Backpacking In Northern Ireland : Hiking Up Holy Slemish Mountain, County Antrim

“Holy mountain” – Noel Gallagher.

Backpacking In Northern Ireland : Hiking Up Holy Slemish Mountain, County Antrim

It wasn’t until early July 2024 that I finally hiked up to the top of Slemish, arguably Northern Ireland’s holiest mountain. It’s also arguably not a mountain. But I’m not having that. This is my blog and I’m a proud Northern Irishman and this is my holy mountain, years before Noel Gallagher penned the tune. For the sake of this post, and our hike, it’s a mountain.

How to get to Holy Slemish Mountain, County Antrim

Northern Ireland is still a classic beast for an avid backpacker as we don’t make things easy for you. There is no airport, seaport, train station or bus station at Slemish. You have to walk here, get a lift here, drive here or get a taxi here. That’s the way it is. There are some local buses from Ballymena which go nearby – buses 1C, 1D, 2B. You can hop on one of those from Ballymena and then walk the rest. It’s in the “middle of nowhere”.

I travelled here with my Dad and he was driving, so we drove from Bangor to Belfast, then through Ballyclare. After Ballyclare we drove north through Tildarg on the country roads and down the Racavan Road, then onto the Carnstroan Road which goes directly to the foot of Slemish Mountain. We simply parked at the car park at the foot of Slemish and then did the hike.

Is Slemish A Mountain Or A Hill?

The debate saunters on. There is probably some official labelling of an agreed height or size that makes it a mountain or a hill. I’m going with mountain because there was a hill in my back garden as a kid. Hills are small and can be climbed in 1 minute. Mountains take longer. I’m classing this as a mountain.

What’s the history of Slemish Mountain?

Slemish Mountain is a volcanic hill in the countryside at County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is about 437 meters (1,434 feet) high and is famous for its association with Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. According to legend, Patrick worked as a shepherd on Slemish after being captured and brought to Ireland as a slave. The mountain is a remnant of an ancient volcanic plug and has a distinctive, steep-sided shape. It is a popular spot for hikers, especially on Saint Patrick’s Day (March 17th) when many people climb it as part of a pilgrimage. The top of the mountain is flat. I backpacked to the top of it with my Dad in early July 2024. For both of us, it was the first time to hike it and an incredible memory.

Mini Museum, Toilets And Car Park

It was a dull, wet, misty day. We parked at the car park just below Slemish. On the left on the walk up to the top of Slemish, there is a mini museum, toilets, the car park and some tourist information.

Hiking Up To The Top Of Slemish Mountain

There was nobody else in sight! July in Northern Ireland and Dad and I were the only two tourists here, incredible! That made the journey even more exciting and unique. We had brought sandwiches, crisps, water, coffee and chocolate bars to prepare us for the hike.

From the bottom, it was so misty that we couldn’t see the top. After about 30 minutes, we took a coffee and food break, and sat on a camping mat/blanket we had brought in my backpack. We still hadn’t seen another person!

After that short break, we thought perhaps the mist and rain would clear on the final ascent to the top. It wasn’t too slippy or muddy and soon we were at the top. We didn’t actually time it – we took it easy to get up there, had a few water breaks and stops to admire the views and take some photos. Once at the top, I was surprised that it was flat!

The centrepiece at the top is of course the Saint Patrick’s Celtic Cross in the middle, which has seats. We had another sandwich here and a packet of Tayto, admiring the views and the holy experience of it all.

We sat and relaxed for a bit. For a June day, it was cold enough, misty and wet. I had brought two of my books with me – The Black Volume of Backpacking Centurion and Aftershot. I knew that this trip would be sentimental and inspiring for a writer and of course, in times to come I can now use the experience of being at the top of Slemish as some inspiration. What was probably the most inspiring thing was that we were the ONLY two people up there at that time!

And so it was time to head back down. Originally I thought we were heading back down the same way that we went up. But it transpired we went down slightly further to the left and past some trees.

There were some sheep and goats in the flatter parts near the foot of Slemish and we saw a few dog walkers at the bottom too. However, Dad and I were the only two people to hike the mountain at that exact time. Back at the car park, there was another car and we think that a few others did the hike after us. We had finished it before midday that day and it was truly well worth it. A magical place.

Here are my videos Backpacking In Northern Ireland : Hiking Up Holy Slemish Mountain, County Antrim: