SPELGA DAM, MOURNE MOUNTAINS
SPELGA DAM, MOURNE MOUNTAINS
AMAZING VIEWS FROM YOUR CAR WINDOW
Having just been in Newcastle earlier that morning, seeing how foggy the Mournes looked from sea level - and having a couple of hours free - we decided to take the long way home.
With Spelga Dam as our destination, we pointed the Jeep west, ignored the sat nav and tried to take roads we’d never been on before.
Eventually we found ourselves on the long, narrow Slievenaman Road with some great vistas along the way.
Unfortunately the fog/cloud cover was heavy and moving fast - anytime we tried to stop and take a pic, the view disappeared.
*Makes note to go back on a clear day - Fofanny Dam and Ott looked like great places to stop.
Eventually we arrived at the Kilkeel Road junction and our first views of the reservoir….
(Pic taken just south of the junction mentioned above)
Adventure continues below…
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SPELGA - NORTH SIDE
There are two car parks you can use. The main one, with on the north side, has the most spaces, toilet facilities and picnic benches. There’s also a short walking trail over to the trees on the left…
Image: Drone View NI
We only stopped for a few minutes here, as we wanted to take a walk from the quieter, alternative car park.
SPELGA - SOUTH SIDE
You might remember Spelga Dam being in the news a few years ago. The summer heatwave reduced the water levels down so low, that that it revealed an old Victorian road and bridge - connecting the south bank to the eastern bank.
A great aerial image below from Mourne Images…
…and a view of the old bridge.
Image: BBC NI
The alternative car park on the south side only has a few spaces and no facilities.
You definitely need to visit both though, as they have two great viewpoints of the Dam and surrounding areas.
The car park is also about halfway between the main road and the water - so you’ll need to get out, cross a style and continue the journey on foot.
At the water’s edge, the bumpy road just disappears into the water!
Not far behind Scout, beneath the water, is where the old Victorian Bridge lies submerged again.
After a short walk exploring the grassy areas either side of the path, hunger kicked in.
Initially planning to head on south west from here, we called it a day, travelling north again past the main car park and along one of our favourite driving roads in Northern Ireland (Kilkeel Road).
Even on a very dark, grey day like this, the feeling of driving down the road as it cuts through the dramatic slopes is amazing.
This is also the first we’ve done it in the Jeep - being slightly higher up off the road meant we could see over the wall and the river that runs from the dam.
Class.
SPELGA DAM VIDEO
If you’ve already watched our road trip highlights, then take a look at the second video below for an awesome aerial view of the area…
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