Walk Northern Ireland - Mountaineering Ireland

mining. After passing through the
old quarry, the route comes to
Cranny Falls Nature Reserve which
includes a hazel wood.
Conditions become damper as
you get closer to the waterfall,
creating ideal conditions for
dragonflies, irises and ferns. At the
head of the dark ravine you are
rewarded for your effort by the falls
themselves, which cascade
spectacularly over the dark rock
above.
Cranny Falls F2
Starting Point: The Harbour in Carnlough
village
Distance: 4.8km
Maps & Books: ‘Larne Country Walk’
pack of 10 walks. OSNI sheet: 9
Facilities: Parking: 2 car parks in
Carnlough: Havelock Place and Croft
Road. Toilets: Havelock Place Car Park
Cladagh Glen Most visitors
to Northern
Ireland feel
their trip is
not complete
without a
visit to the
Marble Arch
Caves in
County
Fermanagh.
Yet many
miss out of
one of the
best parts of
the
experience. The connoisseur’s way
to visit these spectacular caves is to
start at the bottom of Cladagh
Glen and walk up the Cladagh
River to Marble Arch Visitor
Centre at the top. You can then
take a tour of the caves before
returning back down the glen; a
perfect way to experience the
ecology of this karst landscape from
both above and below the ground.
Cladagh Glen is a National
Nature Reserve that protects a
long-established ash woodland and
its natural inhabitants, which
include feral goats, red squirrels
and pine martens. About 500m
along the path you’ll see a waterfall
The
connoisseur’s
way to visit
these
spectacular
showcaves is
to start at the
bottom of
Cladagh Glen
and walk up
the Cladagh
River
Below right: Sloughan Glen
emerging from the ground. This
water has travelled on an
underground journey from a
swallow hole called the Rattling
Hole higher up the hillside. The
trail continues past the numerous
small rapids of the Cladagh River
to reach Marble Arch itself, an arc
of limestone that the river has
sculpted as it emerges from the
caves below.
Cladagh Glen B5
Starting Point: Cladagh Glen Car Park,
near Belcoo
Distance: 2km
Maps: OSNI sheet: 26
Facilities: Marble Arch Visitor Centre
Sloughan Glen
This secluded and peaceful glen lies
just west of the village of
Drumquin in County Tyrone. A
steep-sided valley cut by the
Blackwater River, the glen stretches
for over a kilometre. Within the
protective walls of the valley a
broadleaf woodland thrives, with
sessile oak, ash, hazel and birch
dominant amongst the native
species. The woods themselves
provide shelter for rare plants such
as wood fescue and Dutch rush,
but the main attraction of
Sloughan Glen is the waterfall. A
pleasant woodland path takes you
along the banks of the river,
climbing steadily towards the
unmistakable thunder of plunging
water. The falls are at their most
impressive after heavy rain, as the
entire Blackwater hurls itself over
an abrupt rock ledge into the
plunge pool ten metres below. In
such
conditions
the water is
stained
deep red
by the
tannins of
the blanket
bog above
the glen,
and the
whole
valley is
filled with
a fine mist
walk… Waterfalls
of water droplets thrown up by the
falls.
Even in low water levels the falls
have their charm, with the water
seeping over the cliff in a thin veil.
For walkers with plenty of energy, a
steeper path leads from here to a
viewing point at the top of the
falls, allowing you to peer over the
ledge and even continue upstream.
Sloughan Glen C3
Starting Point: Drumquin
Distance: 1.6km
Maps: OSNI sheet: 12
Facilities: Parking & picnic facilities
available on site
discovernorthernireland.com
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