Hillsborough Castle and Gardens 63 ha
Plan your visit
🛝 Family🧺 Picnic🦉 Wildlife
Public access Free entry Dogs welcome 63 ha
Places › Northern Ireland › Lisburn and Castlereagh Getting here
54.46326, -6.08837
Open directionsv Visiting this summer
Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now
▾ ☀️ June — long evenings and clear skies; one of the most rewarding months for a late visit ☀️ Summer family visits work well here — arrive early and plan for a longer stay ☕ Secret Garden — makes this an easy full-day family visit without needing to pack food 🌤️ Visiting this summer
☀️ June — long evenings and clear skies; one of the most rewarding months for a late visit ☀️ Summer family visits work well here — arrive early and plan for a longer stay ☕ Secret Garden — makes this an easy full-day family visit without needing to pack food £ Free to visit — no entry charge🐕 Dogs welcome🚲 Bike parking☕ Café🅿️ Parking🛝 Playground🚻 Toilets
🛝 Family friendly
Very strong match
playground, café, toilets; Urban park — family destination
Free
🧺 Picnic day out
Very strong match
café, toilets, car park; Urban park — open green space
Free
🦉 Wildlife
Very strong match
Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals; Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals
Free
🎠 Playgrounds
Very strong match
playground, toilets, café, parking
Free
🦅 Bird watching
Very strong match
Birds — Mallard, Mute Swan, Moorhen +57 more · last seen 2026; Birds — Mallard, Mute Swan, Moorhen +57 more · last seen 2026
Free
🦋 Insect spotting
Strong match
Insects — Eyed Ladybird, 7-spot Ladybird, Lagria hirta +58 more · last seen 2025; Insects — Eyed Ladybird, 7-spot Ladybird, Lagria hirta +58 more · last seen 2025
Free
Trails nearby Within roughly 5 km 7 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
Digital Sculpture Trail Walking route ▾
Named route Round trip Local walking route
Show on map Ballymeganlis Wood Walking route ▾
Named route Local walking route
Show on map Lagan Towpath Walking route ▾
Named route Regional walking route
Show on map Blaris Greenway Walking route ▾
Named route Regional walking route
Show on map Lake Trail Walking route 2 km ▾
Named route Length 2 km Round trip Local walking route
Show on map 8 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
National Cycle Network National Route 9 Cycling route ▾
Belfast to Newry
Named route Ref 9 National Cycle Network
Show on map EuroVelo 1 - Atlantic Coast Route - part Northern Ireland Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref EV1 International cycle route
Show on map Main Route Cycling route 106 m ▾
Named route Ref 9 Length 106 m National Cycle Network Traffic-free Surface unsealedfirm
Show on map Main Route Cycling route 1.4 km ▾
Named route Ref 9 Length 1.4 km National Cycle Network Traffic-free Surface asphalt
Show on map Main Route Cycling route 856 m ▾
Named route Ref 9 Length 856 m National Cycle Network Traffic-free Surface asphalt
Show on map Main Route Cycling route 183 m ▾
Named route Ref 9 Length 183 m National Cycle Network Traffic-free Surface asphalt
Show on map Photos J2358 : Pathway, Hillsborough Castle Gardens
‹ ›
Weather for this location Next 14 days Nearby places Useful places within 5 km
All Historic
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id: 30952cb7-ea69-4a77-a5c3-d8e6cdf7fa78
UK green spaces mapped from open public data — so anyone can find the woodland, trail, or nature reserve closest to them.
