Mal Rogerstakes the steep route along Batt's Wall on the way up Slievemoughanmore, but, with emerging views of the Irish Sea, he finds the going far easier on the far-side descent
'IF TIME IS unhappily your master," says my guidebook, "entrain by the Great Northern Railway from Belfast to Lisburn then down the Upper Bann Valley. There you will find the Kingdom of Mourne, a unique playground for the painter, mountaineer, motorist and angler alike."
Magic Miles in Ireland, which was published in Dublin in 1934, concentrates on an area that has changed so little it seems silly to splash out on a new guide. Okay, the railway has gone, but everything else seems pretty much as described.
Its recommendation on Slievemoughanmore is spot on, too. Follow the Windy Gap River, the road rising gently as it follows Batt's Wall. Watch carefully, because the track splits, and we have to cross the wall - via stylish stile - then traverse along the side of Pigeon Rock Mountain.
The route soon crosses the river via a ford made of carefully laid granite slabs. Here we have a choice: one route uses the easier quarry track up the front of Slievemoughanmore, but we're going to opt for the road substantially less travelled, up to the right.
We're now on to a boggy path that leads through the defile between Pigeon Rock Mountain and Slievemoughanmore. The only other sign of life aside from ourselves is a wren, or Troglodytes troglodytes, as it's pleased to call itself on formal occasions. It's living up to its name, skulking under a boulder at the side of a river. Evidently not expecting company.
After about another 1,500m uphill we reach Batt's Wall, which joins up with the Mourne Wall on nearby Slieve Muck. Turn left along the wall, towards the summit of Slievemoughanmore, standing 559m tall.
The way is much steeper now, and the building material of Batt's Wall changes from granite to older Silurian rock. As the gradient gets steeper the valley falls steadily away to reveal the Irish Sea in the distance.
You're probably aware that the Mournes are close to the sea. You may even have heard a song alluding to the fact. And it's every bit as pretty as the song implies; even better, the sea provides a handy orientation aid. That's where we have to head for once we've descended from Slievemoughanmore, still following the wall.
We soon reach Windy Gap and turn left down the Great Gully, with the towering cliffs of Eagle Mountain on our right now.
Later, in one of Kilkeel's pubs, if a local tells you it's possible to see seven kingdoms from the top of Slievemoughanmore, it's a trick. That'll include the Kingdom of Mourne and the Kingdom of God. Play dumb and you might get a pint out of it.
Start and finish:Attical Water Treatment Works, just beyond Holy Cross GAA Ground.
Best thing about walk:The route is easily followed, and the views are spellbinding enough to bring on an attack of religion.
Distance:13km.
Time:About three hours.
Map:Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland's Mourne Country Outdoor Pursuits Map
How to get there:On the Kilkeel-Rostrevor road, take the road to Attical. Immediately after Holy Cross GAA Ground take a left and drive for a further 1,500m. Park just before the farm.
• Next week: best family Christmas walks