Lecale

Elaine has been teaching groups at Glebe House to felt over that last few weeks.

Charlie and I have tagged along for the ride in order to avail of some of the great walks in this area.

The Lecale peninsula (Irish: Leath Cathail) lies in the east of Ulster, on the South Eastern side of County Down, covering an area of some 78 square miles (200 km²) between Downpatrick and Dundrum. It is an area of historical and geographic significance, bounded by the Quoile Marshes(now drained, but formerly extensive), the Blackstaff River, the Irish Sea and Strangford Lough. It has an oddly isolated position, virtually cut off from its hinterland.. (thanks Wikipedia)

I'd like to share three of them with you. They are all stunning, each different in their own way, and all within 10 miles of each other:

Ballyhornan

Charlie is ready for the off!

Ballyhornan Beach and Gun Island

This walk is part of the Ulster way and the Lecale way

It's a mixture of cliff path and beach walking

with some wonderful bays and inlets

there were some lovely waves

gun island from the low cliffs

looking down to a small inlet

some interesting plants

and flowers even at the end of October

amazing rock formations

rocks folded by the closing of the Iapetus Ocean over 400 million years ago

a parcel of pebbles

more amazing rocks

little flecks of quartz

sentinel on Gun island

quartz

rock pools

lichen

and back to the beach - wonderful

 Parts two and three to follow