Mournes voted the UK’s best view

Mournes voted the UK’s best view

24 February 2016

THE stunning Mourne Mountains have been voted the UK’s best view, according to a major survey by The Countryman magazine.

The jagged mountains are one of the most photographed landscapes in the world, with around one third of people surveyed by the magazine voting it the UK’s best view.

A glimpse of Snowdonia from the summit of Snowdon was the second most popular view according to the survey, while striking sights in the Isle of Skye, Lake District and Pembrokeshire also made the top five.

South Down MLA John McCallister described the accolade for the Mournes as “fantastic news” for the area.

“It is excellent that people across the UK now recognise what locals have known for a long time — the Mourne Mountains are spectacularly beautiful. This survey result has the potential to further boost our tourism product and I am hopeful it results in more visitors coming to the area,” he continued.

“Walking and hiking are the most popular physical activity tourists participate in when they visit Northern Ireland and I believe the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Investment and Tourism NI can work more closely with local businesses to ensure we have enough tourist products associated with walking and hiking to maximise tourism spend in South Down and across Northern Ireland.”

The Assemblyman said given the area’s stunning natural assets, there is a need to continue working hard to ensure those who visit South Down and the Mournes have enough activities and opportunities to spend the money they have set aside for their holidays.

Mr McCallister added: “With this in mind, I have asked the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Investment a number of questions related to maximising the potential of walking and hiking holidays in South Down and Northern Ireland as a whole.”