A lovely little hill removed from the throng of the main Mourne group yet still providing plenty of interest and stunning views.

Starting point is at the beautiful Lough Island Reavy Resevoir, where there is parking for a number of cars beside an industrial unit. A grass rampart brings views over most of the resevoir and a nice gentle start to the walk along its top.

I passed a sign for Slievanlargey Rare Breeds and a girl providing a bucket of much needed water for her horse in the field (this was back in a hot May before the wettest June on record!). A buzzard soared high overhead as i waited for the Ennio Morricone score to begin........

Regain the minor road skirting the resevoir and reach a gate approx 60m along. A rough track heads uphill from here and parallels above the road below for a short distance before zig zagging higher. Views open out beautifully over the resevoir and to the high Mournes to the south.

Reach stone boundary walls and old stone buildings. Turn off right from track and continue uphill through a crop of rapidly growing ferns to reach a fenceline. The greenery was broken up by the dashing blue of a damsel fly. Another couple of fences are crossed before reaching more open hillside.

On reaching the significant summit area views open to the west over the coast and Dundrum Bay. A buzzard was hanging close to the closely grazed ground with its shadow tracking its progress. A small drop brings a gate and a rise, a couple of rabbits made haste, not sure if was to do with me or the buzzard. Altnadua Lough to the west now comes into view below and Slieve Croob to the north.

The going is pretty easy along the top following a fenceline which was charred in places revealing past fire damage. The ground was tinder dry after days of hot weather and could see how easy a fire could take hold. A sharp call brought my eyes skyward to see a pair of buzzards now soaring above.

The highest point of the summit area is reached by crossing a high fence to reach a couple of piled stones (29768 35526), reached in 35 minutes. Despite the haze there was a fantastic perspective on the Mournes to the south. Slieve Croob takes up the views north and on a sharper day there should be good views north west towards the Sperrins. Just past the summit there is a glacial erratic sitting on its own 5 feet tall.

Return is pretty much the same as the way up.