Ring of Gullion
Ring of Gullion
4.5
About
The Ring of Gullion is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is home to the very popular Slieve Gullion Forest Park, as well as Derrymore Estate and Camlough Lake. The Ring of Gullion Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a unique geological landform, unparalleled elsewhere in Ireland or the UK and was the first ring dyke in the world to be geologically mapped. It was voted onto the ‘Top 100 Geosites of UK & Ireland’. The ring of low, rugged hills forms a ‘rampart’ around the heather-clad Slieve Gullion mountain. Rich semi-wild habitats of heath, bog and woodland contrast with the neatly patterned fields and ladder farms. The AONB straddles the Northern Ireland border with the Republic of Ireland in south Armagh. The AONB shares many landscape characteristics with the adjacent Cooley peninsula in County Louth. Slieve Gullion’s mysterious reputation arises from its associations with legends and the wider area’s rich archaeological heritage. It was along these roads and fields, and over these hills and mountains, that Cúchulainn and the Red Branch Knights, the O’Neills and the O’Hanlons roamed, battled and died. You can read some of these stories about Fionn Mac Cumhaill, Cúchulainn and the Cailleach Beara in the Living History Section, but better still Experience Gullion at one of the many local pubs and storytelling houses or visit the Giant’s Lair at Slieve Gullion. The Ring of Gullion is alive with history, awash in scenic beauty and bursting with culture. You can Experience Gullion’s rich geology, biodiversity and archaeology very easily. Browse the Ring of Gullion site, and plan your trip; you can Experience Gullion with our self guided Audio Tours or you can choose a guide from our tour guides page to bring Gullion to life with their local knowledge. You can also use our Interactive Map to Experience Gullion before heading out. There are lots of ways to Experience Gullion and Get Involved through volunteering, events, training or simply taking a stroll along one of our many tranquil walkways. So get out there and experience all that the Ring of Gullion Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty has to offer.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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4.5
118 reviews
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40
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2
Newry F
1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Solo
Gullion is an amazing place with wonderful wildlife. The local people are incredible. Every spring, summer and autumn, I would take numerous trips to watch and observe the various bird, fauna and animal life. It is now SUCH a shame that NMandD council have sought to push through charges of £5 per car per day. For those infrequent visitors who wish to pay, good luck but this is not for me and others like me anymore.
Written 28 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Evelyn C
Newry, UK22 contributions
Sept 2014 • Couples
Slieve Gullion mountain is a favourite haunt of mine...a mountain road affords those unable to climb/walk any distance to experience its natural beauty with views all around the local area and far beyond . I am amazed by how much the Mountain has been updated ...there is now a fully stepped pathway leading to the peak and an ancient Cairn & lake.. with handrail from the highest point reachable via car/bus & this is a huge + as direction in the past was problematic esp in misty /poor weather. On route we ate blue berries which are easily picked , drank fresh mountain water from many streams , viewed goats , squirrels & deer and a huge variety of birds , insects , frogs etc. Again the pathway makes for a much easier descent than in past times...After all this we descended the road, parked up in the lovely Courtyard and enjoyed a Sunday tea in Grounded Coffee shop...after which we wandered in the very rich & pretty garden and had a try on some off the adult exercise equipment....this is part of a family park which caters for all ages and abilities and adjoins Slieve Gullions gardens...there is lots of parking space ,open playing space and seating which is great for picnicing.All in all a fantastic place and all but food is free of charge...well worth trying.
Written 15 October 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FlynnDarragh
Grangecon, Ireland23 contributions
Aug 2013
Slieve Gullion Forest Park is a must visit for all families visiting South Armagh. There is a wonderful playground for children of all ages and there is even a section for adults! The up keep of the playground was being seen to by a very attentive staff. There is also a very scenic forest drive around the hill with lots of wonderful views. Will visit again when the children are older to further investigate!
Written 20 August 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Avis H
Gaithersburg, MD165 contributions
Apr 2022
It was a little frustrating to try and find the sites along the way at least from where we started. There is no tourist office in Newry and no real overview of how to get from one place to another. There are some great downloadable guided tours of particular sites you can get off one of the visit Northern Ireland sites but there is no readable map or suggested way to get around, nor are the maps to scale. At one point we walked at 2K uphill and never found the site we were looking for. The views were great and thankfully the day was beautiful so all was not lost. Better road signs would be helpful too.
Written 26 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rubyred2014
Melbourne, Australia32 contributions
Aug 2015 • Solo
This is a review of climbing Slieve Gullion. You have to drive (or you could walk, if you have time) up the one-way system forest drive until you arrive at a car park at the top. (This was closed for refurbishment in August, but is due to reopen in September.) Opposite the car park there is a trail and steps that lead up to Slieve Gullion. They are steep and lead to a walkable trail up to a little rock shelter that gives a little bit of history of the area.
Continue climbing up over much rougher, steeper large rocks and ledges to reach the summit. Not easy on the knees and ankles, but achievable in boots. You will struggle to get there in any non-supportive footwear!
It got very cold the higher you went, and the trail is a kind of natural wind tunnel so wear appropriate clothing. Also when I started it was clear sunny weather at the bottom of the mountain but cold, windy and heavily fogged by the time I got to the top. Sadly I was unable to spend as much time as I would have liked at the top due to the poor visibility as I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find the start of the trail back down. The tops of mountains here really do have their own little micro climates!
The views are stunning (if you can get them) and the walk is very worthwhile. If you have limited mobility, are very unfit or have very small children you may not be able to do the entire walk though.
