The Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland

The Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland

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In April, I took a quick trip to Northern Ireland. I spent the first day in the Belfast where I did a walking tour and went to Titanic Belfast. The next day I went on a tour of the Giant’s Causeway. The tour had a few stopovers including the first one of the day, a visit to The Dark Hedges in County Antrim.

“We’re coming up to our photo stop at the Dark Hedges. You’ll recognize this spot as The Kings Road from Game of Thrones,” the tour guide points out. People excitedly started talking about Game of Thrones. I turned to the girl sitting next to me and asked, “is it bad to say I haven’t seen a single episode of Game of Thrones?” She confessed she hadn’t seen the show as well. We bonded over our lack of watching this shared piece of pop culture.

Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland.
The Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland.

Yes, I haven’t watched Game of Thrones, but I do know the series is big, and part of it is (or has been) filmed in Northern Ireland. In Belfast, there is a studio in the Titanic Quarter called Titanic Studios where parts of the series are filmed. However; there have been many on-location shoots like the one for the Dark Hedges (or so I’m told). I met several people during my short visit in Northern Ireland who played a part behind the scenes with Game of Thrones (or knew someone who did).

The real story of the Dark Hedges has to do with the Stuart family. In 1775 James Stuart built a Georgian mansion called Gracehill House (named after his wife, Grace Lyn). The Stuart family decided to plant a row of beech trees along the laneway to greet visitors coming to Gracehill House. Of course, at the time the trees weren’t that big, but over 200 years later they’ve grown into these iconic, massive twisted trees. The area is also known for wildlife like the brambling bird and wood mouse. Locals say there is a ghost called The Grey Lady who haunts these parts as well.

While I wasn’t geeking out over the Game of Thrones connection, the Dark Hedges was a cool spot, and I wish we had a little bit more time here. If I do decide to watch Game of Thrones, there’ll be a part of the show where I can say, “I’ve been there.”


Things To Know
The Dark Hedges is quite famous. Should you want to avoid the crowds, you may want to rent a car and visit early. There is parking at the nearby Hedges Estate Hotel. The Dark Hedges is at The Dark Hedges, Bregagh Road, Stranocum, Ballymoney, UK. Here is a general map. This area is part of The Dark Hedges Preservation Fund. Visitors should respect this area by not littering or damaging these historic trees.

I went to the dark hedges on tour with Paddy Wagon Tours. They are a popular tour company in Ireland and Northern Ireland that offers day tours (and multi-day tours). The tour I was on left from Belfast and went to the Dark Hedges, Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, and the Giant’s Causeway. It was a 7-hour tour that cost €29, which I paid myself.

While in Belfast I stayed at the Belfast International Youth Hostel. The hostel has a fun vibe and is a short walk to the centre of Belfast. I stayed in a dorm room for one night, which cost about €30. If you’re not on a budget there are plenty of hotels in Belfast you can book here.


Have you been to the Dark Hedges? Am I crazy for not watching Game of Thrones?

9 thoughts on “The Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland”

  1. Followingtherivera

    You’re completely missing out on GOT, and I’m not one of those viewers who may sound or look like a stereotypical fantasy genre lover! The Dark Hedge is incredible and of course I recognise it and would love to go. I’ll take your advice and try to avoid the crowds. By the way, this is the perfect time to watch all seasons as you won’t have to wait a year like the rest of us 😀

  2. it sounds like a cool spot to visit. it is another popular place put on the map made famous by Game of Thrones. Are you missing out? As a fan of the show, i will say yes!! haha….its nice to read about the real stories behind these now famous places.

  3. I just caught up to Game of Thrones. Obviously, there are a lot of fans who love it; I’m not really one of them (I think it’s cheesy) but if you have free time, maybe give it a glimpse. Will say that the special effects and the latest seasons were the most entertaining. And like you mentioned, there were a lot of scenes where I said “I’ve been there.”

    As far as the Dark Hedges go, they look pretty cool. I bet it looks amazing with either leaves or snow. I don’t know if I’d be cool with the Grey Lady wandering around, though…

  4. Oh I love Game of thrones and it would be like a dream come true to visit its shooting locations. I already plan to visit Ireland as soon as possible, and you have given me a great reason to visit sooner than later!! Loved the picture you added here!!

  5. I haven’t watched a single episode of Game of Thrones either, but I’m sure the popularity of the show has made this a huge tourist site. I’ve seen several photos of the Dark Hedges, and would like to visit them sometime for the beauty alone. I love the history of the area you provided, as well.

  6. I do love Game of Thrones! I’m going to Ireland and Iceland next month ( both locations used in GoT) but I haven’t organised any tours of locations. In New Zealand, ‘Hobbiton’ is a really popular film set location from the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies – we get a lot of tourists wanting to see it for real! Quite amazing to see something in person that you’ve otherwise only seen on screen.

  7. This is definitely one photogenic place. I would love to spend a couple of hours to only photographing The Dark Hedges in County Antrim and the mansion. And Yes, I haven’t seen Game Of Throne but heard a lot all the time. I though know about the haunted part as well. I loved the picture and the facts related to it. Thanks for share.

  8. I am still to watch GOT and Dark hedges so I guess I can enjoy this place as it is. Its sounds awesome otherwise. I love the facts stated in your blog 🙂

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