Antrim town sits on the northeastern shore of Lough Neagh — the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles at 388 square kilometres — and makes an excellent and underused walking base. Shane’s Castle, with its ruined tower and extensive demesne on the lough shore, gives outstanding waterside walking, and the Six Mile Water valley heads north through pleasant countryside.

A well-connected town with direct rail links from Belfast and a remarkable lough setting, Antrim makes a pleasantly surprising walking base — the Lough Neagh shore and Shane’s Castle are genuinely beautiful and very peaceful.