Wildlife and biodiversity

Belfast Castle is surrounded by acres of natural beauty, thanks to its idyllic setting on the slopes of Cave Hill, near to both Belfast Castle Estate and Cave Hill Country Park

Both parks offer a wide variety of natural habitats for local wildlife. For example, the rock crags and cliffs of Cave Hill and the surrounding Belfast Hills are hunting grounds for peregrines, ravens and kestrels while, on warm summer days, meadow pipits and skylarks can be heard over the open moorland.

If you're visiting Cave Hill Country Park, listen out for the woodland birdsong or, if you're lucky enough, you might spot a grey squirrel or, towards dusk, a bat, hedgehog or badger.

Belfast Castle Estate, meanwhile, is home to long-eared owls, sparrowhawks and Belfast’s rarest plant, the town hall clock. You can also see rabbits on the lower slopes, as well as woodland flowers in spring and fungi in autumn.

For keen wildlife enthusiasts, we organise several events throughout the year to highlight the range of wildlife living in the Cave Hill area. Many are free while others have a small charge. Details of these are available in our events section.

Belfast Castle is also located close to two local nature reserves, which have been designated as areas of high conservation importance.

The first, Ballyhagan, contains upland meadows where the grazing regime allows a rich tapestry of wild plants to flourish. The second, Hazelwood, is known for its broad-leaved woodland, which is dominated by hazel and is notable for its spring flowers, insects, mosses and lichen.