Must see attractions in County Down

The magnificent 18th-century Mount Stewart is one of Northern Ireland’s grandest stately homes. Entertaining tours tell the story of the house and its…

Famed for its role as Winterfell in Game of Thrones, 1760s-built Castle Ward House has a superb setting overlooking the bay west of Strangford. The estate…

This magnificent glass-and-timber heritage centre houses a multimedia exhibition called 'Ego Patricius', charting the life and legacy of Ireland's patron…

This excellent aquarium has displays of marine life from Strangford Lough and the Irish Sea as well as tropical fish, otters and a reptile centre with an…

Situated 2km southeast of Comber, off the Downpatrick road (A22), Castle Espie is a haven for huge flocks of geese, ducks and swans. The landscaped…

The British monarch's official Northern Ireland residence is this rambling, late-Georgian mansion, which was built in 1797 for Wills Hill, the first…

This scenic forest park, 3km west of Newcastle, offers lovely walks and bike rides along the River Shimna and across the Mournes' northern slopes…

At the Murlough National Nature Reserve, footpaths and boardwalks meander among the grassy dunes leading to a wide sandy beach with great views back…

According to legend, St Patrick died in Saul, where angels told his followers to place his body on a cart drawn by two untamed oxen, and to bury the saint…

Ulster's most famous – but rarely visited – Stone Age monument is a strangely elegant tripod dolmen (tomb chamber), that looks as if a giant's hand has…

These supposedly curative spring waters are traditionally associated with St Patrick – it is said he scourged himself here, spending much of the night…

Newtownards is overlooked by Scrabo Hill, 2km southwest of town. It was once the site of extensive prehistoric earthworks, which were largely removed…

Built by Norman knight John de Courcy for the Cistercians in 1180 on an earlier Irish monastic site, Inch Abbey is visible across the river from Down…

Downpatrick's 18th-century jail now houses the county museum. In a former cell block at the back are models of some of the prisoners once incarcerated…

In a wonderful island setting, the 5th-century Celtic monastic community of Nendrum was built under the guidance of St Mochaoi (St Mahee). Its scant…

Just south of Bessbrook, and 4km west of Newry, is Derrymore House. The elegant thatched cottage was built in 1776 for Isaac Corry, the Irish MP for Newry…

The spectacular drystone Mourne Wall marches across the summits of 15 surrounding peaks, including the highest, Slieve Donard (853m). You can walk the 2m…

Adults and kids alike will enjoy this oasis in the Seaforde demesne, which is home to an 18th-century walled garden with ornamental flower beds, a hedge…

Castlewellan Forest Park offers gentle walks around the castle grounds, one of the world's largest hedge mazes, the Peace Maze (entry free), and, from…

This magnificent Greek Revival building, built as a Presbyterian church in 1841, is thought to have been modelled on the ancient temple of Nemesis on the…