Divis and the Black Mountain Ridge Trail

Northern Ireland

On this circular walk, take in 180-degree views across Belfast and further afield, including the Antrim Plateau to the north, Scotland to the east and the Mourne Mountains to the south. There's also a huge variety of wildlife and flora to look out for along the way.

Near to

Divis and the Black Mountain

Start point

Divis cafe, Divis Road. OSNI grid ref: J272744

Trail information

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Difficulty*

Challenging

Full trail

DistanceMiles: 4.2 (km: 6.72)

Duration3 hours

Dog friendly**

*Some parts can be quite challenging. For further details, please see Terrain section.
**Dogs are welcome, with conditions. For further details, please see section marked Facilities.

Look out for livestock

The area is a working farm, with cattle and calves. Please treat livestock with caution.

Address
Divis Cafe, Divis Road, Belfast BT17 0NG
Directions via Google Maps
By bus
At the Europa Bus Station in Belfast, take the no. 106 Ulsterbus (to Crumlin via Hannahstown). Alight on the Upper Springfield Road.
On foot
Access the trail from Divis Road.
Cycling
Access the trail from Divis Road.
By road
Leave the M1 motorway at Junction 2 (Stockman’s Lane). Take the A55 (Outer Ring), signposted Falls. The starting point for the trail can be found on Divis Road, off Upper Springfield Road.
Dogs
Dogs are welcome but must be kept under close control, especially around livestock.
Car park
Parking is available at the starting/finishing point.
Toilet
Toilets and disabled toilets are available at the starting/finishing point. A RADAR key is needed to use the disabled toilets.
Café
The highest café in Northern Ireland, Divis Cafe serves light lunches, cakes, tray bakes, and a range of hot and cold drinks.
Total stages: 5
Total stages: 5
Start point
Divis cafe, Divis Road. OSNI grid ref: J272744
Stage 1
Follow the trail from Divis Coffee Barn towards the Divis transmitter masts. Just before reaching the masts, bear right onto a section of wooden boardwalk. The two masts relay TV, radio and digital signals across the whole of Northern Ireland.
Stage 2
At the end of the boardwalk, turn right onto the gravel path. This leads towards the summit of the Black Mountain, passing the Bobby Stone. The summit is marked by a trigonometry pillar. From here, you can enjoy exhilarating views across Belfast and beyond.
Trigonometry pillar
This pillar marks the summit of the Black Mountain at a height of 1,275ft (389m), and was used in the mapping of Ireland in 1825. Triangulation from trigonometry pillars is a mathematical process that made accurate map-making possible. Angles were measured from the pillar to other surrounding trig points, and, to ensure maximum accuracy, many rounds of angles would've been measured, with the observations taking several hours.
The trigonometry pillar | © National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor
Stage 3
Continue along the gravel path as it winds its way along the ridge towards the hill, crossing the first stile.
Stage 4
The path leaves the ridge before reaching the hill. It then continues to weave its way back towards Divis Cafe, crossing another stile and the Collin River along the way.
There are stiles to cross along the route | © National Trust Images/John Millar
Stage 5
When you reach the access road, turn left to return to Divis Cafe.
End point
Divis Cafe, Divis Road. OSNI grid ref: J272744
Trail map
Oak leaves in September in Florence Court garden, Co Fermanagh | © National Trust Images / John Millar
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Divis Road, Hannahstown, near Belfast, County Antrim, BT17 0NG

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belfast@nationaltrust.org.uk

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