Cave Hill Country Park
About
Cave Hill rises dramatically above north Belfast — a basalt cliff and escarpment that gives the city its most recognizable natural landmark. Napoleon's Nose, the prominent basalt outcrop at the summit, is said to have inspired Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (the cliff's profile resembles a sleeping giant, visible from across the city). The views from the top across Belfast, the Lough, and on clear days to Scotland are magnificent. The walk to the summit from Belfast Castle (a Scottish baronial mansion in the grounds at the base) takes about 45 minutes on good paths. McArt's Fort, an Iron Age hill fort at the summit, is where Wolfe Tone and the United Irishmen pledged Irish independence in 1795. The history layered into this landscape is dense — Iron Age forts, Norman fortifications, quarries, and caves. Belfast Castle has a café with views across the city. The park has five caves (giving it its name), walking trails, and an adventure playground. The mountain is managed as a country park with waymarked routes of different lengths and difficulties. It's remarkable to have this kind of wild landscape right on the edge of the city — you can be on the summit looking across Belfast Lough in under an hour from the city centre.
https://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/cavehillcountrypark
Tickets & Pricing
Free access.
Opening Times
Park: daily dawn to dusk. Belfast Castle: daily 9:00-22:00.
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