Almost 1,000 people enjoyed a glorious day out on Saturday to walk up a specially constructed stairway to scenic heaven and into the first cave on Cave Hill.

With some participants as young as six months and others as mature as 80, it was a spectacular sight that awaited walkers for the launch of the Friends of the Belfast Hills Group on July 25.

Throngs of people gathered from early morning on the site above the Devil’s Punchbowl with walkers from as close as Antrim Road and from as far as the USA, South Africa and mainland Europe making the trek to Cave Hill.

Stories abounded of long days enjoyed on Cave Hill from as far back as the 1940s as traditional music played out. People dressed in Victorian costume brought back the heydays of the Victorian era when townspeople took advantage of the new trams and got out of the city smog and into the hills.

 

At one stage a mystery piper in kilt played out a spine-tingling rendition of ‘Amazing Grace’ from the top of McArt’s Fort. The music drifted out toward the Mull of Cairnryan across Belfast Lough to the coast of Scotland which was easily visible on the day.

 

Projects Officer Lizzy Pinkerton congratulated everyone who took part.

 

“People had a unique opportunity to take part in local history - from the early settlers on the site of Cave Hill to the Victorians who held festivals up at the caves. There were also people who told us of how they enjoyed the beauty of Cave Hill and Bellevue in the 1940s 1950s. It was a superb day and we hope lots of people found out about our work in helping to protect the Belfast Hills.”

 

Click here to find out how to become a Friend of the Belfast Hills.