Travel Tips

Anyone who I have taken to the foot of the first cave of the eponymous hill stands and stares. I'm not sure why? Where else can you do take in a 3 dimensonal topograpgy of sea, cliff and mountain, so close to an urban sprawl? Birmingham? London? New York?, No!! . Edinburgh , perhaps? - Anyway, try it and make your own mind up.

Cavehill is a basaltic hill which overlooks the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It forms part of the south eastern border of the Antrim Plateau. It is distinguished by it's famous "Napoleon's Nose", a basaltic outcrop which resembles the profile of the famous emperor and is said to have inspired the famous novel Gulliver's Travels.

The Cavehill or 'Cavie', as it known colloquially has always dominated Belfast geographically and pyschologically. In harder times, Cavehill was the playground for the poor of North Belfast and holds many fond memories for citizens of the metropolis.Today, it attracts many tourists to marvel at the wonderful vistas across Ulster, Isle of Man and Scotland, on a clear day.

Like Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, it offers a strenuous rewarding climb, just a few miles from the centre of a major connurbation. The imposing cliffs exude a sense of danger and have given Belfast Fire Brigade cause , on many occasions, to rescue adventurous adolescents seeking a short cut to the summit or the higher caves.

General
Cavehill rises to almost 370 metres (1,200 feet) above sea level. It stretches from Hazelwood in the north to Carr's Glen in the south. Most of its lower east side is comprised of the Belfast Castle Estate, which has as its focal point the imposing 19th century Scottish baronial Belfast Castle. The castle was constructed by Lord Donegall in 1872 in the deer park. The slopes of Cavehill were originally used as farm land but from the 1880s a major planting exercise was undertaken, producing the now familiar deciduous and coniferous woodland landscape.Belfast castle estate was given to Belfast city by the Earl of Shaftesbury in 1934.

The Caves
There are 3 large caves, the lowest is 21 feet long, 18 wide and from 7 to 10 feet in height.Above this is another, 10 feet long, 7 wide and 6 in height.Above this is a 3rd, said to be divided into 2 unequal parts, each of which is more extensive than the largest of the over caves, but the ascent is so dangerous that few have ventured into it. The caves are man made, and it is postulated that they were originally excavated for iron mining.

Adjacent to the lowest cave is the Devil's punchbowl, a site where ancient celtic farmers corraled their cattle.

McArt's Fort
This fort, on the summit of the hill, is an example of an old rath or ring fort. It is protected on one side by a precipice and on the others by a single ditch, 10 feet in depth and 25 feet wide, and a vallum of large dimensions. The enclosed area is nearly level. The flat top of the fort is 150 feet from north to south, and 180 feet from east to west.