The Long Way RoundNotebook No 114May 2026
C.S. Lewis country, on the week the colour comes in.
Collected by Deborah. Read her editorial perspective
The Mourne Mountains hold an outsized place in memory for us, an expanse C.S. Lewis drew on when creating Narnia. The drive from Newcastle to Spelga, and then down to Hilltown, takes only forty minutes but feels much longer, unfolding with a compelling sense of scale. We often take this route ourselves, appreciating the unfolding landscape.
Slea Head
Mid-October is our recommendation to visit; it is when the bracken begins to show its rust tones. Sheep still graze at higher elevations then, and the slate faces of Slieve Donard take on a deep blue hue in the late afternoon light. Pull into the lay-by above Silent Valley before descending into Kilkeel; the view is worth your pause.
Stay a night at the Slieve Donard, and walk the beach when the tide is out. The North delivers its autumn quietly, and the Mournes are the part to drive.
The Ireland Edit Way
Cut the itinerary in half, then cut it again. The letter we send before every first visit.
Every hotel change costs you half a day. Luxury, in Ireland, is staying put.
Six questions we apply before booking any room in Ireland. The November test, the dinner-twice test, the landscape-over-room test.
To understand Ireland, stop looking at the castles and start looking at the kitchen table.
From the notebook
Collected notes. A few times each season.