ONE of the guides at Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Sperrins and Killeter Walking Festival has encouraged local people to get out and discover the beauty on their doorstep by signing up for one or more of six walks being hosted at the event.
Hundreds of walking enthusiasts from all over Ireland and beyond are expected in the district for the festival on Saturday September 17th and Sunday September 18th but Nicola Pinkerton has encouraged more locals to join them and explore the majesty of the city and district’s hinterland.
Diane and her husband John run the popular ‘Pinkerton Day to Day’ store in Plumbridge and will help lead the ‘Up the Moat’ Macmillan 8km charity hill walk when it leaves the Tyrone village on the Saturday morning.
Although they can now regularly be found venturing around the Sperrins, by her own admission, it was only recently that she and her husband discovered the local wonderland around them.
“I’ve been living locally for 20 years and John has been here all his life but neither of us had ever been to the top of Moat Mountain until we started walking,” said Diane.
“The view from the summit is absolutely stunning but the majority of people who live below in Tyrone, Derry and Donegal have probably never been there.
“Hundreds of thousands of people visit the Lake District or the Scottish Highlands for walking holidays but what we have in our own local area is every bit as beautiful.”
The festival organisers are piloting the idea of walk leaders this year, where people who know the area well can impart their knowledge and provide guidance to visitors.
They are also hopeful that more interaction between visitors and locals will help encourage people to give the local economy a boost by remaining in the area when the walks conclude.
“Hopefully as many people as possible will stay around and make a day or weekend out of it,” Nicola continued.
“The leaders can be a direct link between those who take part and our local community and we are hosting a barbeque with live music on the Saturday evening which we will encourage the walkers to attend.
“We want to urge people to visit for the festival but equally we want local people to get involved and become more aware of what is on their doorstep.”
This year walkers will be able to enjoy a number of new routes including the ‘Origins of the Ulster Appalachian Way’ 15k hillside and trail walk on the Saturday.
Wildlife enthusiasts and inquisitive kids alike will have the opportunity to join the Bat and Moth Twilight Walk, a 3 km exploration of the local habitats of these special night time creatures led by a local expert on Saturday evening.
On Sunday Killeter is the starting point for three walks, including the popular favourite from 2015, the Killeter Camino, a 15km multi-terrain experience.
Walkers can also sample spectacular views along the south Tyrone section of the Ulster Appalachian Way crossing 8km of trails and heather, while more leisurely walkers can join the Killeter Community Ramble which is 5km in distance led by the newly formed Killeter Rambling Group.
For more information and to register for a place on any of the walks go to www.sperrinskilleterwalking.com.
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