Blog

We have put together a list of highlights in the borough that you can do or visit for free, no matter the season, whether you are a local resident or a visitor to the borough. There is plenty to be enjoyed for all, for little to no money.

Looking for family fun days out?

Here are quick links to some family favourites in Ards and North Down to help you plan day trips and short breaks to remember.

Take an afternoon, or better still, make it a getaway, just the two of you and spend time together in Ards and North Down.

Relax and enjoy the great outdoors. Not only do we have 185km of scenic shores to explore, we have award winning parks and open spaces here in Ards and North Down.

Northern Ireland is home to many stories, myths, and legends, with Ards and North Down laying claim to a fair few of its own. Ruined castles, holy wells, abbeys and military forts where tales of Bronze Age communities, Vikings, early Christian and Ulster-Scots heritage, and the role of this area in the Great Wars, are here to be discovered.

The National Trust in Northern Ireland play a big part of the care of Strangford Lough, An Area of Designated Natural Beauty, managing over 5,000 hectares of coast and countryside in and around Strangford Lough and the Ards Peninsula. Find out more about the locations in their care that you can visit.

Restore your wellbeing and immerse yourself in our place; nestled amongst our beautiful scenery, enjoy a spa break in one of our specialised accommodation's waiting to welcome you.

Indulge in some Hallowe'en themed fun at one of the many events and experiences at popular attractions dotted throughout the borough - family fun for all, and some for the just the adults too!

Groomsport Beach is one of the five Inclusive Beaches in Northern Ireland, enabled so by the Mae Murray Foundation, which means that it has been carefully planned so that people of all ages and abilities can be included and can enjoy their surrounds to the fullest. Situated in the North Down area of our borough, this village location is an idyllic spot to spend a summer's day.

On the most easterly shores of Ulster, with easy sea travel, the Ards Peninsula has long been a place of human settlement.  The first inhabitants were Stone Age hunter-gatherers; later Scrabo Hill was occupied in the Bronze Age between 2000 and 300 BC.  Christianity took root in 545AD when St Finian founded a monastery named "Movilla" which was subsequently destroyed by the Vikings sometime after 824AD. 

To mark this moment in history, Ards and North Down Borough Council is pleased to announce that several celebratory and community events are planned to mark the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen in May 2023.

This Easter, make the most of your time, get out and about and enjoy time together.

Add to the memory album with these fun-tastic themed events!