Experienced and novice walkers alike are being urged to register now for the North West’s most popular hiking event. The Sperrins and Killeter Walking Festival will be held on Saturday, September 22 and Sunday, September 23 and will feature a number of new routes that will explore the nature and history of the area. The festival will begin at the Killeter Heritage Centre on Saturday with the challenging ‘Beyond Borders’ walk at 9am which will take in much of the border hinterland that Tyrone shares with Donegal and Fermanagh. One hour later at 10am the Local and Neolithic Walk, rated as ‘moderate’, will take in a range of interesting sites around the townland from the period when Ireland was settled by its first agrarian inhabitants.
Finally on Saturday, ‘The Bright and Beautiful Walk’ will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Mrs CF Alexander and is named after her most famous work ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’. On Sunday the action moves to the Sperrins and the picturesque village of Plumbridge where three more walks will leave from Watt’s Bar on the town’s Main Street. The ‘Jewel in the Crown of the IAT’ at 9am is a challenging route that will explore Sawel Mountain. At 10am the Craignamaddy Nature Walk is a 10k hike that explores the ridge that rises between the Glenelly and Owenkillew Valleys and will be led by an expert in Flora and Fauna who will focus on the areas’ unique habitat. Finally the family friendly Vinegar Hill Charity Walk in aid of Rural Support sets off from Watts Bar at 1pm and will be guided by local walkers and walking enthusiasts who will provide some appetising home grown hospitality along the way. Registration is now open by logging on to www.sperrinskilleterwalking.com.
SPONSORED CONTENT BY: DERRY CITY & STRABANE DISTRICT COUNCIL