Slievenacloy

A great escape from the hustle and bustle of Belfast and Lisburn, Slievenacloy Nature Reserve is located in a valley in the Belfast Hills. Initial impressions may suggest only grassy fields, but the site is in fact a vast wildlife paradise of grassland, meadows, rush and heath. The site is particularly important for orchids, birds and fungi, and offers panoramic views from the Mourne Mountains to the Sperrins, and beyond!

But there’s more than spectacular views to see at Slievenacloy - look out for a long list of Northern Ireland priority bird species including: hen harrier, lapwing, curlew, skylark, mistle thrush, song thrush, grasshopper warbler, starling, linnet and reed bunting. Snow buntings are frequent visitors during the winter.

On the ground you’ll find some interesting plants such as great and lesser butterfly orchids, frog orchid and the raremoonwort fern. The range of plant diversity also supports a wide variety of invertebrates such as butterflies, moths and bees.