Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [532]
Buses to Bangor stop nearby. Cultra Station on the Belfast to Bangor train line is within a 10-minute walk.
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Counties Down & Armagh
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COUNTY DOWN
CENTRAL COUNTY DOWN
BELFAST TO BANGOR
BANGOR
ARDS PENINSULA
NEWTOWNARDS & AROUND
STRANGFORD LOUGH
DOWNPATRICK
AROUND DOWNPATRICK
LECALE PENINSULA
SOUTH DOWN & THE MOURNE MOUNTAINS
COUNTY ARMAGH
SOUTH ARMAGH
ARMAGH CITY
AROUND ARMAGH CITY
NORTH ARMAGH
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From the hilltop viewpoint of Scrabo Tower, the treasures of County Down lie scattered around you like jewels on a table. The sparkling, island-fringed waters of Strangford Lough stretch to the south, with the bird-haunted mudflats of Castle Espie and Nendrum’s ancient monastery on one shore, and the picturesque Ards Peninsula with the elegant country house of Mount Stewart on the other.
On a clear day you can see the Mourne Mountains in the distance, their velvet curves sweeping down to the sea, above the Victorian-era seaside resort of Newcastle. This compact range of granite and heather peaks offers the best hill walking in the North, with expansive views of mountain, crag and sea. Nearby are Downpatrick and Lecale, the old stamping grounds of Ireland’s patron saint.
Down is a region of lush fields and fertile farmland, a rich landscape in more ways than one – this is Belfast’s wealthy hinterland, studded with expensive villas and endowed with more than its fair share of top golf courses and gourmet restaurants. It’s easily reached from the capital, and at weekends you’ll find city folks browsing the antique shops in Saintfield and Greyabbey, or slurping down fresh oysters in Dundrum and Strangford.
Down’s neighbour County Armagh is largely rural, from the low, rugged hills of the south to the lush apple orchards and strawberry fields of the north, with Ireland’s ecclesiastical capital, the neat little city of Armagh, in the middle. With the army watchtowers gone, south Armagh is once again a peaceful backwater, where you can wander back and forth across the border with the Republic without even noticing.
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HIGHLIGHTS
Head for the Hills Tempting trails among the granite peaks of the Mourne Mountains
A Taste of Ulster Top-notch restaurants in Hillsborough (opposite), Warrenpoint and Strangford
To the Manor Born The stately halls and exquisite gardens of Mount Stewart House
Wildlife Encounter Birdwatching at Castle Espie and seal spotting near Portaferry
Rural Retreat Off the beaten track on the back roads of South Armagh
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TELEPHONE CODE: 028 FROM UK; 048 FROM REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
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POPULATION: 652,000
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AREA: 3702 SQ KM
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COUNTY DOWN
CENTRAL COUNTY DOWN
Rich farmland spreads to the south of Belfast, with only the rough moorland of Slieve Croob, southwest of Ballynahinch, breaking the flatness of the terrain. The attractive towns of Hillsborough and Banbridge lie on the main A1 road from Belfast to Newry.
Hillsborough
pop 2400
Hillsborough is a name familiar to British ears, as it the official residence of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland – Hillsborough Castle is also used to entertain visiting heads of state (US presidents George W Bush and Bill Clinton have both enjoyed its hospitality). This is the Queen’s official residence when she is in Northern Ireland.
The elegant little town of Hillsborough (Cromghlinn) was founded in the 1640s by Colonel Arthur Hill, who built a fort here to quell Irish insurgents. Fine Georgian architecture rings the square and lines Main St.
The tourist information centre ( 9268 9717; tic.hillsborough@lisburn.gov.uk; The Square; 9am-5.30pm Mon-Sat year-round, 2-6pm Sun Jul & Aug) is in the Georgian courthouse in the centre of the village.
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
The town’s main attraction is Hillsborough Castle ( 9268 1309; Main St; guided tour adult/family £5/12.50, grounds only adult/family £2.50/7.50; 11am-4.30pm Sat May & Jun only), a