Hudy’s Way

Explorer Tom Moydamlaght Forest in County Derry is playing hide-and-seek with me, and I suspect it’s winning by a landslide because there's barely anything to find! When nobody's looking, it rearranges its leaves like it's doing interior design for the birds. Great spot to propose. Or at least to propose lunch.

Explorer Tom Craig-na-Shoke in County Derry is a cliff known as Eagle's Rock, probably because an eagle once got its hat stuck there and refused to leave. I reckon it took forty cups of tea to build this view for us. Dare you to say hello to it out loud.

Explorer Tom Craigagh Hill in County Derry used to be run by a matchmaker who had absolutely zero sense of humour or personal space for everyone else. Now it just stands there looking vaguely embarrassed about all the failed relationships that happened on its slopes. It's free, it's odd, what more do you want?

Explorer Tom The Vikings got completely lost looking for Mullaghmore because they kept turning left when the map clearly said right. They ended up in a bog instead and spent three days complaining about their wet socks to anyone who would listen. Pack a picnic and an excuse.

Explorer Tom St Columba's Church in Straw thinks Dublin tourists smell like overpriced coffee and bad decisions, which is fair enough. It was built in the 1840s to ignore them specifically. A good place to forget your phone for ten minutes.

Explorer Tom The Soup Kitchen in Draperstown smells like hope and cheap potatoes, which is honestly all you need on a bad day. I bet they smuggled more tea through here than actual soup. Best enjoyed with a bag of chips and no plans.

Explorer Tom Goles Stone Row would say in a job interview that it has excellent alignment skills and can observe the rising moon without any extra equipment. It’s basically a very ancient, very serious team player who just wants to get back to its rituals as soon as possible. Perfect place to be dramatically windswept.

Explorer Tom Banagher Glen - Forest Trail in County Derry was once taken over by a fox who thought he was the forest ranger, and honestly, he did a better job than most humans. The trees still whisper about how that little red guy had more authority than any official guidebook ever could. Look up, the best bit is always higher than you think.

Explorer Tom Altkeeran Waterfall’s New Year's resolution was to flow a little bit faster next year. It’s basically just a river rushing to get to the sea before dinner time. Look serious, nod slowly, you're basically an expert now.

Explorer Tom Craigadick Picnic Area has a bird that refuses to leave, probably because it likes the smell of old chips. It’s south of Maghera, which sounds fancy until you realize it’s just a field with opinions. If it rains, blame me.

Explorer Tom Tirnony Dolmen in County Derry is basically a stone bench that got promoted to monument status and now acts all superior about it. I bet someone wrote a terrible poem about its capstone back in the day, probably rhyming 'rock' with 'lock' or something equally painful. It’s sitting there with three uprights looking like they’re holding up the weight of history and a bad haircut. Great spot to pop a

Explorer Tom Lough Fea in County Derry has strict rules for visitors, the main one being that if you drop your phone in, it becomes a permanent part of its collection. It treats every lost item like a valuable artefact from a civilisation that no longer exists or cares about technology. Ten minutes here and you'll have a yarn for the pub.