Conservation Designations

The Mourne AONB’s rich habitats and biodiversity are reflected in its many national and international conservation designations. Designations identify special features and highlight the need for their protection.

Carlingford Lough is a true gem, home to large numbers of sandwich terns. Its mudflats provide vital feeding grounds for light-bellied brent geese and wading birds like oystercatchers and ringed plovers. Because of this, it holds both international Ramsar Site status and European Special Protection Area designation for birds.

Inland, the high Mournes boast one of Europe’s finest upland heathlands, filled with vibrant purple heather and other unique species. Further down, Murlough’s dune grassland and lowland heath provide a vital habitat for one of Northern Ireland’s largest populations of marsh fritillary butterflies. Meanwhile, Rostrevor’s ancient oak wood nurtures a rich understorey of hazel, holly, and wildflowers such as toothwort and bird’s nest orchid.

These sites are European Special Areas of Conservation, while Rostrevor Wood and Murlough are also protected as National Nature Reserves.

Ballybannon Fen’s scrubland thrives with sedges, rushes, mosses, and common butterwort. Castlewellan Lake’s nutrient-poor waters support rare quillwort, while shoreweed grows in its shallows. Otters also leave their footprints along the banks. The Shimna and Trassey rivers, along with the Slieve Croob Massif, receive protection under local planning regulations as Sites of Local Nature Conservation Importance.