Continue climbing up over much rougher, steeper large rocks and ledges to reach the summit. Not easy on the knees and ankles, but achievable in boots. You will struggle to get there in any non-supportive footwear!
It got very cold the higher you went, and the trail is a kind of natural wind tunnel so wear appropriate clothing. Also when I started it was clear sunny weather at the bottom of the mountain but cold, windy and heavily fogged by the time I got to the top. Sadly I was unable to spend as much time as I would have liked at the top due to the poor visibility as I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find the start of the trail back down. The tops of mountains here really do have their own little micro climates!
The views are stunning (if you can get them) and the walk is very worthwhile. If you have limited mobility, are very unfit or have very small children you may not be able to do the entire walk though.
Written 5 September 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
holidayNewry
newry8 contributions
Aug 2012 • Family
HI
This is work a visit as you start from a courtyard where kids can be entertained in the ark or you relax with cup of coffee or tea and a snack in grounded coffee bar. The drive up is gorgeous and plenty of places to stop and take photos and very safe. The views will have you snapping away and the air is fresh . bring a small picnic and sit and absorb the mystical atmosphere ,you wont regret it even when it is overcast .
This is work a visit as you start from a courtyard where kids can be entertained in the ark or you relax with cup of coffee or tea and a snack in grounded coffee bar. The drive up is gorgeous and plenty of places to stop and take photos and very safe. The views will have you snapping away and the air is fresh . bring a small picnic and sit and absorb the mystical atmosphere ,you wont regret it even when it is overcast .
Written 2 April 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Barbara
19 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
Visited today, enjoyed walking the route ‘fairy kingdom’, good trail surfaces as it had rained. Delightful areas built around the trees, depicting fairy homes & gardens. Even a boardwalk with a rope bridge connecting the fairies homes. Perfect opportunity to get the little ones outside into nature as the woodland is beautiful.
Also did the drive around Ring of Guillon. Would have liked to have spent longer in this area, beautiful.
Also did the drive around Ring of Guillon. Would have liked to have spent longer in this area, beautiful.
Written 13 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lucy1999
Newry, UK27 contributions
Jul 2017 • Family
I have frequently made the climb to the summit. The start of the trail is easy to miss and it often peters out into rocks on the way up. At the top many visitors climb on to the tomb to the trig pillar and don't realise they are on a man made structure. Often they do not find the tomb entrance below.
The other tombs and the Lough are visible but have no signage or explanation. Surely a few information panels and trail markings could be put in place to explain this special place?
The other tombs and the Lough are visible but have no signage or explanation. Surely a few information panels and trail markings could be put in place to explain this special place?
Written 29 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Howard G
Reno, NV32 contributions
Jun 2013 • Couples
On the forest drive there is a parking area at the summit. Leave your car and find the path opposite that winds its way to the top of the mountain. There's you'll find a Neolithic passage tomb, restored with a concrete roof to make it safe to enter. At the opposite end of the summit, past a magical lake, there is a smaller burial cairn. Read more and take a virtual tour here:
http://www.voicesfromthedawn.com/slieve-gullion/
http://www.voicesfromthedawn.com/slieve-gullion/
Written 8 February 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ToandMo
Belfast, UK52 contributions
Jun 2018 • Friends
As a South Armagh native, sadly exiled to Belfast- I decided to bring my Belfast hubby and friends to my homeland on the Ring of Gullion bus tour. We had a beautiful day inJune- showing the countryside in all its splendour. From the first stop at Craigmore viaduct, fascinating Bessbrook to Camlough (the crooked lake) right through to the court cairn at Annaghmare, tour guide Una was a mine of information with a passion for South Armagh which was infectious.
Lunch in Crossmaglen was very good and then on to Creggan graveyard which was as interesting as I had expected. Roche castle, Moira castle, Killeavy Old churches- all places I am familiar with and had visited , but Una told us things I didnt know. The tour left me wanting to explore and study more about this place I love. Hubby and friends were impressed with the area and also with Una- a natural storyteller with a love of her subject. This tour is well worth a visit- to a place which sadly had a poor reputation- but now the secret is out- South Armagh is an area of outstanding natural beauty with a fascinating history- ancient and modern.
Lunch in Crossmaglen was very good and then on to Creggan graveyard which was as interesting as I had expected. Roche castle, Moira castle, Killeavy Old churches- all places I am familiar with and had visited , but Una told us things I didnt know. The tour left me wanting to explore and study more about this place I love. Hubby and friends were impressed with the area and also with Una- a natural storyteller with a love of her subject. This tour is well worth a visit- to a place which sadly had a poor reputation- but now the secret is out- South Armagh is an area of outstanding natural beauty with a fascinating history- ancient and modern.
Written 10 June 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Which tour did you take and what tour group did you use? I’m very interested in possibly taking this tour when I visit my daughter in Dublin early November. Thanks Jan
Written 17 October 2019
Sorry for delay, we had a rental car so cannot help you
Written 19 October 2019
would the the fairy walk be full of hills or is it mostly flat? would it be suitable for a pregnant woman to walk. thanks
Written 23 August 2016
Sorry I took so long to reply! It is up a hill to get to the fairy village and is steep in places but then eases out. Lots of people push buggies up the hill so it's manageable but I guess it depends on you and how you are feeling. No toilets along the fairy walk though so bear that in mind! It's probably an hour round trip including time to stop and look at all the lovely fairy and giant attractions. Hope that helps
Written 10 September 2016
Hi, is it pet friendly? We have a little Chihuahua who we take everywhere with us .
Written 2 August 2015
Dogs are not allowed in the Adventure Playpark, and must be ‘under control’ at all times in the rest of the Forest Park.
Written 26 February 2016
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