Ulster Way

North Down Coastal Path

The North Down Coastal Path takes the walker along the south shore of Belfast Lough, past many of the scenic, historical and ecological attractions of North Down. For the most part the path follows the grassy flats just above the shoreline and is well surfaced for almost all of its 12 mile length. Good public transport links mean this walk is extremely accessible and can either be completed in a single day, or broken into shorter sections to suit families and casual walkers.

CountyDistanceOS MapTerrain
Down12 miles (19.2 km)Sheet 15The route crosses a variety of surfaces including smooth concrete path to beach and a narrow rocky shoreline section.
Start Town / VillageFinish Town / VillageGrid ReferencesPoints of Interest
HolywoodGroomsportStarts at J397793
Ends at J539833
Holywood, Cultra, Helen’s Bay, Crawfordsburn Country Park, Bangor, Ballyholme, Groomsport
Back top Map

Useful Contacts

NamePhoneEmail
Bangor Tourist Information Centre+44(0)28 9127 0069tic@northdown.gov.uk

Emergency Numbers

NamePhone
Emergency Services112 or 999 (free)
Non emergency Police number0845 600 8000 (local rate)
National Health Service - NHS Direct UK Helpline for Healthcare4554

Links to Local Websites

WebsiteURL
Northern Ireland Environment Agency - protect, conserve and promote the natural environment and built heritagewww.ni-environment.gov.uk
Northern Ireland Tourist Boardwww.discovernorthernireland.com
Translink - Northern Ireland's integrated bus and rail public transport companywww.translink.com
BBC Weather Forecastnews.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast
North Down Tourismwww.northdowntourism.com/
Crawfordsburn Country Parkwww.ni-environment.gov.uk/crawfordsburn.shtml