WalkNI is delighted to announce that the website for the Ulster Way, Northern Ireland’s most iconic long distance walking route has received a new look as part of funding by DAERA – Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. This 636 miles (1,024km) circular walking route is one of the longest waymarked trails in the British Isles and popular with both local and international walkers alike.
The trail is beautifully described by TV presenter and journalist Graham Little, “…it felt as if I’d discovered some Narnia-esque portal to another world. What I’d actually found was part of the Ulster Way.”
The Ulster Way weaves its way through some of the best landscapes in Northern Ireland including the Mournes, Causeway Coast, Sperrins and Glens of Antrim. The trail was the brainchild of Wilfrid Capper MBE, who in 1946 had the inspiration to create a circular walking route taking in the six counties of Northern Ireland. With access to the countryside much more restricted in Northern Ireland than mainland Britain, many off-road sections of the trail depend on the goodwill of numerous private landowners and alliances with groups such as local councils and the National Trust. Capper almost single-handedly created what is one of the longest waymarked trails in the British Isles. When his original route of 540 miles was first formally unveiled as the Ulster Way in 1979, he was the first to walk its entire length. He walked it all again more than a decade later at the age of 88.
Commenting on the launch of the new website, Jayne Evans from WalkNI, who developed the new website and manages the promotion of this iconic walking trail said,
“The Ulster Way for over 75 years has been a fantastic trail for challenge walkers often raising vital funds for charity, as well as those looking to explore shorter sections of the trail through some of the highlight walking destinations Northern Ireland has to offer.
The Ulster Way has seen many developments and improvements to infrastructure, signage over recent years as well as a mindful shift of the trail away from busy on-road sections. It is with thanks to local councils support that much of the trail has been kept in the best possible standard. The western, northern, and eastern sections take in the iconic International Appalachian Trail Ulster-Ireland attracting even more international attention. The new look website helps showcase what a fantastic trail the Ulster Way is through its new interactive mapping and will help make the trail even more accessible with walkers able to make informed choices using suggested itineraries when planning their adventure whether their aim be to walk the full trail or explore short sections.”
In 2022 the Ulster Way was voted ‘Best Long-Distance Walking Trail in Northern Ireland’ in the WalkNI Awards which run annually.
The new look website can be viewed online at walkni.com/ulster-way
Be sure to tag us in your Ulster Way journey using #UlsterWay and #WalkN.
