This is the official page for The Ring of Gullion Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and it is managed by representatives at Newry Mourne and Down District Council. The Ring of Gullion Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) stretches to 15, 329ha and is one of nine AONB’s in Northern Ireland. It was designated in 1991 under the Nature Conservation and Amenity Lands (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 which formally recognises that Slieve Gullion, its surrounding farmland and ring of hills, is a landscape of national importance. The purpose of designation is to protect and enhance the environmental qualities of the area, both for the benefit of those people living in the area and for visitors who some to see and enjoy its natural beauty. The Ring of Gullion is regarded as the finest expression of a ring d**e in Britain and Ireland and was the first ring d**e in the world to be geologically mapped. The heather clad bulk of Slieve Gullion mountain lies at the centre of the AONB, which takes its name from the encircling ring of lower rugged hills. Slieve Gullion's reputation as Ireland's mountain of mystery arises from its rich associations with Irish legends and myths.
