The “Granite Trail” is one of the easier walks around the base of The Mournes that starts at the harbour in Newcastle. Theres a little sign across the road from the harbour pointing you to the start of the trail, so you shouldn’t get lost.

This is basically the entrance to the start of the trail. From here you will climb up quite a bit through a wooded area, but there’s a few things to read and exhibits to see along the way.

One of the old wagons use to bring granite down from the quarry

This sign explains the use of a “slipe” (a sledge) that was used to move granite when a wheeled wagon couldn’t be.

You might start to lose a bit of breath by this point, and if you’re tall you will have to duck under those branches like me.

Nearly there. It gets easier once you get over the stile up ahead (turn right and follow the path).

Interesting read on this sign, apparently the word “shoddy” (taken normally to mean untidy or badly made) was the name given to broken pieces of stone left over after making plinths etc

We got a really nice day to come up here, I’m pretty sure that’s not too common, but climb over here and go right. The hardest part of the walk is over.

Looking back to where you came from in those trees.

A little pillar at the top points out what you “might” see.

The quarry at the top. Theres an eerie effect here if anything is going on down the hill in Newcastle. The sound comes up the mountain, hits the wall at the back and you may think that voices or music, or whatever is coming out from inside the rock. Get close to the wall at the back and listen. You might get lucky. Spooky.

An old abandoned bucket from one of the machines that used to work up here.

This little stone hut was beside the quarry at the peak of the “Granite Trail”

Details of the entire walk can be found here:   http://www.walkni.com/walks/333/granite-trail/