The view of the Mourne Mountains from the Co Down seaside town of Newcastle is one of the most stunning vistas on the island of Ireland. Rising more than 800m from sea level, their distinctive sculpted shapes are as awe inspiring as bigger mountain ranges in Europe and have the same picture-postcard quality.
The most popular hike in the Mourne Mountains is the four- to five-hour climb up and down Slieve Donard, which at 850m, is the highest mountain in the range. The Donard car park in Newcastle is the starting point for what's called the Glen River Slieve Donard mountain walk.
Seasoned hikers will be familiar with the “seven sevens” which includes hiking up and over the seven tallest peaks of the Mournes (Donard, Commedagh, Lamagan, Binnian, Meelbeg, Meelmore and Bearnagh) – all more than 700m high. This hike takes about 12 hours. The other challenging hike is the Mourne Wall walk, which follows the historic dry stone wall over seven of the 10 highest mountains in the range. It can take more than 15 hours and is only recommended for the very fit.
But we are no "peak baggers" and Northern Ireland's newest guide, Andrew Magowan, has opted to take us on a much quieter and arguably finer hike which starts on the western side of this compact mountain range.
We set off on a warm day but thankfully, there is some cloud cover. We climb two peaks (Slieve Lough Shannagh and Slieve Meelbeg) and take in some stunning views into the lower-lying inland areas of these majestic mountains (the Silent Valley and Lough Shannagh). We walk along part of the iconic Mourne Wall, which is 35km long and was built in 1904-1922 to protect the reservoirs beneath from contamination by animals and humans, and is maintained by the Mourne Mountains National Trust. It also acts as a great navigation guide when the weather changes abruptly for the worst.
Magowan is a relative newcomer when it comes to mountaineering in Ireland, having played golf as a teenager and spent most of his life working abroad. The Antrim-born lawyer was just starting his new business – The Inside Trek – when the Covid-19 pandemic arrived in March 2020.
"The upside of Covid was that it gave me more time to think about my plan and how to balance purpose with a profitable business," he says. Living full-time in a wonderful barn conversion near Ballymena, which he originally planned as a holiday home, Magowan began "relearning Northern Ireland" after 27 years of living in London.
"I left at 18 and after studying at St Anne's College in Oxford and doing my three years legal practice course, I went straight to the city. For a small-town Antrim boy, London was amazing. I worked as a corporate lawyer. I worked hard, was paid well and played well too." A sideways shift saw him work for large companies across food, fashion, oil and gas industries, ending up on the sustainability team for the online clothing company, ASOS.
“I was guilty of ignoring my homeland and when I brought friends to the Antrim Hills, it was as much of an eye-opener for me as for them,” he explains.
But at the age of 45, Magowan realised that he didn’t want to work five days a week any more. “I wanted to do something for myself in a way that was more immersed in sustainability. I wanted to prove to myself that I could ‘walk the talk’ and be as respectful to the communities and land that I’m in.”
In 2019, following the break-up of his marriage, he went backpacking in Colombia and Mexico where the seed of the idea to start his hiking business grew. "I met people who hadn't heard of Northern Ireland or just knew it because of the conflict. So, I decided I wanted to bring more people to see it for the amazing, creative, beautiful and friendly place it is." Impressed with the increase in stylish restaurants and hotels in the region, he says that he'd love to encourage more eco-friendly accommodation.
However, with a house to sell in London and his new business still a start-up, he returned to London to work, as a lawyer and director of sustainability for a wine and spirits merchant.
In June 2021 Magowan completed his hill and moorland leadership training giving him the ability to take groups of up of six people on custom-designed hikes in the Mourne and Sperrin Mountains, and in the hills of Antrim near where he grew up.
Magowan wants to entice local and international hikers to join him on pre-planned hikes and will provide snacks, drinks and some hiking equipment if prearranged. We found the walking poles to be particularly useful on a steep descent.
High winds, low visibility or thick clouds will make the higher routes inaccessible at certain times of year, but with careful route selection and the right equipment (gaiters are fantastic for keeping the rain out, he advises), you can still get out and do looped walks in Tollymore Forest Park or stay under the clouds and do lower peaks in the Mournes, or walk along the coast in places like Murlough Nature Reserve and on the Causeway coast. "The autumn months can be very moody and atmospheric times to hike," he says.
Magowan is keen to promote the cultural aspects of Northern Ireland and before we meet, he sends me a recommended list of local bands, poets and writers. “When I first started, I thought more about getting international travellers but now I realise that people will come on hikes from all over Ireland too. And I want to send people away with a connection to Northern Ireland – both the land and the people,” he says.
And so he does. On our half-day hike, we enjoyed the thrill of walking along beautiful stretches of the Mourne Wall, across old smugglers routes (where smuggled goods were transported on pack ponies). And we even bagged a couple of peaks.
You can choose hikes from two to 10 hours across several days with rest days in between. A half-day tour costs £50 per person (€58) and £85 for a full day. This includes all equipment, transport, food and drink.
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Andrew Magowan recommends five hikes in Northern Ireland
Trostan, the Antrim Hills: "It doesn't even feel like a climb and very few people know it but it's the highest point in Co Antrim," says Magowan. The route is a bit boggy with lots of heather but getting to the top of the moonscape-like summit provides the perfect viewing point across the Antrim Hills.
Slemish (or Slieve Mish), Co Antrim: "The central plug of an extinct volcano, Slemish is a bit like Northern Ireland's Haleru. It's a short but stiff climb with cracking 360 degree views," says Magowan. It's also where St Patrick spent six years herding livestock as a young man.
The Causeway Coast: Start at either Ballintoy or Dunseverick to see the gorgeous White Park Bay, Portbradden and Port Moon before topping the day off with the Giant's Causeway.
Eagle's Rock and the Priest's Chair: This hike in the Eastern Sperrins crams a lot into its 7 miles, starting with a steady climb through Moydamlaght, before the stiff but dramatic ascent up the side of the impressive rock face of Craig-na-shoke, with views across the range, before heading across to Glenshane Forest to a mass rock in a glade in the trees that dates back to the penal laws.
The west side of the Mourne Wall: The trail up from Ott car park provides one of the quickest routes up into the High Mournes, making it perfect for a four-hour hike that includes ascents of Slieve Loughshannagh (619m) and Meelbeg (708m), and rewards your climbing with views across Lough Shannagh, the Silent Valley and distinct molehill-shaped Doan Mountain.
