slemish on Tievebulliagh

As gerrym says access to Tievebulliagh from Cushendall is over private land so I decided to tackle the mountain from the other side. I parked at a sheep pen off the Orra scenic route between Cushendall and Newtowncrommelin, just beside the bridge over the Glendun river (C (D166 274)). From here I climbed over the hill marked Aghan on the OS map before heading down into a steep valley to cross the Glenaan burn. Heavy going at times, boggy and tussocky but nothing a decent pair of wellies can't cope with. Coming down the side of Aghan, Tievebulliagh stands proudly straight ahead of you - its rocky summit in sharp contrast to the 'rounded dome' characteristic of most of the Antrim hills. The climb up Tievebulliagh itself was easier due to firmer ground with only a few sheep for company. Eventually you approach the summit area which unfortunately has a lot of disused electrical equipment, including the remains of two aerials/antennas. From the summit at 402m the views are majestic - Glenballyeamon opens up beneath you with the almost sheer 150m drop to the valley floor not for the faint-hearted. Excellent views to the nearby Cross Slieve, Lurigethan, Crockalough, Trostan and Slieveanorra, then further still to Kintyre and Ailsa Craig. It was a beautiful afternoon and very warm indeed. I spent a good 20 minutes enjoying the sunshine at the summit before descending the north side of the mountain and picking up the Glenaan road back to the car. A very peaceful long walk and probably more interesting than the higher Antrim hills. Total trip about 2 hours. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/819/comment/3724/

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by welder

Took a quick walk up Tievebuillagh on a cloudy Sunday afternoon. Like gerrym I took the 'naughty' route from the minor road straight through the gate marked Private. About 1/4 mile back down the hill there is just room for a car beside an electricity sub-station.
Through the gate and a slowly rising laneway brings you under the north shoulder of the hill. I chose to go through a couple of gates and then attack directly up a steep flank. Despite this steep approach it only takes about 25 minutes thanks to the good conditions underfoot (unlike most Antrim hills). From the summit in less than perfect conditions I could make out the Mull of Kintyre, Sanda & Ailsa Craig to the east down the glen; Trostan to the south, Slievanorra to the west. Below the summit looking down the steep eastern face you can see the remains of the Neolithic mining operation, which continues to the north and back to the laneway. On this occasion I followed the fence near the cliff edge back to laneway, taking in some of the large boulders in the vicinity of the mine on the way. Very accessible hill with rewarding views for little effort. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/819/comment/6387/

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gerrym on Tievebulliagh

I based this walk on that in 'Ulster Walk Guide' by Richard Rogers, a fantastic little book for anyone walking in the North of Ireland. I parked in the seaside town of Cusendall and endured a period of walking on the main road, alongside the river Dall, before turning off onto a minor road (D (D228 280)). A quick right turn brings an isolated lane which climbs steadily uphill, opening out views over the surrounding hills and out to sea. A gate is reached which warns of trespassing and not going further but having come this far i chanced my arm and whatever else may have been at risk. Now out in open hillside grazed heavily by sheep, the staple farming diet of the area.
The object of desire is ahead and it does flaunt itself in a most shapely way, looking quite out of place amongst the rounded profiles of surrounding hills. There is a clear fenceline heading up over the shoulder of the hill which is handy to follow, with some steep climbing. At the base of the hill there is clear evidence of the ancient workings (axe factory). The going is very good on short cropped grass, thank you aforementioned sheep! There is the remains of an old radio mast/ariel at the top but it does not distract from the position and views - a great perspective on the surrounding high and low land and a feeling of loftiness when at the edge of the drop steeply down.
I continued on from the summit, dropping down easily and then following a sea of heather to the S towards Trostan. Sea is a good word due to the wet nature of the ground, including areas of floating bog which had me wondering exactly what was beneath? After exploring the extensive top of Trostan i dropped down to the NE, past an area of rocky bluffs and then picking up a minor road dropping back down to Cusendall. Certainly one of the most impressive hills in Antrim, with many interesting features to keep interest. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/819/comment/2883/

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Easy Access

Although the sign on the gate says private property there is no problem with access via Cloughs rd provided you abide by the country code. That is leave gates as you find them leave the dog at home as this is intensive sheep farming area . The road is used by numerous farmers and the ones myself and Muschi encountered had no problem with us accessing the summit. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/819/comment/14874/

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NICKY on Tievebulliagh

Tievebulliagh is an exceptional hill from any angle. The best route I would advise is to include it in my walk (see Slievanorra for the route). To do this, when you get to Trostan's summit simply look towards Tievebulliagh and follow the fence from Trostan to Tievebulliagh's western side then head straight for the top. The ground between the two is very boggy, tussocky and uncomfortable but it is worth it. When you have rested sufficiently on the summit just follow the fence back to Trostan to continue with my route. All in all an exceptional walk and a great day out! Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/819/comment/2736/

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