A major new visitor attraction for south Down could be up and running in 2027. It is planned to create ‘The Mourne Treetop Walk’ in Castlewellan Forest Park. The project will include a 588m treetop walk and a 35m tower, which will be the first of its kind in Northern Ireland. Planning applications are expected to be submitted at the end of January 2026. The overall cost of the project is projected to be around £10m. It is hoped that work will start next year and be completed in 2027.
Local people had a chance to find out more about the scheme when they visited an information event in The Lodge in Castlewellan last week. The company leading the project is Treetop Adventures Ltd., which also runs the successful ‘Beyond the Trees Avondale’ project in County Wicklow. No official design has been released by Treetop Adventures Ltd., but some elements from Avondale will be similarly used at the ‘Treetop Walk Mourne’.
The arrival building is expected to be near the Castlewellan Forest Park car park. Patrons will go to a welcome building, which will include a shop, refreshments kiosk, toilet facilities, and ticketing area. From there, they will start their journey along the 588m treetop walkway through the trees and above the canopy. The tour will have educational resources so the public can learn about trees, plants, birds, and animals, as well as the history of the forest park and the wider Mourne area.
The walk will be 22m above the forest floor and will end at the landmark viewing tower, which rises up to 35m tall.
Adrian McGreevy is the regional manager for Treetop Adventures Ltd. He oversees the Avondale treetop walk, and his role involves selecting suitable sites for new treetop walk projects. He believes Treetop Walk Mourne has huge potential, adding that Castlewellan “ticks so many boxes”. He said: “You have the mountains, the sea, the castle, the lake.”
It is planned to hold a further drop-in public information event in Castlewellan in early January before planning permission is sought for the treetop walk.
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