Sperrin Mountains
 Prehistoric Britain |
The impressive, undulating Sperrin Mountains form the northeastern limits of Co. Tyrone. Wild, empty and beautiful they reach 2240 ft at their highest, yet the smooth and gradually curving slopes give them a deceptively low appearance. The rolling areas of blanket bog and heather adds to this effect and encapsulate the appeal of the county - fresh air, uncluttered space, country and hill walks that range from the casual to the demanding. Once in the mountains, its impossible not to catch sight of the wildlife -sparrow hawks, kestrels and buzzards are attracted by rich prey in the landscape.
The Sperrins stretch across north Tyrone, from the border with Londonderry, for some 40-miles offering good long-distance walking without necessarily involving steep inclines. The two highest points in the Sperrins, Sawel Mountain and Dart Mountain can be climbed in one day, and a good starting point is just to the east of Sperrin village in the Glenelly valley. For those not equipped for the high ground, the Glenelly and Owenkillen river valleys run through the heart of this stunning countryside from Plumbridge and Gortin respectively, and are particularly enjoyable for cyclists.
The only two villages in the Sperrins, north of Omagh, that can offer any amenities are Gortin and its near neighbour Plumbridge; the former has a surprising number of pubs for such a small place. The Ulster Way, an arduous 34-mile route, passes through Gortin, the Gortin Glen Forest Park and the Ulster History Park. The Ulster History Park lies some three miles south of Gortin, recreating the history of human settlement in Ireland from the Stone Age to the plantations of the 17 th century - the displays are quite sophisticated and the guided tours informative. Plumbridge sits clustered prettily on the banks of the Glenelly River just north of Gortin, it's smaller than the latter, with fewer bars! Some 9-miles east of Plumbridge is the excellent Sperrin Heritage Centre, which provides much introductory information on the area's environmental and cultural issues. This includes the history of gold mining in the area and the opportunity to go on an organised gold-panning expedition to a nearby stream - gold has been rediscovered in the mountains recently.
County Tyrone is peppered with archaeological remains, there are more than a thousand standing stones in the Sperrins alone. The Lough Macrory area to the east of Mountfield, on the southern skirts of the Sperrins, is particularly rich in dolmens and megaliths. Casual visitors will more readily appreciate the Bronze Age Beughmore Stone Circles in the southeast of the mountains. Although most of the stones on this lonely site are no more than three feet high, the complexity of the ritual they suggest is impressive; there are seven stone circles, ten stone rows and a dozen round cairns. The site also has burial mounds, some of which contain cremated human remains. All the circles stand in pairs, except for one, which is filled with over eight hundred upright stones known as Dragons' Teeth. The alignments correlate to movements of sun, moon and stars. Two of the rows point to sunrise at the summer solstice, another to moonrise at the same period.
The An Creagan Visitor Centre is another information centre located in the foothills of the Sperrins, but with more activities on offer. The Centre is spearheading an attempt to resuscitate the culture of the area and details of local festivals dedicated to this purpose are available here. The structure of the Centre is modelled on the many cairns that surround it, circular and built from local stone.