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Estate Experiences

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Estate Walks

Surround yourself with nature as you explore the guest walks located throughout the grounds of our Estate. Our guest walks have been created to allow you to enjoy the scenic aspects throughout the Estate. Many of our walks were created at the time of inception of Killeavy Castle in 1836, while some woodland walks have been created more recently to allow our guests to enjoy the scenic views over Slieve Gullion and the nearby countryside. 

Escape life in the fast lane and embrace the silence that nature provides and allow yourself to ‘Get closer to what’s important’.

We have mapped all our guest walks to allow you to make the most of your time. Pick up a map from the Hotel reception and don’t forget to take some pictures and share them with us on our social media channels. 

Specialised tours can be provided for groups of four or more. These can be customised by our Blue Badge Walking Guide to learn more about the rich history of Killeavy Castle Estate or the cultural and religious connections of Killeavy and Slieve Gullion. 

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Hikes and Walks in Northern Ireland

Killeavy Castle Estate is your gateway to Slieve Gullion and the Mourne Mountains. Explore some of the finest landscapes in Ireland, with countless trails, forests and scenic promenades to enjoy.

Step off the Estate onto the lower slopes of Slieve Gullion. The nearby Slieve Gullion Forest Park offers family friendly walks in the Giant’s Lair, as well as a special auditory trail for guests with complex sensory needs.

Cycling

Killeavy Castle Estate is set within some of the most spectacular and beautiful countryside in Northern Ireland. The Estate offers 350 acres of farm and woodland and we have created specific trails for exploring on foot and tracks for exploring by bicycle. Killeavy Castle Estate is set on the Eastern base of Slieve Gullion and is only a 5 minute cycle to the nearby Slieve Gullion Forest Park, which offers additional walking and cycle paths to explore the natural landscape whilst taking in views over Carlingford Lough and Dundalk bay. 

Cycling Experiences in Armagh and Down

There is so much to explore and see in Newry and South Armagh, so we have put together a map of our favourite routes for you to find your way to local attractions and to give you some further guidance for your cycling experience. Make the most of your day and take in the breath-taking scenery and rediscover the land of history. Why not include a packed lunch from the Hotel to keep your energy up throughout your trip? Please ask at Reception for more details. 

For those residents who have not brought a bike with you, you can easily hire an e-bike or mountain bicycle from our selection of bicycles. Just ask a member of the reception team for more details. 

Traditional Bike Hire

We recommend Cube’s Trail Motion bikes which are all about more control, more comfort and more fun. For the Stereo 120 HPC TM 29, Cube have built a completely new carbon main frame, incorporating all the features that make our Stereo 120 so popular - Agile Trail Geometry, covered rocker pivots, sleek lines and assured handling - in a new, lighter and stiffer format. Great for the challenged user to access the nearby forest roads. 

Electric Bike Hire

We recommend the CUBE Compact Hybrid for gentle forest tracks, country roads, urban adventures and absolutely loads of Fun. Electric Assist Bikes are only legal for riders 14 years and older. The brand-new Compact Hybrid is something different – a purpose-built, small-wheeled Bosch e-bike that's designed to slot easily into anyone's life, reducing the need to travel by car and, well... just making things simpler. Because simpler is good, right?. Built around a one-size-fits-all frame and compact 20in wheels, it doesn't take up much room but adapts easily to any rider thanks to easily adjustable handlebar and saddle positions. The step-through frame design makes it easy to get on and off, and Bosch's Active Plus drive unit and 500Wh battery gives a smooth, quiet and completely hassle-free boost to your pedalling. 

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Cycling Experience Rates

Hire rates are based on a daily hire rates

We have a selection of adult Electric Bikes available for hire at £35 per day / £20 per half or £60 for two days. 

We have a selection of adult Mountain Bikes available for hire at £25 per day / £15 per half day or £40 for two days.

Includes

1. Helmet – must be worn at all times by the rider

2. Accessories pack – of a lock, tool, tube and pump

3. Electric Assist Bikes come with 1 full charge – for hires beyond 6h, we supply a charge cable within the accessories pack.

 

Optional

1. Damage Waiver – accidents happen! Protect against accidental damage to the bike with our Waiver Scheme - highly recommended for peace of mind – doesn’t include loss/damage to accessories including the use of the spare tube. 

2. Packed lunches – are available but are subject to 24 hours pre-booking.

Eco Tour and Tasting

Meet at the front of the historic Killeavy Castle and take in the sweeping views of Slieve Gullion and this recognised Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Take a guided 30-minute walk around Killeavy Castle Estate where we will showcase the farm to fork and sustainable ethos of the Estate and detail the ingredients and aspects of the Estate that are used within our Hotel Restaurant.

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Finish the evening with our 7-Course Tasting Menu which is served in the main Hotel Restaurant where you will experience the freshest produce from our Working Farm, Walled Garden and local quality suppliers. During the meal, you will connect with the items that were identified during the guided walk and appreciate the true "sense of place" of Killeavy Castle Estate. 

Forest Bathing

Ann Ward, founder of Xhale has a deep spiritual connection with nature. She inherited her great love of the landscape from her mother, whose birthplace was on the volcanic mountain of Slieve Gullion, nestled in between a number of sacred sites. Ann has practised meditation for over 20 years. As a result, she has created immersive, mindfulness experiences, courses and retreats using the gifts of meditation and the landscape.

