Slemish

About this place

Slemish, historically called Slieve Mish (from Irish Sliabh Mis, meaning 'Mis's mountain'), is a hill in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies a few miles east of Ballymena, in the townland of Carnstroan. Tradition holds that Saint Patrick, enslaved as a youth, was brought to this area and tended sheep herds on Slemish, and that during this time he found God. Slemish is the remains of the plug of an extinct volcano. The plug is made of olivine dolerite and was formed during the Palaeogene period of the Earth's geological history. Its distinctive appearance — its upper reaches are very steep and rugged, in contrast to the tidy fields on its lower westward-facing slopes and the relatively flat bogland to the east — causes it to dominate the landscape for miles around. Slemish is within an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) and, therefore, helps to protect and manage the fragile animal and plant communities that inhabit its slopes. An ideal location for bird watchers, large black ravens, buzzards, wheatears and meadow pipits can be seen regularly.

Visitor Information

Elevation

438 m

Getting There & Parking

Slemish is located in County Antrim, roughly 43 km (40 min drive) from Belfast and 218 km (3h 10m) from Dublin. The nearest public car park is 480 m away. Nearby highlights within a short drive include Douglas Top (3.4 km away).