Ulster Way - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Ulster Way is a series of walking routes which encircle the Irish

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

province of Ulster

Ulster

Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...

. It was founded in the 1970s by Wilfred Capper (who subsequently became the first person to complete the old route), who was inspired by Tom Stephenson

Tom Stephenson

Tom Criddle Stephenson was a British journalist and a leading champion of walkers' rights in the countryside.In the First World War he was imprisoned as a conscientious objector....

's Pennine Way

Pennine Way

The Pennine Way is a National Trail in England. The trail runs from Edale, in the northern Derbyshire Peak District, north through the Yorkshire Dales and the Northumberland National Park and ends at Kirk Yetholm, just inside the Scottish border. The path runs along the Pennine hills, sometimes...

. Most of it lies within Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

, the remainder being in the Republic of Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

.

The route stretches for 560 miles and visits many places of interest including the Mourne Mountains, Giant's Causeway

Giant's Causeway

The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles northeast of the town of Bushmills...

, Cavehill

Cavehill

Cavehill, historically known as Ben Madigan , is a basaltic hill overlooking the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It forms part of the southeastern border of the Antrim Plateau. It is distinguished by its famous 'Napoleon's Nose', a basaltic outcrop which resembles the profile of the famous...

and the Sperrins

Sperrins

The Sperrins or Sperrin Mountains are a range of mountains in Northern Ireland and one of the largest upland areas in Ireland. The range stretches the counties of Tyrone and Londonderry from south of Strabane eastwards to Maghera and north towards Limavady...

. Most of the paths are clearly sign-posted, with the remainder less clear. It is not unknown for signs to direct walkers into bog

Bog

A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....

s. The walking can vary and is generally considered to be one of the UK's most exciting routes.

In April 2003, Environment Minister Angela Smith

Angela Evans Smith

Angela Evans Smith, Baroness Smith of Basildon is a British Labour Co-operative politician who was the Member of Parliament for Basildon from 1997 till she was defeated in 2010...

MP announced a project to improve and maintain the Ulster Way. This followed confusion over land access rights. A new route was agreed in early 2009. The new route was officially opened on 16 September 2009. The new route was completed by Rick McKee and David Creighton, by bike, over 6 days in May 2008. This revised route is 625 miles; the revised route was first completed by schoolboys Matthew Hoper and Simon Harris.

Further reading