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Sperrin Mountains |
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Sperrin Mountains |
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A range of gentle hills, covered in both gold-coloured heather and real, physical gold |
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The Sperrins were formed by glaciers in the last ice age. Even now, winter is cold enough to evoke that chilly era. However, this isn't an inhospitable place. The peaks aren't tall and barren; instead they form gentle, rolling slopes, covered in thriving farmland. It's an official Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so the government take good care of it by planting hedges and protecting the flowers. |
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 The Central Sperrins. Photo Northern Ireland Tourist Board |
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The hills are on the western side of Lough Neagh. They're threaded with a network of streams and rivers. The water provides homes to hundreds of fish, and food for birds and mammals. If you're here at night, you might hear the high-pitched cries of the water bats. In the day, they roost in the shadowy corners underneath bridges. As darkness falls, they come out to hunt insects on the river's surface. This part of the landscape is popular with fishermen, particularly during the summer. Bird watchers come here to spot waders or heron. |
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Other people journey to the Sperrins to find something a little different. For thousands of years, this has been a hunting ground for gold prospectors. Most of the bigger deposits have long since been uncovered, but you still see some people trying their luck. They use the old-fashioned panning method, which sorts out tiny quantities of gold dust from silt on the river bed. Other minerals like black magnetite and ruby coloured garnet are also waiting to be discovered. |
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 Youngsters trying their luck panning for gold in the Sperrins. Photo Northern Ireland Tourist Board |
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If you're lucky, perhaps you might collect enough gold to pay for a pint. The best-known watering hole is The Ponderosa, high in the mountains. In fact, at 305 metres above sea level, this is the highest pub on the entire Irish island. It stands on the Glenshane Pass, an important road link between Belfast in the east, and Londonderry in the west. It's a beautiful journey, with wide views in all directions. |
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Travellers with time to spare can investigate one of the four specially-designated "Scenic Driving Routes". Altogether they cover 250 miles of Sperrin countryside. Along the way, they pass through quiet villages and pretty woodland - common features of this beautiful landscape. |
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 Gortin Glens Forest Park. Photo Northern Ireland Tourist Board |
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Despite the existence of these driving routes, the cars are probably still outnumbered by walkers, cyclists and horse riders. Hiking is popular throughout the year, but the best time is during the summer hill walking festivals. The biggest event on the calendar is August's "Sperrins Walking Festival". It's been happening annually since before the turn of the millennium. Local guides take people to hidden corners of the mountains they've never seen before. Later, as the sun sets, the tired hikers relax with good food and music. |
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 Sperrins Walking Festival. Photo Northern Ireland Tourist Board |
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Besides popular activities like this, the Sperrins also offer opportunities for more unusual pursuits. You can sometimes spot gliders overhead, floating about on the air currents. Sky divers take a more dramatic approach, plummeting from hundreds of metres up in the air. Elsewhere in the mountains, you can shoot clay pigeons, or go paintballing. If a single day isn't enough time, there are plenty of campsites to choose from. |
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Any visitor to the Sperrins knows that its slopes are dominated by the gold-coloured heather. This natural resource is widely and respectfully used by the locals. Farmers feed it to their horses, to keep their coats glossy and healthy. At Easter, children use it to dye boiled eggs yellow. The blossoms smell like sweet coconut. In Autumn these Spring colours are taken over by the blood-red berries of the mountain ash trees. In ancient Celtic mythology, these plants were associated with magic and fire. |
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The Sperrin Mountains are open access. They're on the west side of Northern Ireland, in the counties of Tyrone and Londonderry. Sperrins Tourism: 028 8674 7700 |
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An Creagánis Visitor Centre provides information on the area, plus licensed restaurant, bar, craft shop and children's play area. It is open daily, 11am to 6pm (4.30pm in winter). An Creagan Visitor Centre, Creggan, Omagh, Co Tyrone, BT79 9AF. Tel: 028 8076 1112 |
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