Sky Hill

The walk up Sky Hill rewards you with views that stretch across three counties - on a clear day you're looking at Mourne, Armagh, and Down all at once. It's a proper climb from Newry, but nothing that demands fell-walking experience; most people manage it in under an hour.

What you get is a genuine high point with real reward. The peak itself sits at a decent elevation, and the panorama is genuinely worth the effort. On the way up you'll pass through rough moorland with gorse and heather, and the path is well-trodden enough that you won't get lost. Weather matters here though - come on a grey day and you're just trudging through cloud.

Families with reasonably fit legs will manage it fine. It's not a Sunday stroll, but it's also not a technical scramble. Allow a couple of hours return if you're taking it steady, and bring water. There's nothing at the top except the view and whatever peace you can find, so pack what you need.

If you're staying at Hilltop Hideaway - that secluded pod just a few miles away - this becomes an obvious half-day excursion. The pod's got the private hot tub sorted for afterwards, which feels brilliant after a windswept afternoon on the hills. It's the kind of walk that works best when you've got proper accommodation to retreat to, somewhere you can actually relax with a view rather than rushing back to town.