Cave Hill – walking to the best view in Belfast
This month’s walk is located within beautiful Belfast city, Cave Hill offers a hike which is most certainly worth the view.
Cave Hill stands at 368 meters above sea level and is located on the Belfast Castle Estate (if you have energy after your walk it a lovely place to visit). Belfast Castle Estate also offers parking where you can access the walks surrounding Cave Hill.
This walk is challenging and definitely requires suitable footwear for the hike. The starting point is just before the entrance to Belfast Castle were there is a steep climb before reaching a lovely woodland path. This path leads to a plateau where it is definitely worth a break to take in the lovely views over Belfast.
As you make your way up you can see some of the caves on Cave Hill, including the ‘Devil’s Punchbowl’. As you keep climbing (it’s worth it, keep going) you will come across McArt’s Fort. McArt’s Fort is a great example of a rath with ditches measuring about 10m in depth. As you keep climbing towards the summit of Cave Hill its great to stop at the top and take in the beautiful views over Belfast. On a good day you can see Strangford Lough, Scrabo Tower and the Mourne Mountains to the south and Slemish to the north.
The is a looped walk and is approximately 4.5 miles and takes approximately 2.5 hours, the paths are in good condition and surfaces are pretty even.
This is a great walk and doesn’t take all day. With even paths and good signage this walk is suitable for any keen walker.
Hope you enjoyed this month’s walk?
Happy Walking!