Ann is an Accredited Meditation Teacher with the British School of Meditation. Ann is also a Certified Shinrin Yoku (Forest Bathing) Guide and a Forest Therapy Practitioner with the Nádúr Centre for Integrative Forest Therapy. Her teaching practice is drawn from a number of ancient Eastern traditions and contemporary sources including Thich Nhat Hanh and Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Ann has a rich tapestry of experience in health, community development and peace-building, arts, education and private sectors. Personal empowerment is at the heart of all of her work where she offers transformative experiences and programmes tailored for individuals, groups and organisations. 

What is Forest Bathing?

Forest bathing is all about getting out into nature, and practising mindfulness while you take in your surroundings. Guided meditation and controlled breathing amongst the sights and sounds of the forest have a number of proven health benefits, including:

Reducing stress,

Improving your mood

Helping you to feel refreshed and relaxed 

At the Killeavy Castle Estate, we provide the perfect forest bathing retreat to help you achieve the best results. From unwinding in our onsite woods to enjoying locally foraged produce, our Estate is the perfect place to reconnect with nature.

Testimonials for Our Forest Bathing Experience

A recent participant review... ‘Slieve Gullion is a haven and was the perfect place for this retreat. It was an added bonus that Ann provided a wealth of knowledge about the landscape, a highlight was Ann’s facilitation and enabling me to enter a totally immersive nature experience, nature nourishing body and spirit. It is impossible to single out any one thing as it was the complete package that made it so magical, calming and restorative, warm, glowing, connected, secret smile and supported. I particularly loved using the senses to explore nature and concentrating on one sense at a time allows me to experience aspects of nature in finer detail. Ann, I can’t thank you enough for enabling me to be on this wonderful immersion in nature and a deep reconnection that I was so overdue. Thanks for bringing relaxation, calmness and mindfulness back to me again, I needed it!’ Mary from Belfast.

 

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Nature Retreats at Killeavy Castle Estate - Rest, Reconnect and Re-energise

This restorative relaxation break is an opportunity for you to totally switch off, slow down and reconnect with nature. You will experience the Japanese wellness practice of Shinrin Yoku/ Forest Bathing and take home a taste of the landscape as well as the special holistic benefits of the practice. 

Our nurturing, nature retreats take place in the majestic setting of Killeavy Castle Estate, within 350 acres of woodland and farmland. This is nestled at the foot of the volcanic mountain of Slieve Gullion within the magical Ring of Gullion, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 

Our Restorative Relaxation Break includes:

Relax for 2 nights within the forest environment, in a superior room at the boutique Hotel at Killeavy Castle Estate

Enjoy homegrown, local and seasonal produce during your dining experience which has a farm-to-fork ethos

Two-course lunch on arrival and on day two

Seven-course Taste of Killeavy Dining Experience on the first evening

Three-course dinner in the bar on the second evening

Two leisurely breakfasts on days two and three

Day One

After lunch, your Holistic Guide, Ann, will welcome you to your first two-hour forest immersion. She will offer you a number of creative invitations including mindfulness meditation, to support you to deepen your connection with nature through your senses. 

Forest Bathing/Shinrin-Yoku is an evidence-based wellness practice which evolved in Japan as a stress prevention intervention. Two hours in the forest boosts your immunity for up to ten days. It also boosts mood, energy and nurtures creativity. You will taste this special landscape during a tea ceremony as part of this experience in the forest with tea specially prepared with herbs and plants from the Estate. 

Then time to chill out before your dinner. Enjoy the Hotel’s complimentary thermal facilities or enjoy the tranquillity of the beautiful grounds of the Estate.

Day Two

After a leisurely breakfast, Ann will invite you on your second forest bathing immersion. Ann will continue to support you to switch off, allowing your mind to rest and deepen your connection with nature. You will experience more of the holistic gifts of this wellness practice. 

We will celebrate this immersion with a tea ceremony with a special homemade Estate tea. Relax with a one-hour Spa treatment of your choice, rest in thermal facilities and chill out before dinner

Day Three

After breakfast, enjoy a Forest tea-making workshop with Executive Chef Darragh, using seasonal herbs and flowers from the working farm. Check out from the Hotel and take home with you the gift of mindfulness and holistic benefits of forest bathing.  

Upcoming Events in 2023

Summer: 11 to 13 June | Autumn: 3 to 5 September | Winter: 5 to 7 November

From £400 per person (prices are based on two people sharing)

Book Now or call +44 (0) 28 3044 4888

Testimonials

We visited the restaurant to celebrate a special birthday. The 7-course tasting menu was an absolute joy! Each course was very perfectly matched with stunning wine choices. Staff as always are incredibly helpful and kind. Guaranteed a special experience here every visit. I highly recommend.

Moira McGroder

From arrival to departure, everything at Killeavy Castle was nothing short of excellent. In particular the staff make it such a welcoming hotel. They are helpful, courteous, knowledgeable, and friendly.

Bronagh4

We had an amazing stay at Killeavy. Everything was perfect. We had the delicious 7 course taster menu, top class. Spa and rooms are lovely, clean, and inviting. The staff are the brilliant, every single one of them so friendly and helpful. Cannot wait to return here.

Hillary, Ireland

I stayed here last week for my 10-year wedding anniversary and from start to finish it was excellent, the welcome we received, the room was beautiful, large and spotless. The setting itself is beautiful, all meals were outstanding. I visited the spa; my massage was brilliant and the spa itself is really lovely. I would definitely recommend and we hope to return soon.

AKEOIN

Magnificent stay overall, relaxed, and stunning grounds and location. The tasting menu is a must do as is the spa. Highly recommended as a relaxing break, less than one hour from Belfast. Experience driven and felt remote enough to feel as if you have travelled further. A great stay.

n0hare