Days Out NI
Heritage site Gortin

Sperrins Sculpture Trail - Darach (The Guardian)

A giant wooden guardian on a Tyrone summit, built from salvaged wood by Thomas Dambo.

5 photos
Check hoursDaylight hours, year-round. No tickets or…
FreeNo ticket needed
GortinHeritage site
Get directionsOfficial website
5 hoursHow long
FreeEntry
View outsideAccess
PaidParking
Dog-friendly…Dogs

Sperrins Sculpture Trail - Darach (The Guardian) — A giant wooden guardian on a Tyrone summit, built from salvaged wood by Thomas Dambo.

  • Getting in: Free. The sculpture is open access on the summit; reached on foot from Gortin Glen Forest Park.
  • Opening: Daylight hours, year-round. No tickets or set hours for the sculpture.
  • Inside: No — it's an outdoor wooden sculpture you walk up to and around, not a building.
  • Dogs: Dog-friendly on the trails — keep them under control, especially on open mountain.
  • Parking: Car park at Gortin Glen Forest Park; a vehicle charge applies at the barrier (bring cash/check the board).
  • Food: Café, toilets and picnic areas at Gortin Glen Forest Park. Nothing on the summit, so carry water and a snack.
Plan your visit

A guardian built to last 60 years

Darach is made entirely from reused wood. Dambo usually works in discarded pallet wood, but for the Sperrins he was asked to build sculptures that would survive 60 years in the weather, so he salvaged tons of residual timber from Danish furniture makers. She watches over the present, the middle giant in a trio that also includes Nowanois the Storytellers and Ceoldán the Stargazer. The ring of stones around her points towards landmarks across the hills and gives weary walkers somewhere to sit, a quiet echo of the 90-plus stone circles found across the Sperrins.

Free to see Thomas Dambo giant Summit of Mullaghcarn 7.4km return walk Panoramic Sperrin views Dog-friendly
Good to know before you go:

The Giants of the Sperrins trail is promoted year-round by Fermanagh & Omagh and Derry City & Strabane councils, and Gortin Glen Forest Park hosts seasonal walks and family activities. Check what's on locally before you travel.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 👟Comfy shoesThere is usually a bit of walking, some steps and uneven older ground.
  • 📷A cameraThe history, the architecture and the setting are all worth capturing.
  • 💷A few poundsSome heritage sites are ticketed or have a shop and café — handy to have.
  • 💧Water and a snackNot every site has a café on hand, so pack a little something.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Getting in
Free. The sculpture is open access on the summit; reached on foot from Gortin Glen Forest Park.
Opening
Daylight hours, year-round. No tickets or set hours for the sculpture.
Can you go inside
No — it's an outdoor wooden sculpture you walk up to and around, not a building.
Food
Café, toilets and picnic areas at Gortin Glen Forest Park. Nothing on the summit, so carry water and a snack.
Dogs
Dog-friendly on the trails — keep them under control, especially on open mountain.
Parking
Car park at Gortin Glen Forest Park; a vehicle charge applies at the barrier (bring cash/check the board).
Accessibility
Not accessible — a 7.4km return mountain walk on gravel and tarmac with a strenuous ascent and switchbacks.
How long to allow
Allow 2.5–3.5 hours for the return walk plus time at the summit; a half-day in total.
Address
Gortin Glen Forest Park, Glen Park Road, Gortin, County Tyrone, BT79 7SU
Questions

Before you go

Is it free to visit?
Free. The sculpture is open access on the summit; reached on foot from Gortin Glen Forest Park.
Can you go inside?
No — it's an outdoor wooden sculpture you walk up to and around, not a building.
When is it open?
Daylight hours, year-round. No tickets or set hours for the sculpture.
Can I bring the dog?
Dog-friendly on the trails — keep them under control, especially on open mountain.
Where do I park?
Car park at Gortin Glen Forest Park; a vehicle charge applies at the barrier (bring cash/check the board).
Getting there

Sperrins Sculpture Trail - Darach (The Guardian) is at Gortin Glen Forest Park, Glen Park Road, Gortin, County Tyrone, BT79 7SU. Car park at Gortin Glen Forest Park; a vehicle charge applies at the barrier (bring cash/check the board). Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

Make more of the day

More days out around GortinSee what else is close by More heritage sites across NIHistory you can visit and explore
The story

The story of Darach (The Guardian)

Darach is part of the Giants of the Sperrins, a sculpture trail commissioned by Derry City and Strabane District Council and unveiled in 2024 to celebrate the geology, archaeology and heritage of the Sperrin Mountains. The trail was created by Thomas Dambo, the Danish recycling artist behind giant wooden trolls and figures installed in forests and parks across the world.

Three main giants make up the trail. Darach, The Guardian, watches over the present from the summit of Mullaghcarn above Gortin. Nowanois, The Storytellers, sits in the Glenelly Valley as the keeper of the past, and Ceoldán, The Stargazer, looks to the future from Davagh Forest's OM Dark Sky Park. Together they form what Dambo called The Three Giants and the Campfires in the Sky.

Dambo's mission is to turn waste into wonder. Most of his sculptures are built from discarded pallet wood, but the Sperrins commission asked for work that would last around 60 years, so he sourced tons of residual timber from Danish furniture makers to give the giants the durability to weather the Tyrone hills.

Darach carries a quiet local meaning. The stones encircling her echo the centuries-old habit of walkers carrying a stone to add to a mountaintop cairn, and they nod to the 90-plus stone circles recorded across the Sperrins. Arms open at the summit, she invites you to stop, look out over the hills, and care for the land below.