The National Trust will today celebrate the opening of Divis and the Black Mountain – the famous backdrop to the city of Belfast – which officially came into the care of Europe’s leading conservation charity in November 2004 after four years of planning and preparation. The opening means that the people of Belfast and beyond will have access to a mountain landscape that has been in private ownership for decades.

To celebrate the opening, the Trust lit a lamp on Divis Mountain to mark the spot where the Drummond limelight shone in 1828 to start the Ordinance Survey mapping of Ireland.

The Trust secured the upland last November with financial assistance from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Environment and Heritage Service of the DoE. The Trust continues to work closely with the Belfast Hills Partnership which brings together many organisations to promote sustainable management and enjoyment of the wider Belfast Hills.

During the past eight months the National Trust has carried out a huge amount of work to secure the property, protect the natural habitat of this unique landscape and provide open access for all. Initial work has included clearing over 1000 tonnes of debris from the site, constructing a ‘floating path’ or boardwalk to the summit of Black Mountain, securing buildings on the mountain, creating a car park as well as ensuring adequate signage in the area. Over 200 volunteers representing the public, private and voluntary sector have been involved since November and have helped to make the mountains the people’s own.

Celebrating today’s opening, Paddy Casement, National Trust Chairman for Northern Ireland said: “Today marks yet another new chapter in the National Trust’s history in Northern Ireland. We have now opened Divis and the Black Mountain and are able to provide free access all year round to these beautiful hills to the people of Belfast and Northern Ireland. We are helping to preserve and protect the rich and varied wildlife on the mountains and - working with the Belfast Hills Partnership and local communities - we have now opened this spectacular landscape that affords such spectacular views of the city, Belfast Lough and much of Northern Ireland.”

Paul Mullan, the Trust’s Acting Regional Director added: “This is also an important occasion for our funders - I want to again warmly thank Heritage Lottery Fund and the Environment and Heritage Service for their support and commitment to this project. The National Trust is proud to be a member of the coalition which facilitated the opening up of these mountains to the people of Belfast for the first time. Today’s opening proves that the Trust’s vision to provide free access to open countryside remains as relevant today as it did one hundred years ago. We are delighted to provide access to these wonderful hills for so many people in Belfast, Northern Ireland and further afield.”

“We will continue to work to secure ongoing financial support from a range of partners for the future development of the project and are committed to raising significant monies from our own resources and through direct mail campaigns appeals to members." Paul added.

Explaining the importance of HLF’s commitment, Primrose Wilson from the Heritage Lottery Fund commented, “People are often surprised that HLF supports wildlife projects. In reality we have invested over £3.7 million to environmental projects in Northern Ireland alone. Divis and Black Mountain are wonderful and important examples of our natural heritage and I am delighted that they can now be explored and enjoyed for free by anybody and everybody.”