Ulster at its best - holidaying locally
April 2026 provided a timely reminder of unmissable places to visit that are right here on our doorstep. No danger from drones, no jet fuel hassles, and instead meeting really friendly people.
And all of this at a time when the world's media are replete with impending gloom on the heels of America's illegal war with Iran and global problems arising from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The stories are about major airlines cancelling flights, imposing fuel surcharges, and worse (1).
There is also more than a hint of irony as the consequences of the current global situation resemble environmentalists' arguments urging us to fly less and protect the planet from carbon emissions, in stark contrast to the US Administration's dismissal of climate change as "a hoax."
On a personal level, the drive to buy local emanated from overlapping trips home by two daughters with their families, one from the north of Scotland the other from the south of England. Those welcome visits resulted in a subsequent return home by the equally missed son who lives near Glasgow.
Relentless activity, both domestic and holiday-wise, was spread over three hectic weeks. What better time than Easter to rediscover home-love and reacquaint with gorgeous places. This article focuses on two such hidden gems.
The Gobbins Cliff Path
Discreetly hidden away on the eastern coast of County Antrim, the Gobbins Cliff Path (2) is located less than an hour north of Belfast, close to Islandmagee and the port of Larne. This precariously-perched walk was reopened the week before Easter 2026 following 14 months of repair works.
Incidentally, the placename Gobbins derives from the Irish noun Gobán, meaning a small headland (or more literally a mouth gag). The prefix Gob itself means a beak, occasionally borrowed into English and used by slang merchants as an unsubtle way to tell loquacious people to "pipe down."
Conceived by the astutely-named Wexford-born Chief Engineer of the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway Company Berkeley Deane Wise to boost railway tourism, the Gobbins path first opened way back in August 1902. Although this is almost a century and a quarter in the past, it is relatively recent considering the seven millennia of human civilisation in Iran that the American President chillingly threatened only weeks ago.
Mr Wise's original plan showed a 3.25 mile route which included a tubular bridge, along with tunnels and stairways. A century ago it rivalled the Giants Causeway in popularity. There was no help in the design or construction from modern technology, human ingenuity and handtools being of the essence.
The path had to be closed in the 1950's following land slippage and maintenance issues. With the help of European Union Interreg funding it was redeveloped and reopened two-thirds of a century later in 2014/15. Over the next decade rock falls led to further closures. The most recent repair works, costed at £4m, have heralded in a strict regime of health and public safety arrangements. Together it means that the renewed walk is now even better equipped to cope with natural events.
On a personal level, the arrival of two families in subsequent weeks provided the ideal excuse to be among the first visitors to sample the unique attractions of the renewed path twice in rapid succession. Led by informative and experienced local guides, each one bursting with personal memories of the place, groups consist of about 15 people, with 2-hour tours taking place about four times daily.
One of those guides informed me that more than half of the visitors to the Gobbins come from outside Northern Ireland. This is such a welcome change for us.
Unmissable is a cliché, but this walk has all the attributes including spectacular scenery and views, ancient geology, ornathology and other wildlife, gorgeous fresh air - and more such as a great cafe/restaurant - all to provide participants with full bragging rights.
Castle Leslie
The rural idyll that contains Castle Leslie and its 1,000 acre Estate (3) sits next to the international border between the Republic and Northern Ireland, County Monaghan on one side and County Tyrone on the other. It lies between two of their prettiest villages, Glaslough adjacent to the Castle and Caledon 5 miles away to the north. Belfast is only about a 60 minute journey and Dublin an 80 minute trip. Easily accessible.
What had prompted me to book it was a recent newspaper article (4) based on an indepth interview with the latest member of clan Leslie to assume the day-to-day management and development of the hotel. Among other things, I recalled it as having been the wedding venue for Paul McCartney and Heather Mills in 2002 (5); and my wife and I spent a weekend residing in the main Castle building about six years ago.
Bedroom accomodation is still available in the main Castle, in the former hunting lodge, and also in the old stable mews. The hotel's amenities include an equestrian centre, boating facilities, a spa with outdoor hot tubs and a sauna, as well as fine and informal dining.
The midweek visit that my son and I made after Easter enabled us to avail of expert-led and conducted tours of the Castle gardens and another one of the house. It explained the extensive family history and the fantastic art collection. Walking by ourselves one day provided an appreciation of the beauty of the estate's natural woodlands full of native tree species, as well as the spectacle of hotel guests enjoying horse-riding both in the woods and also in the shallower waters of Glaslough.
And before leaving we walked into Glaslough village where, among various points of interest, we found an excellent cafe as well as an old building which houses a carefully annotated timeline of the Leslie family history going all the way back to the 11th century, and to Glaslough specifically in 1665.
And I didn't even get space to mention other beautiful places for family walks, like around Castlewellan lake in County Down and the many scenic off-road walks in Lagan Valley Regional Park (6).
Otherwise, Castle Leslie deserves its star-billing - a place to escape, educational, beautiful, serene, and restful.
© Michael McSorley 2026
References
1. "Will Iran war and travel disruptions lead to a staycation boom for domestic tourism?" Conor Pope Irish Times 25 April 2026
2. https://www.thegobbinscliffpath.com/the-path/
3. https://www.castleleslie.com/
4. "Castle Leslie: a divided estate, a nightclub, a hippie colony and now a thriving hotel" Mark Hennessy Irish Times 22 Feb 2026
5. "Sir Paul ties the knot in £2m love me do" Sarah Hall The Guardian 12 June 2002 https://share.google/VSjQ5SognyGzlzqZX
6. https://michaelmcsorleynature.blogspot.com/2014/12/lagan-valley-regional-park.html
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