< Back to Itineraries

Grey Point to Donaghadee and the Copeland Islands

Paddle from Grey Point to Donaghadee (9NM) with the option of 8NM return trip to the Copeland Islands

Downloads

	Grey Point to Donaghadee and the Copeland Islands 718.4 KB

Points of Interest

Crawfordsburn Country Park, Grey Point Fort, Bangor, Ballyholme, Ballymacormick Point, Groomsport, Copeland Islands, Donaghadee

Itinerary

Crossing Belfast Lough
Although it is possible to make the crossing of Belfast Lough from almost any location along the shore, the advised crossing point for paddlers on the canoe trail is between Carrickfergus Castle and Grey Point, a distance of 3NM. This imaginary line marks the northern limit of Belfast Harbour controlled waters, within which shipping runs predictably on course along the Victoria Channel, clearly marked by red and green light-beacons and buoys and approximately 250 metres wide at this point. The large
red and white stripped Fairway bouy marks the start of the channel. Outside of the harbour boundary shipping diverges and it becomes impossible for canoeists to predict
the course of large vessels. Canoeists are advised to contact Belfast Harbour Port Control, ideally by VHF radio Channel 12, before setting off to cross the Lough.

Crossing Belfast Lough to Grey Point on the County Down shore is a relatively short distance but geologically a span of over 200 million years to the much older Ordovician greywacke rocks and attractively indented coast of wooded headlands and sandy beaches leading to the town of Bangor.

Grey Point Fort, set above the shore, with its two massive gun emplacements and, nearer the sea, three small searchlight buildings, was a battery established in 1904-07. It provided protection to Belfast Lough for many years, notably in World War Two. The present guns are replacements of the originals, brought from County Cork in 1993. Managed
by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, it is open to the public and has very interesting historical displays.

Helen’s Bay beach makes a pleasant resting spot and beach access is available at the next sandy stretch at Crawfordsburn Country Park, which has pleasant woodland walks, a cafe and an information centre. Paddlers setting off from here should note the park’s restricted opening hours.

By-pass Bangor Harbour and marina (no agreed access) and come ashore, by prior arrangement, at Ballyholme Yacht Club just past Luke’s Point. Across the bay is the
National Trust’s Ballymacormick Point, with a rest point near Jenny’s Island. Grey and common seals may be about, and this is a good bird-watching headland, with many
shorebirds, as well as songbirds amongst the whins and other scrub. Eider ducks are numerous in the seaward part of Belfast Lough, up to 2000 wintering between
Carrickfergus and Donaghadee.

At the entrance to the bay at Groomsport is the tiny National Trust-owned Cockle Island, a nesting reserve for arctic and sandwich terns and gulls. Landing is not permitted here during the breeding season (April-August
inclusive). History was made at Groomsport in 1689 when the Duke of Schomberg and his army landed here, to go on to join William of Orange at Carrickfergus and thence to the
Battle of the Boyne in 1690, a landmark encounter in Ireland’s history. Small coves and rocky points lead south to Donaghadee, where the landing is available at the slipway and yacht park just short of the harbour. Just
across the road from the slipway is the Donaghadee Yacht Club where, for a small fee, canoeists can use selected facilities by prior arrangement. 

Settled in pre-Christian times, Donaghadee was an important landing for Scots settlers arriving in the seventeenth century. It has a long sea-faring and lifeboat tradition and the harbour today is one of the most attractive on the Irish coast, and is much visited and photographed.

Awkward tidal conditions at Groomsport make Donaghadee the preferred embarkation point for a visit to the Copeland Islands, the closest being Copeland itself 1.5
NM offshore and the most seaward, Mew Island, lying 1NM beyond this. Tidal streams in Donaghadee Sound can reach 4.5 knots and there are strong currents around all three
islands, so the trip is only recommended for experienced and competent paddlers who have a good working knowledge of coastal and open water navigation. The tide race off the back of Mew island known as the Ram Race can produce a particularly rough sea.

Norsemen used the main island to trade from and its title Kaupmannaeyjar meaning “Merchants’ Isle” may have led to the present Copelands name. This island was occupied and farmed until 1953 and today the few homes are temporary residences, with seasonal farming continuing.

Despite its name, Lighthouse Island doesn’t have a lighthouse on it, whilst the adjacent Mew Island (which does have a lighthouse) has a long-established bird observatory,
famous for its breeding colony of Manx shearwaters. These are pigeon-sized black and white seabirds that wander the oceans for eight months of the year, coming ashore only at night to nest in burrows between May and August. Ringing the shearwaters here has shown that the oldest is over fifty
years of age. Skimming the waves, these birds are familiar to summer seafarers around this part of the coast. Canoeists
are advised to seek relevant permissions before landing on any of the Copeland Islands.

Getting to the Start

Direction to Crawfordsburn Country Park

Take the B20/Crawfordsburn Road east from Bangor and after 2 miles turn right onto Bridge Road. After less than half a mile take the 2^nd right into Crawfordsburn Country Park.