cullens on Divis

Coming from Belfast I have climbed Divis on several occasions. It is quite rewarding to reach the summit as you are presented with bird's eye views of the area in which you live. For those who love challanges I would not recommend Divis as a concrete path from the car park to the summit lines the gradual ascent and spoils the areas beauty. At the summit you are rewarded with bird's eye views of the city, Belfast lough and Scotland, on a good day, to the east. To the North you can see the beautiful scenery of the Antrim Plateu. To the South stands the summits of Donard and Commedagh above the summit of the nearby Black Mountain. The best time in my opinion to climb Divis is two hours at least before sunset in order to see the sun just above the Mournes on the horizon. Looking West you are rewrded with panoramic views of Lough Neagh in all its glory with the Sperrin Mountains dominating the far shore Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/520/comment/2934/

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Stunning view of the Mournes

Took a walk up Divis and Black Mountain on Sunday 23 January 2011. The views on the day were the best I've seen from the Belfast Hills (see photo - a labelled version is also available on Flickr). The Lagan valley, south Belfast and Lisburn were hidden under a layer of mist stretching all the way to Slieve Croob and the Mourne Mountains. Still no sign of the reinstated trig pillar at the summit of Divis - maybe it will appear some time during 2011... Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/520/comment/6216/

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Triangulation Pillar

I enter this information as some other comments have mentioned it: The trig/triangulation pillar that was on Divis was removed in the early 1970s to facilitate the building of communications masts on the summit (OSNI were not very pleased that the pillar was removed). However, the pillar was not destroyed and was relocated outside OSNI HQ on the Stranmillis Road in Belfast. As mentioned in other comments, the National Trust plan to relocate the pillar to the smmit of Divis. See http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/B (J196 539)1 for a picture of the pillar. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/520/comment/6296/

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Hitting the Road

This is probably the most accessible mountain I've walked so far, with an access road for the masts, leading all the way to the summit. It would be a good peak for introducing children to mountain walking, and would probably be possible for some wheelchair users. I started from the National Trust property, which had plenty of car parking and was well used. From there, it was simply a matter of following the access road until I come close to two towering masts. I then turned left and took the road to the summit and more masts. There is a trig pillar and a cairn in the area behind the masts.

Here, there were panoramic views east over Black Mountain and Belfast, west over Lough Neagh, and southwards towards the Mournes. After drinking in the views, I took the same route down until, again reaching the large masts, I took the raised boardwalk over the bog to the summit of Black Mountain. There were even more extensive views over Belfast from here. There are variations that can be taken to the route with some circular walks to other places in the area. Even so, it is not very challenging, and some won't like the busy nature of the mountain, or the modern intrusions. Despite these reservations, the views are the saving grace, and I found the walk enjoyable, even if I didn't feel I had "earned" the pleasure. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/520/comment/15827/

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The primary triangulation point for the OS survey of Ireland 1825

A little piece of history was recalled on Divis on 15 May 2013 with the placing of a ground level plaque to mark the point from which the primary triangulation point for the Ordinance Survey of Ireland was taken in 1825. At the same time the trig pillar, removed when the top of the hill was leveled out to accommodate the building of a military installation over 40 years ago has also been restored and is sited some 75metres NW of the plaque. While the pillar does not stand on the highest point of the relatively flat summit area it's present location may well mark where the highest point was before the summit was flattened out. In addition someone has built a small cairn of stones to mark what could well be the current high point on the summit area. This said the area is such that less than a metre would separate the respective heights of these points. It should also be noted that the large well built stone cairn which stood at the top of the vehicle access road to Divis and which is mentioned in a number of mv posts, is no longer there. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/520/comment/14999/

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