There are nights that remind you exactly why you carry a tent up a mountain. This was one of them. A solo wild camp at Lough Shannagh, high in the Mourne Mountains of County Down, Northern Ireland — a muddy climb, a hearty stew, a proper battering of wind and rain overnight, and a sunrise that made every soggy minute worth it.
If you’re thinking about wild camping in the Mournes, this is what a real night on the hill looks like — the good, the wet, and the unforgettable.
The Route: Up the Ott Track
The adventure started at the Ott car park, one of the main gateways into the Western Mournes and the perfect launch point for a hike into the high ground. From there it’s straight onto the Ott Track — a well-known path that climbs steadily up towards the heart of the range.
“Well-known” doesn’t mean easy. The track was muddy in places and rocky throughout, the kind of ground that keeps you looking at your feet as much as the views. It’s a steady, honest climb — nothing technical, but with a full overnight pack on your back you feel every step of it.
The route I took is a roughly 5.8 km loop, topping out around the 672 m summit of Slieve Loughshannagh, with the lough itself sitting in the col below.
The route: a 5.8 km loop from the Ott car park (off the B27) up the Ott Track to Slieve Loughshannagh (672 m), ringed by Ott Mountain, Slieve Meelbeg and Doan.
Want to walk it yourself? Get the full route — Slieve Loughshannagh via the Ott Track on AllTrails →
First Glimpse of Lough Shannagh
The climb grinds on until you reach the stile — and that’s where the Mournes reward you. Cross it, and you get your first glimpse of Lough Shannagh opening up below: the largest natural lake in the Mourne Mountains, cradled between the peaks with the iconic Mourne Wall snaking across the landscape.
On a clear evening you can see all the way out past the lower hills to the coast. Slieve Meelbeg, Doan and Ott Mountain stack up around you. It’s the moment the effort of the Ott Track suddenly makes complete sense.
The Final Climb to Slieve Loughshannagh
From the stile it’s a short, sharp climb to the summit of Slieve Loughshannagh — steep enough to get the lungs going one last time, but quick. Reach the top, drop the pack, and you’ve got one of the finest wild camping pitches in the Mournes laid out in front of you.
Pitching Camp for the Night
With the summit reached, it was time to make it home. I got the tent up, rolled out the sleeping mat and bag, and set the stove within easy reach for later.
There’s a particular satisfaction in standing back from a pitched tent on a summit, knowing that little patch of canvas is your shelter for the night. Camp sorted, kettle on, and the evening ahead.
The Nortent Vern 1 PC vs. the Mournes
Here’s where the gear earns its keep. My shelter for the night was the Nortent Vern 1 PC — the same poly-cotton fortress I put through its paces in my Nortent Vern 1 PC review — and the Mournes gave it a proper test.
As the evening drew in, the wind and rain picked up hard. This is exposed, high ground with nothing to break the weather, and a lesser tent would have been flapping and straining all night. The Vern 1 PC was absolutely bulletproof. It sat rock-solid in the gusts, shrugged off the rain without a drop getting in, and stayed dead quiet while the weather did its worst outside. Freestanding, stable, and completely unbothered — exactly what you want when the hill turns on you.
If you take one thing from this post: the right shelter turns a rough night into a good story instead of a miserable one.
Dinner With a View: A Hearty Stew
No wild camp is complete without a feed. Dinner was a hearty, pre-bought stew — nothing gourmet, just proper hill food — warmed on the stove and, in my defence, demolished in seconds. After a climb like that, a hot meal on a summit tastes better than anything you’ll get in a restaurant. Context is everything.
The Clag Rolls In
I’d barely finished washing up when the clag returned — that thick Mourne mist dropping over the summit like a curtain — and the rain came in behind it, lasting most of the evening. Visibility gone, world shrunk to the inside of the tent, rain drumming on the poly-cotton. This is the part of wild camping nobody photographs, but it’s every bit as much the experience as the views. You get zipped in, warm and dry, and let the mountain get on with it.
Sunrise on the Summit
Morning came with the summit still wrapped in thick clag — the kind of white-out where you can barely see the next tent peg. And then, slowly, it started to break. The sun climbed, burned through the mist, and the whole summit lit up.
Packing away a wet tent as the light comes back and the cloud lifts off the Mournes is a special kind of quiet. A great night was had by all.
Is Lough Shannagh Worth Wild Camping? My Verdict
Absolutely. Lough Shannagh has everything you want from a Mourne wild camp: a manageable but rewarding climb, a genuinely stunning pitch beside the range’s largest natural lake, and enough big-mountain weather to make it feel like a real adventure. The wind, the rain and the clag didn’t take anything away from it — if anything, they made it. This is one I’ll be back to.
Wild Camping in the Mourne Mountains: What You Need to Know
If this has you tempted, a few honest pointers for wild camping in the Mournes:
- Leave No Trace. This is the golden rule. Arrive late, leave early, take every scrap of rubbish home, and leave your pitch exactly as you found it. Wild camping only stays welcome if we all camp responsibly.
- Respect the land. Much of the high Mournes is managed land — camp high, small and discreetly, well away from the reservoirs, and be prepared to move on if asked.
- Bring a shelter that can take a hammering. The Mournes are exposed and the weather turns fast. A stable, waterproof tent like the Nortent Vern 1 PC is worth its weight. Check out my full 2026 gear list for the rest of my kit.
- Pack for four seasons. It can be still and sunny at the car park and blowing a gale on the summit. Warm layers, a proper sleeping bag and a hot meal are non-negotiable.
- Know your route. Carry a map, and don’t rely on visibility — the clag can drop in minutes.
Trail Stats & Route Details
- Start / parking: Ott car park (Ott Road), Western Mournes
- Route: Ott Track → the stile → Slieve Loughshannagh summit, approx 5.8 km loop
- Summit: Slieve Loughshannagh, 672 m
- The lough: Lough Shannagh — the largest natural lake in the Mourne Mountains
- Terrain: rocky, muddy in places; a steady climb with one short steep section to the summit
- Landmarks: the Mourne Wall, with views to Slieve Meelbeg, Doan and Ott Mountain
Wild Camping at Lough Shannagh — FAQ
Can you wild camp in the Mourne Mountains? Wild camping is widely practised in the Mournes on the high ground, but much of the area is privately owned or managed land, so strictly you should seek the landowner’s permission. In practice, responsible campers who follow Leave No Trace — arriving late, leaving early, keeping groups small and taking everything out — are generally tolerated. Camp respectfully and discreetly.
Where do you park for Lough Shannagh? The Ott car park on the Ott Road is the usual starting point, giving direct access to the Ott Track up into the Western Mournes.
How long is the walk to Lough Shannagh? The loop I did was around 5.8 km, climbing to the 672 m summit of Slieve Loughshannagh with the lough in the col below. Give yourself plenty of time with an overnight pack — it’s a steady climb over rocky, sometimes muddy ground.
Is Lough Shannagh the biggest lake in the Mournes? Yes — Lough Shannagh is the largest natural lake in the Mourne Mountains.
Wild camping in the Mournes is some of the best in Ireland, and Lough Shannagh is a brilliant place to start. If you’re into rides, gear and adventures on two wheels and two feet, come along for the journey — subscribe on the Ride Roam Review YouTube channel and follow the next one.