One of Northern Ireland’s eight Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty has been praised as one of the UK’s “most underrated” by The Times.
Northern Ireland boasts no fewer than eight Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, including the world-famous Giant’s Causeway, Mourne Mountains, and Antrim Glens. There are many beauty spots across the North, though, that enjoy less renown.
That could be about to change, however, as The Times recently highlighted one of Northern Ireland’s Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty as one of the UK’s “most underrated”.
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty – for the conservation of beautiful landscapes
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) are countryside areas in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales that have been designated for conservation due to the natural beauty of their landscapes.
They are similar to national parks in that they enjoy a level of protection in order to preserve and enhance their natural beauty for the benefit of visitors and those who live and work within the area.
There are 46 AONBs in total, eight of which are in Northern Ireland: Antrim Coast and Glens, Binevenagh, Causeway Coast, Lagan Valley, Mourne Mountains, Ring of Gullion, and Strangford and Lecale.
One place in particular, though, has been named one of the UK’s “most underrated beauty spots” by The Times.
Sperrin Mountains – one of the “most underrated beauty spots”
The Times recently named County Tyrone’s Sperrin Mountains one of the UK’s “most underrated beauty spots”, citing “the emptiness, the late-summer carpets of heather, and the epic walks”.
The Sperrins comprise 17 mountains, including Mullaghmore, Mullaghcarn, Slieve Gallion, and the range’s 2,156 ft (657 m) peak, Sawel Mountain. These mountains and the surrounding area act as a home to a diverse range of fauna and flora.
The Times reserved particular praise for experiences within the AONB, namely stargazing at the OM Dark Sky Park and Observatory and glamping in “futuristic-looking self-catering pods” at the nearby Sperrinview Glamping.
Other underrated spots – where else made the list?
The Times briefly shone a light on two of the most famous AONBs – the Giant’s Causeway and the Cotswolds – but wanted to highlight “less well-known and equally beautiful” areas that “make brilliant spots for a weekend away”.
The Sperrins AONB was accompanied by six other beauty spots across the UK deemed underrated by The Times.
Of them, three were in England: Lancashire’s Forest of Bowland, Dedham Vale on the Essex-Sussex border, and the North Wessex Downs.
Wales was represented by the beautiful Isle of Anglesey and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, and Scotland’s entry was Royal Deeside and Lochnagar.
