{"id":24764,"date":"2026-02-05T11:27:44","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T10:27:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/?p=24764"},"modified":"2026-02-05T14:43:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T13:43:41","slug":"24764","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/2026\/02\/24764\/","title":{"rendered":"Causeway Coast and Glens Walking Festival 2026 showcases scenery, history, heritage and spectacular trails"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4 class=\"x_elementToProof\"><strong>Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has launched the 2026 Causeway Coast and Glens Walking Festival, inviting walking enthusiasts to enjoy a range of inspiring guided walks, through dramatic landscapes from 13th \u2013 15th March.<\/strong><\/h4>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_24767\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-24767\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-24767\" src=\"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1-3-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-24767\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Oliver McMullan, pictured alongside Clare Quinn, Trade Engagement Officer; and Lorcan McBride, Far and Wild, to launch the 2026 Causeway Coast and Glens Walking Festival.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Participants can explore unique forest, mountain and coastal paths while learning more about the area\u2019s rich history, heritage and outstanding natural beauty.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Oliver McMullan said:\u00a0<\/b>\u201cThe Causeway Coast and Glens Walking Festival is a great opportunity for our residents and visitors to get out and get active while exploring the beauty of our trails and paths.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cThis year\u2019s programme includes popular walking routes along with some lesser-known paths and showcases some very special sites.\u201d<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\"><b>Destination Manager Kerrie McGonigle explained more:\u00a0<\/b>\u201cThe Causeway Coast and Glens Walking Festival is growing in popularity, cementing its place as a highlight in the annual walking calendar.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cShowcasing a stunning range of routes, the festival attracts visitors eager to explore the destination\u2019s dramatic landscapes on foot. The event is a strong motivator for hiking enthusiasts to visit the area, delivering economic benefits to local communities while celebrating the natural beauty of the Causeway Coast and Glens.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u201cWorking with local provider Far and Wild, expert guides will lead each walk to ensure a safe, memorable and immersive experience for all participants.\u201d<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The festival commences on Friday 13th March at 1pm with a moderate 6 \u2013 8 km afternoon walk along a section of the Lough Foyle Trail.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u2018Tarraingt an Taisce &#8211; The Lure of Treasure\u2019 will focus on the fascinating tale of the Broighter Hoard and reflect on the maritime connections between the local community and the history of Lough Foyle.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The second day of the Festival on Saturday 14th March beginning at 9.30am is an 8km exploration of Banagher Glen on hilly trails and minor roads.<\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u2018Lig na P\u00e9ist &#8211; The Last Dragon in Ireland\u2019 explores the relationship between early pre-Christian and Christian traditions as a basis for understanding Irish myths and legends and their meaning.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">Beginning at Banagher Old Church, leading to Altnaheglish and back through the native woodlands of the Glen, the walk will investigate the importance of water in modern-day and traditional communities.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">The Festival concludes with a challenging 12km multi-terrain walk in the Glenshane area on Sunday 15th March at 9am, encompassing Glenshane Forest, The Priest\u2019s Chair and nearby waterfall before it loops back to Benedy across open mountain.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">\u2018An Buachaill Br\u00e9ige &#8211; The Lying Boy\u2019 highlights the history of penal laws in Ireland in the 18th and 19th Centuries and the impact and legacy upon rural communities in Ulster through the story of the \u2018Buachaill Br\u00e9ige\u2019 or Lying Boy.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x_elementToProof\">For further information and to book, please see\u00a0<a id=\"OWAa331d215-fdab-bd96-eecf-5888558209b1\" class=\"x_OWAAutoLink\" title=\"https:\/\/www.visitcausewaycoastandglens.com\/whats-on\/causeway-coast-glens-walking-festival\" href=\"https:\/\/www.visitcausewaycoastandglens.com\/whats-on\/causeway-coast-glens-walking-festival\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"1\">Causeway Coast &amp; Glens Walking Festival | What&#8217;s On 2026<\/a>.<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has launched the 2026 Causeway Coast and Glens Walking Festival, inviting walking enthusiasts to enjoy a range of inspiring guided walks, through dramatic landscapes from 13th \u2013 15th March. Participants can explore unique forest, mountain and coastal paths while learning more about the area\u2019s rich history, heritage and outstanding &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/2026\/02\/24764\/\">Continued<\/a><!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24764"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24764"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24764\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24778,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24764\/revisions\/24778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24764"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24764"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whatsonni.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24764"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}