweeds and gather a seaweed bath for yourself. If that don’t float your bodily boat, you’re encouraged to take a dip in the sea or relax with a cup of their award-winning seaweed tea before cooking up a fishy feast and topping it with their famous Whiskey Smoked Seaweed Seasoning with Rosemary and Garlic.

Nature lovers can test their survival skills at the Finnebrogue Woods School of Bushcraft. With the help of resident bushman, Rob Hill, your group will learn the arts of fire-making and shelter-building in this mystical wood just outside Downpatrick. Rob grew up in Germany’s Black Forest and spent years living with indigenous tribes in Panama, so if you decide to take the Foraging Experience, we’re pretty confident you’ll get some pretty decent pointers on how to forage safely for wild food and medicinal plants.

Gin is really in ... everything

By now, you might be on the lookout for another sort of afternoon cure and the good news is the Killowen Distillery is not too far away. Situated at the heart of a working rural community, this distillery makes its very own seasonal gin from the finest local botanicals which they forage themselves from the surrounding countryside. You can find out all about this, and the processes around their poitín and whiskey making on a tour of the distillery. They’ll even throw in a few local tales and of course a couple of glasses of your favourite tipple.

Gin seems to be everywhere in these parts. Even the owners at NearyNógs Chocolatier have a handmade gin truffle among their many sweet offerings. Visitors to this sweet spot on the Mourne Coast can indulge their sweet tooth and feel good about it. This family-run business uses ethically sourced cocoa beans for which it pays above market value to ensure those who grow them can make a decent living. They have an upbeat and experimental attitude to what they produce and the results are the likes of the wonderful Dúlamán Chocolate Bar which uses locally harvested gorse flower and Carlingford Irish seaweed mixed in with a high quality Dominican Chocolate.

A sustainable stretch and soaking

After all that gin and chocolate, you’ll need a place to get some air. Kilbroney Park in Rostrevor features riverside walks and an arboretum. There is a two-mile forest drive to panoramic views over Carlingford Lough and from the car park, you can climb to Cloughmor. This ‘Big Stone’ sits at around one -thousand feet above Rostrevor and according to geologists, it was deposited here during the ice age.

Folklore tells it differently however, and claims that the stone was in fact thrown by Fionn Mac Cumhaill during one of his frequent fights with a Scottish Giant.

Fionn was a great man for relaxing after his scuffles, and he did get into quite a few. If your body is beginning to suffer from all you have put it through, then maybe you can treat yourself to a Soak Seaweed Bath in Newcastle before heading east twenty minutes to Castlescreen Farm to grab yourself some dinner. Owners Jackie and Damien, breed Irish Dexters on their very own pasture, without any fertilisers or pesticides. These animals feed solely on the clover rich grass that covers their small farm resulting in a meat that is rich in flavour. Grab yourselves some chunks of beef and take it back to rustle up a culinary storm on your barbecue.

After your meal you can sit back with a bottle of local beer from Whitewater Brewery, relax and enjoy the view. No matter where you stay in the Mourne Mountains & Ring of Gullion, it will nearly always be spectacular ... and most definitely green.