Newtownards to Mount Stewart Shore Walk

A flat lough-side walk you can do at your own pace

The route follows the Floodgates Walk, a linear path along the northern and western strand of Strangford Lough. You walk the whole way on top of an elevated floodgate bank, which gives you panoramic water views on one side and views back to Scrabo Tower on the other. It runs roughly 4 to 5 miles if you go the full distance, but because it is out-and-back you can turn around at any point. The surface is gravel and grass and stays flat, so it suits small legs and is one of the few NI coastal walks with no cliff edges to worry about. The big pull is the wildlife: this is winter feeding ground for huge flocks, including a large share of the world's light-bellied brent geese, plus shelduck, little egret and terns nesting on the lough islands in spring.

Free Free car park Flat path Lough views Winter birds Buggy-possible

Good to know before you go:

Strangford Lough is a working nature site, and through the year the National Trust and local rangers run guided walks, winter bird-watching events and seasonal festivals around the shore. Check ahead for anything on during your visit.

What to bring

👟Good shoes or bootsShore paths can be rocky, uneven and a little muddy after rain.

🧥A coat or windproofThe coast is breezy — a fresh sea wind is half the fun of it.

💧Water and a snackThere is rarely a shop right on the path, so pack a little something.

🔭Binoculars or a cameraFor the seabirds, the seals and the big views across the water.

Everything before you go

Cost

Free

Parking

Free car park on Portaferry Road (around 20 spaces), with a larger Flying Club car park nearby

Distance

Roughly 4 to 5 miles out and back; turn around at any point

How long to allow

1 to 2.5 hours depending how far you walk

Difficulty

Easy and flat

Terrain

Raised gravel and grass floodgate bank, can be muddy

Safety with kids

No cliffs or steep drops; flat path with open water alongside, so keep little ones in from the edge of the bank near the tide line

Dogs

Welcome but keep under close control near wintering birds and livestock

Buggy-friendly

Possible on the gravel bank in dry weather, but it is a long linear path, not a loop; check conditions

Toilets / food nearby

None at the path; Newtownards town is a few minutes away, and Mount Stewart down the road has a tearoom

Address

Floodgates Walk car park, Portaferry Road, Newtownards (just past the Old Shore Road junction), Co Down

Questions

Before you go

Is it free?

Free

How far is the walk?

Roughly 4 to 5 miles out and back; turn around at any point

How long should I allow?

1 to 2.5 hours depending how far you walk

Can I bring the dog?

Welcome but keep under close control near wintering birds and livestock

Is it buggy-friendly?

Possible on the gravel bank in dry weather, but it is a long linear path, not a loop; check conditions

Getting there

Newtownards to Mount Stewart Shore Walk is at Floodgates Walk car park, Portaferry Road, Newtownards (just past the Old Shore Road junction), Co Down. Free car park on Portaferry Road (around 20 spaces), with a larger Flying Club car park nearby. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google Maps See it on our map

Nearby

Make more of the day

More days out around NewtownardsSee what else is close by More coastal walks across NIBeaches, cliffs, harbours and headlands

The story

About this stretch of coast

The path runs along sea defences first built around 1811 by Lord Londonderry to protect the low-lying reclaimed farmland on the edge of Newtownards. You walk the whole route on top of that floodgate bank, which is why it stays flat and raised above the shore.

Strangford Lough is the largest sea inlet in the British Isles and one of the most important wildlife sites in Europe. Up to 70,000 birds feed on its rich tidal mudflats each winter, including a large share of the world's light-bellied brent geese, while around a third of all Ireland's terns nest on the lough's islands in late spring and early summer.

Further down the Portaferry Road sits Mount Stewart, the National Trust house and gardens that this stretch of shore points toward, set among the rolling drumlin country beside the lough.