© 2026 Glade · Made with care for UK green spaces
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Wildlife to spot
5,196 records · National Biodiversity Network
▾
Wildlife to spot 5,196 records · National Biodiversity Network Robin · Mallard · Blackbird · Jackdaw · Greylag Goose +42
Robin Erithacus rubecula Mallard Anas platyrhynchos2025 Blackbird Turdus merula Jackdaw Coloeus monedula2025 Greylag Goose Anser anser2025 Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus2025 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus2025 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea2025 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus2025 Hooded Crow Corvus cornix2025 Woodpigeon Columba palumbus2025 Mute Swan Cygnus olor2025 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes2025 Rook Corvus frugilegus2025 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis2025 Starling Sturnus vulgaris2025 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs2025 Magpie Pica pica2025 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus2025 Coal Tit Periparus ater2025 Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo2025 Coot Fulica atra2025 Great Tit Parus major2025 Jay Garrulus glandarius2025 Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus2025 Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita2025 House Sparrow Passer domesticus2025 Gadwall Mareca strepera2025 Treecreeper Certhia familiaris2025 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus2025 Greenfinch Chloris chloris2025 Goldcrest Regulus regulus2025 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus2025 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla2025 Dunnock Prunella modularis2025 Rock Dove Columba livia2025 Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba yarrellii2025 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula2025 Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula2025 Kingfisher Alcedo atthis2025 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis2025 Canada Goose Branta canadensis2025 Lesser Redpoll Acanthis flammea cabaret2025 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos2025 Teal Anas crecca2025 Herring Gull Larus argentatus2025 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus2025 🐸 Amphibians 1 species
summer
2025 ▾
Smooth Newt
Smooth Newt Lissotriton vulgaris 🐝 Insects 20 species
summer autumn
2025 ▾
Cloeon dipterum · Sigara (Sigara) dorsalis · Callicorixa praeusta · Common Water-Boatman · Common Pondskater +15
Cloeon dipterum Cloeon dipterum Sigara (Sigara) dorsalis Sigara (Sigara) dorsalis Callicorixa praeusta Callicorixa praeusta Common Water-Boatman Notonecta (Notonecta) glauca Common Pondskater Gerris (Gerris) lacustris Water Measurer Hydrometra stagnorum Bittersweet
Bittersweet Solanum dulcamara Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot 5,196 records · National Biodiversity Network Robin · Mallard · Blackbird · Jackdaw · Greylag Goose +42
Robin Erithacus rubecula Mallard Anas platyrhynchos2025 Blackbird Turdus merula Jackdaw Coloeus monedula2025 Greylag Goose Anser anser2025 Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus2025 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus2025 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea2025 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus2025 Hooded Crow Corvus cornix2025 Woodpigeon Columba palumbus2025 Mute Swan Cygnus olor2025 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes2025 Rook Corvus frugilegus2025 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis2025 Starling Sturnus vulgaris2025 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs2025 Magpie Pica pica2025 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus2025 Coal Tit Periparus ater2025 Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo2025 Coot Fulica atra2025 Great Tit Parus major2025 Jay Garrulus glandarius2025 Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus2025 Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita2025 House Sparrow Passer domesticus2025 Gadwall Mareca strepera2025 Treecreeper Certhia familiaris2025 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus2025 Greenfinch Chloris chloris2025 Goldcrest Regulus regulus2025 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus2025 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla2025 Dunnock Prunella modularis2025 Rock Dove Columba livia2025 Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba yarrellii2025 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula2025 Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula2025 Kingfisher Alcedo atthis2025 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis2025 Canada Goose Branta canadensis2025 Lesser Redpoll Acanthis flammea cabaret2025 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos2025 Teal Anas crecca2025 Herring Gull Larus argentatus2025 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus2025 🐸 Amphibians 1 species
summer
2025 ▾
Smooth Newt
Smooth Newt Lissotriton vulgaris 🐝 Insects 20 species
summer autumn
2025 ▾
Cloeon dipterum · Sigara (Sigara) dorsalis · Callicorixa praeusta · Common Water-Boatman · Common Pondskater +15
Cloeon dipterum Cloeon dipterum Sigara (Sigara) dorsalis Sigara (Sigara) dorsalis Callicorixa praeusta Callicorixa praeusta Common Water-Boatman Notonecta (Notonecta) glauca Common Pondskater Gerris (Gerris) lacustris Water Measurer Hydrometra stagnorum Bittersweet
Bittersweet Solanum dulcamara Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Punctate Corixa Corixa punctata
Punctate Corixa Corixa punctata
Water Scorpion Nepa cinerea
Water Scorpion Nepa cinerea
Sigara (Subsigara) falleni Sigara (Subsigara) falleni
Sigara (Subsigara) falleni Sigara (Subsigara) falleni
Eristalis tenax Eristalis tenax
Eristalis tenax Eristalis tenax
Meliscaeva auricollis Meliscaeva auricollis
Meliscaeva auricollis Meliscaeva auricollis
Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva
Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva
7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata
7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata
2-spot Ladybird Adalia bipunctata
2-spot Ladybird Adalia bipunctata
Nettle-Tap Anthophila fabriciana
Nettle-Tap Anthophila fabriciana
Cantharis flavilabris (=nigra auctt.) Cantharis flavilabris (=nigra auctt.)
Cantharis flavilabris (=nigra auctt.) Cantharis flavilabris (=nigra auctt.)
Epistrophe grossulariae Epistrophe grossulariae
Epistrophe grossulariae Epistrophe grossulariae
Amauromyza flavifrons Amauromyza flavifrons
Amauromyza flavifrons Amauromyza flavifrons
Lagria hirta Lagria hirta
Lagria hirta Lagria hirta
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus 