Go Walk: Gortin Glen Forest Park, Co Tyrone

The sun finally made its presence felt as we meandered along the roads of west Tyrone. We had just endured a busy, but (inevitably) wet weekend in Donegal – having to abandon the “big” walk halfway on the first day, after a mother and father of a soaking; a dry walk on the second day and dodging between torrential downpours on the third. The sun worked its magic on us and we reckoned we had time for another short burst. Our joints were creaking from the liberal soakings received and we had to overcome the lethargy that often settles in when you are on your way home after a tiring weekend.

Given we were travelling through Tyrone, our attention was drawn to Sawel Mountain – the highest peak in the Sperrins. However, our trust in the weather gods had been seriously undermined so we chose a more sedate option at Gortin Glen Forest Park, about 10km north of Omagh. The park covers 1,534 hectares and offers a variety of way-marked trails including horse riding, mountain biking, picnic sites and unusually, an eight-kilometre forest drive.

On arrival at the forest car park, only 4km south of Gortin village, we found ourselves surrounded by a majestic stand of larch trees. We decided to travel light and fast and after consulting the information board we chose the Ladies View Trail. It provides a short, but vigorous work-out and modern, lightweight gear is de rigueur.

Starting out from the car park, the route follows the course of the Pollan Burn and this was, by far, the prettiest section of the walk, with the sunlight blinking through the trees. There are some short, steep sections but the setting makes up for the effort. The trail crosses the burn several times via wooden footbridges and at one point there is a small, pleasant waterfall. Along this section the ground is quite uneven and is definitely not suitable for buggies.

Eventually, the trail breaks out on to a broad forest track where we continued our ascent through a planting of mature spruce trees. Soon we reached the highest point of the walk at 350m, where the Ladies View Trail meets the Forest Drive. We were treated to superb panoramic views of the countryside, with the cloud-free Sperrins and Sawel beckoning us to come back another day.

We descended in a northerly direction for approximately 350m before breaking off right from the Ladies View Trail. We made our way along trails to where tracks converged at Pollan Burn. We turned on to a track in a northeasterly direction and after another 200m picked up a trail on our right which brought us through the trees and back to the carpark.

The Park places particular emphasis on education and environmental awareness and trails are designed for use by schools and youth organisations. Visits from schools and groups from the Republic of Ireland are welcomed. A forest guide is available to pre-booked, organised groups.

Travelling between Strabane and Letterkenny we found ourselves at Ros Bán Garden, home to Ann and Bob Kavanagh and part of the Donegal Garden Trail. The tour seemed to stretch much further than its 1.5 acre boundary. Ann and Bob recommend a short, guided tour before browsing around. Admission is free or give a donation to charity. This was a weekend rich in variety.