Holiday Cottages In Lisburn and Castlereagh

Lisburn and Castlereagh has just a single self-catering cottage on selfcatering.co.uk at the moment, in the quiet countryside of the Lagan Valley on the south-western edge of Belfast. This is a compact, well-connected area built around the city of Lisburn, the Lagan towpath and the Georgian village and castle at Hillsborough, and that one cottage takes dogs.

Best areas and towns in Lisburn and Castlereagh

This is a small council area that wraps around the south-western suburbs of Belfast, taking in the city of Lisburn and the Castlereagh hills, with the River Lagan running through the middle of it. There is only one self-catering cottage listed here at present, out in the country rather than in a town.

• Aghalee: a quiet village in the west of the area, near the Lagan Canal and the southern shore of Lough Neagh

Lisburn itself, the main town, lies a short drive to the east, with the Georgian village of Hillsborough and the green Lagan Valley between it and Belfast.

The Lagan Valley and the Castlereagh hills

The River Lagan is the thread that runs through this area, flowing from the country down towards Belfast through the wooded Lagan Valley, a protected stretch of riverside meadow, towpath and parkland between Lisburn and the city. The old Lagan Canal and its towpath give a long, level route for walking and cycling, passing locks, weirs and the parkland of Belfast's edge. South-east of Lisburn the ground rises into the low Castlereagh hills, looking back over the city and Belfast Lough, while to the west the land falls away towards the reedy southern shore of Lough Neagh near Aghalee. It is gentle, green, well-farmed country, close to the city yet quickly rural.

Things to do in Lisburn and Castlereagh

The grandest day out is Hillsborough Castle, the royal residence in Northern Ireland, whose state rooms and large landscaped gardens open to visitors in the Georgian village of Hillsborough, with its fort and parkland lake. Lisburn has the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum in its old market house, telling the story of the linen trade that made the town. The Lagan Valley Regional Park follows the river towards Belfast with miles of towpath walks, and the southern shore of Lough Neagh near Aghalee adds birdwatching and quiet waterside paths. Belfast, with all its museums, galleries and nightlife, is only a short drive or train ride away.

When to visit Lisburn and Castlereagh

Late spring and summer show the Lagan Valley and the Hillsborough gardens at their best, with long evenings for the towpath and the parks. Autumn is quiet and pleasant for walking by the river and the canal, with good colour in the wooded valley. Winter is mild but often wet, well suited to a fireside cottage and the indoor attractions of nearby Belfast. The Hillsborough Castle gardens are most rewarding from late spring into early autumn.

Dog-friendly and hot-tub cottages in Lisburn and Castlereagh

One of the cottages in Lisburn and Castlereagh takes dogs, though none currently has a hot tub.

Getting to Lisburn and Castlereagh

The area sits right beside Belfast in the east of Northern Ireland and is among the easiest to reach. The M1 motorway runs from Belfast through Lisburn and on towards the south-west, and the A1 carries on to Banbridge and Dublin. Lisburn is a stop on the Belfast to Dublin railway, with frequent trains into the city in around fifteen minutes. Both Belfast City Airport, close to the centre, and Belfast International Airport, a little further west, are within easy reach by road.

Useful links

• Discover Northern Ireland
• Tourism NI
• Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council
• Hillsborough Castle and Gardens

Lisburn and Castlereagh is a small council area in the east of Northern Ireland, set on the south-western edge of Belfast. It joins the city of Lisburn, long an important linen town, with the Castlereagh district closer to Belfast, and runs from the suburbs and the River Lagan out into farmland and the low hills above the lough, reaching west as far as the southern shore of Lough Neagh.

The River Lagan gives the area its character, flowing through the wooded Lagan Valley towards Belfast in a protected ribbon of meadow, parkland and towpath. The old Lagan Canal once carried barges from Belfast to Lough Neagh, and its restored towpath now offers a long, level walk and cycle through locks and weirs. South-east of Lisburn the ground rises into the gentle Castlereagh hills, with views back over the city and Belfast Lough, while the Georgian village of Hillsborough, with its fort, parkland and royal castle, sits among the drumlins to the south.

The area's history is bound up with the linen trade, which made Lisburn one of the chief towns of the industry; the Irish Linen Centre in the old market house tells that story. Hillsborough Castle, the official royal residence in Northern Ireland, stands at the heart of its planned eighteenth-century village. Today the district is among the most prosperous and well-connected in the region, a commuter belt for Belfast that keeps a green and rural character along the river and in the hills.