{"id":517,"date":"2012-06-23T01:44:10","date_gmt":"2012-06-23T01:44:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=517"},"modified":"2012-06-24T12:55:39","modified_gmt":"2012-06-24T12:55:39","slug":"mourne-mountains-co-down-northern-ireland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=517","title":{"rendered":"Mourne Mountains, Co. Down, Northern Ireland"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A beautiful day of blue sky and cold wind over County Down. \u2018OK, what we\u2019ll do,\u2019 offered Fiona Mullan of Mountain Sojourns, \u2018is head up Doan.<br \/>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">window.onload = setupZoom; function popwalk(walk) {var url = \"\/Walks\/amap.php?f=\"+walk; var walkwindow=window.open(url,\"walkwin\",\"height=1100,width=820,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes\"); if (window.focus) {walkwindow.focus()}}<\/script>First published in: The Times <a href=\"javascript:popwalk('Mourne.jpg');\" rel=\"nozoom\" title=\"Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window\">Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window<\/a><\/script><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6006\/5998053543_4e1a35fe81.jpg\" title='setting off towards Slieve Loughshannagh'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6006\/5998053543_4e1a35fe81_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6148\/5998058571_259323ae1f.jpg\" title='Christopher, Fiona Mullan, Jane'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6148\/5998058571_259323ae1f_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6147\/5998613348_5ff370729d.jpg\" title='Mourne Wall at the saddle'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6147\/5998613348_5ff370729d_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6010\/5998619330_6db79aa385.jpg\" title='Bearnagh'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6010\/5998619330_6db79aa385_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6148\/5998621952_6ba3cb4fb8.jpg\" title='l. to r. Slieve Meelbeg, Meelmore, Bearnagh'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6148\/5998621952_6ba3cb4fb8_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6150\/5998630598_26f9a1a1d1.jpg\" title='Lough Shannagh from Doan summit'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6150\/5998630598_26f9a1a1d1_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6129\/5998083005_ed17de456c.jpg\" title='Fiona Mullan by Ott Mountain cairn, with Spelga Dam Reservoir in background'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6129\/5998083005_ed17de456c_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6021\/5998085693_9e491e2e31.jpg\" title='froggy friend encountered on Ott Mountain'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm7.static.flickr.com\/6021\/5998085693_9e491e2e31_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nFacebook Link: <script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/wordpress\/?p=517\" layout=\"button_count\" show_faces=\"true\" width=\"200\" colorscheme=\"dark\"><\/fb:like><br \/>\nThat\u2019s a good wee scramble, and it\u2019s right in the heart of the Mournes so there\u2019s brilliant views of all the main peaks.\u2019<br \/>\nThe Mournes are manageable mountains; they extend an invitation rather than a threat. We were lucky to have Fiona as a companion. She\u2019s been in outdoor activities all her life, she\u2019s cheerful and funny, and she knows these famous but under-walked mountains as well as anyone.<br \/>\nThe stone-rubbled path led gently up a slope of short grass spattered with heath bedstraw, heading for the Mourne Wall, a 22-mile long monument to the hungry men of the 1900s. They built it across the main summit to demarcate the Mourne catchment area, and it stands as a guide for anyone roaming here. At the Wall stile we stopped to stare over the crescent of Lough Shannagh lying low, the long back of Slieve Binnian looming over Silent Valley Reservoir, the ragged granite castle of Bearnagh\u2019s summit, and mighty Donard in the east with a pimple of cairn on top, looking out on a broad sweep of sea. In the foreground rose the horse\u2019s neck and craggy head of Doan, our aiming point.<br \/>\nDown into the hollow of the hills, a slog among eroded peat hags and a climb up the nape of Doan. A scramble by boot and finger tip up a rough granite outcrop and we were sitting pretty with our sandwiches at the peak, absorbed in a great cartwheel panorama of mountains, lakes, sea and sky.<br \/>\nBack at the Mourne Wall once more and looking down on Lough Shannagh, we made out a slip of sandy beach and a pair of tiny figures swimming out from shore. \u2018Hmm,\u2019 said Jane, \u2018I envy them. What a gorgeous place to cool off!\u2019<br \/>\nBack beyond the Wall we struck up the broad green flank of Ott Mountain, walking the grass with a soft swish of boots. A trackless uphill pull under lark song up to the summit cairn, a heap of chunks of striped and contorted shale and quartz. A quick glance back to the rugged head of Doan, and we were bowling downhill on the homeward stretch. <\/p>\n<p>Start &#038; finish: Ott\/Blue Quarry car park, Mourne Mountains (OSNI ref J280278).<br \/>\nGetting there: Bus &#8211; Mourne Rambler (http:\/\/www.mourne-mountains.com\/mournes\/information\/), May-August<br \/>\nRoad: A2 to Newcastle; A50 towards Castlewellan; left on B180 (\u2018Bryansford, Hilltown\u2019). In 3 miles (5 km), left (\u2018Kilkeel, Silent Valley, The Rock\u2019). In 3\u00bd miles (5.5 km) park in Ott\/Blue Quarry car park on right<br \/>\nWalk (5 miles, moderate\/hard grade. OS of Ireland 1:50,000 Discovery Sheet 29; 1:25,000 Activity Map \u2018The Mournes\u2019): Cross road, over stile, follow stony path. In 200 m fork right, uphill to Mourne Wall in saddle on skyline (OS ref 290265). Stile across wall; left of 2 paths, aiming for Doan ahead. In \u00bd mile pass white stone heap; fork right into dip; up spine of Doan. At top, pass left of first craggy outcrop; bear right up to second outcrop. Keep to left side of it; scramble to top (302262). Return to Mourne Wall stile; recross; aim half left up rough ground to Ott Mountain summit cairn (284270); descend to car park.<\/p>\n<p>Lunch: Picnic; or Meelmore Lodge, signposted off B180 (028-4372-5949; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.meelmorelodge.com\">www.meelmorelodge.com<\/a>)<br \/>\nMore info: Newcastle Tourist Office (028-4372-2222); <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mournelive.com\">www.mournelive.com<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.discovernorthernireland.com\">www.discovernorthernireland.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Subscriber Walks: Enjoy a\u00a0country walk with our experts. Mourne Mountains, Co. Down, N. Ireland, 8 July. Email\u00a0timespluspartners@newsint.co.uk\u00a0to book. Tickets \u00a310.<br \/>\n<A HREF=\"http:\/\/www.ramblers.org.uk\/\">www.ramblers.org.uk<\/A> <A HREF=\"http:\/\/www.satmap.com\/\">www.satmap.com<\/A> <A HREF=\"http:\/\/www.LogMyTrip.co.uk\/\">www.LogMyTrip.co.uk<\/A><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A beautiful day of blue sky and cold wind over County Down. \u2018OK, what we\u2019ll do,\u2019 offered Fiona Mullan of Mountain Sojourns, \u2018is head up Doan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-walks","category-3-id","post-seq-1","post-parity-odd","meta-position-corners","fix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=517"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/517\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=517"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=517"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=517"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}