Northern Ireland

The three main cities of Belfast, Londonderry or ‘Derry’, and Armagh are well worth visiting. Belfast, the capital, was the home  of George Best, probably Britain’s greatest footballer, and of musician Van Morrison. It  is a thriving city of excellent shops, entertainment venues, classic pubs, restaurants, theatres, art galleries, historic buildings and parks. Within easy reach of the city is the stunning Cave Hill Country Park in the Belfast Hills, with wonderful walks and views of the city from Cave Hill Peak. The ancient city of Derry, famous for the classic anthem by an unknown composer, ‘The Londonderry Air’,  is one of Europe’s best-preserved walled cities. From here you can visit the amazing gorges and river walkways of Roe Valley Park.

Some of Northern Ireland’s most spectacular sights lie in County Antrim, to the north of Belfast. One is the Giant’s Causeway, located along the superb Antrim coastline. This World Heritage Site consists of some  40,000 naturally formed six-sided basalt columns created by volcanic activitity  55 million years ago. Brave visitors can cross the  nearby Carrick-a-Rede swinging rope bridge to Carrick-a-Rede island.

Lough Neagh in the very centre of the country, is the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles at 391 square kms. It  offers great sailing, cruising and water sports and so does the stunning lake system  of County Fermanagh to the West.  Northern Ireland has some beautiful mountain scenery with  the Sperrin Mountains, which have extensive gold deposits, in the North, and the dramatic  Mourne Mountains which contain the country’s highest point, in the South.

In all areas you will find both beautifully preserved and also ruined castles, ancient forts, and historic buildings, as well as stately homes and gardens to explore. In terms of sport, Northern Ireland is best known for its golf and fishing, but it also offers superb walking, cycling, horse-riding and water sports to the visitor. Another great joy it offers is eating! With its strong agricultural heritage, rich soil and abundant fresh and sea water, this region offers a range of tasty dishes based on top quality fresh local produce including sea food of all types, excellent dishes of  beef, pork and lamb including the lamb-based ‘Irish stew’, tender vegetables and tasty  potato dishes such as ‘boxty’ and ‘champ’, and unusual ingredients such as the edible seaweed dulse which is used for flavouring.