Take it easy: sustainable trips in Northern Ireland

It’s time to enjoy the moment, to take your time, to step away from the rush and bustle. Northern Ireland is one of the best places in the world to experience slow travel and a laid-back adventure, where you'll meet local craftspeople, connect with heritage and culture and enjoy incredible natural scenery. With charming little villages, soft green meadows, shimmering lakes and vast stretches of sandy Atlantic beaches – we’ve got six great ways to get away from it all…

For a truly sustainable food experience along the Causeway Coast, visit Broughgammon Farm in Ballycastle and embark on a farm-to-fork journey. Indulge in a four-course meal in the rustic surrounds of a renovated historical barn featuring food reared, grown and prepared on-site. After your meal, visitors are invited on a guided tour of the working farm, meeting the farmers and growers who operate this award-winning business. Be sure to stop by the cosy farm shop before you leave and bring a taste of Northern Ireland home with you.

Heather-flecked hills, coffee-coloured bogs and views that stretch out over a patchwork of startlingly green meadows – the Sperrin Mountains possess an untamed beauty that feels as far away from the ping of phone messages as it’s possible to get. The guided Foraging for Food & Artisan Food Tour at An Creagán gives you a chance to explore the area as you forage for berries, herbs and many other natural resources which grow in this mountain range. Come hungry because afterwards, you get to enjoy a traditional homemade lunch prepared using the foraged ingredients before you are introduced to some of the region’s artisan food producers.

It’s hard to think of a more peaceful way to experience the green fields of County Londonderry’s Faughan Valley than on horseback. Amid a surrounding landscape of pretty ponds and quiet pastoral woodland, Beech Hill Country House makes an elegant base for exploring this delightful part of Northern Ireland. After enjoying a three-course dinner, lovely walking trails around the grounds and luxurious overnight accommodation in this 17th century country house, it’s time to jump into the saddle. Glimpse wild deer darting through the woodland, enjoy tales of local characters from your guide, and be charmed by the beauty of this special part of the island.

Part of the point of slow travel is to really immerse yourself in the culture of the land. Well, when you hold a hurl in your hand, you’re not just connecting with local culture, but with thousands of years of history. Hurling is one of the oldest field games in the world – believed to date back to the Celts, and a visit to Scullion Hurls in Ballymena, County Antrim is an ideal way to learn about this ancient game. The Scullion family have a special dedication to carefully producing each individual wooden hurl for the popular fast-paced sport – some sliotars (hurling balls) have been recorded to travel at over 150kmph during a game! Listen to the traditions, facts and history of the game before taking home a souvenir from Scullion’s gift shop.

Self-taught bakers Ciara and Dara’s beautiful Ursa Minor Bakehouse in Ballycastle, County Antrim, focuses on seasonal and local produce. Step downstairs from the café, and you’ll find a little museum dedicated to the couple’s story, or book in for a tour and the team will show you the techniques to create unique, hand-shaped loaves that look, taste, and smell delicious. And best of all, you can take some bakes away with you as you enjoy some walking trails along the breath-taking Antrim Coast.

You could travel the world searching for landscapes as visually rich as the Glens of Antrim. These nine undulating valleys are the creative source from which The Steensons create entire ranges of exquisite jewellery. As Goldsmith and Director Dan Spencer attests, the impact of this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on their designs is substantial, and watching the goldsmiths at work offers an incredible insight into the creative process. Fans of the HBO series Game of Thrones® are in for a treat, too, as The Steensons are master crafters of the crowns worn by the late King Joffery and his bride Margaery, as well as other fantastical pieces for the show. Admire the replicas at The Steensons gallery and purchase your own piece from the Game of Thrones® Jewellery Collection.