I decided to walk the southern Mournes this week-end from Rostrevor. Starting from the forest car park in Kilbroney I picked up a good track on the roadside of the mountain up to Fiddlers Green and the Cloughmore Boulder, the first vantage point of the day. I continued onto the summit of Slievemartin, the first summit of the day. This is a very unbalanced view of beauty to the south and dull/dreary views to the north. The next summit on the round was Slievemeen which, if it wasn't named on the map, you would probably walk by without noticing
I followed a fence and broken wall to my third and final summit of the day, Slieveban. This summit makes it into my top 5 Mourne mountain peaks. The views of Slieve Foye across Carlingford Lough on a clear day from here are sublime. If you like your view to include aerial views of loughs, peaks, green fields, villages/towns, this is the one to do if you're visiting the Mournes. I completed a circular walk back to Kilbroney car park on a good track through the forest. Total distance was 10km taking 3 hours.
First vantage point of the day:
Leckan Moor from Cloughmore boulder:
Southwards panorama from Slievemartin:
Slieve Foye from Slievemartin:
Retrospective view of Slievemartin:
Shanlieve and Finlieve plus the eastern Mournes:
Lamagan, Binnians, Knochchree and Knochshee:
Knockchree and Knochshee from Slievemeen:
Carlingford Lough:
Following the fence/broken wall:
Slieve Foye from near Sleiveban:
The best bench in the Mournes
:
Carlingford Lough:
Slieve Foye from Slieveban:
View to Rostrevor:
Slieve Foye, taken on the descent of Slieveban:
Warrenpoint and Slieve Gullion: