Another fabulous site a short bus ride from City Hall, Belfast Castle was built by the third Marquis of Donegall in what was a large wooded Deer Park below Cave Hill. The architects Lanyon, Lynn and Lanyon (Charles Lanyon and his son John) were commissioned and designed the building in a Scottish Baronial style, it was completed in 1870. In 1884, the castle was inherited by Lord Ashley, the 7th Earl of Shaftsbury, who incidentally had helped the Marquis fund the original £11000 building cost. The family were very benevolent and contributed a lot to Belfast, walking around the city you will see many streets that carry the family name in recognition of this. (Donegall Place, Donegall Street, Shaftsbury Square, etc). The stunning semi-spiral staircase down into the garden area was added in 1894 by the ninth Earl of Shaftesbury, he became the Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1907 and chancellor of Queen's University in 1908. In 1934 the family donated the castle and ground to the city of Belfast and after much debate as to what it should be used for, it thankfully became a public facility.

The castle and ground are both free to enter, located 400 feet above sea level it offers exceptional views with a manicured garden for relaxing in and excellent trails for walking. It is hard to believe when you are on the grounds that you are only ten minutes from the city centre. From the castle you can walk up through the woodlands, past the caves on Cave Hill, to the top where you will find McArt’s Fort and some breathtaking views of Belfast, County Down and beyond to the mountains of Mourne. A highly recommended experience especially on a clear sunny day, don't forget a bottle of water as it is a reasonable climb up to the top, the paths are good and take you to McArts Fort, a great place to have a well-earned picnic.  The garden is unique in having many references to cats in the form of sculptures, mosaics and manicured shrubs. In total there are nine cats to discover, this theme developed from a legend that those who visit the castle will have good fortune as long as there is a resident cat at the castle, this way there is always a cat there.

The castle has a retail/gift / antique shop, a restaurant, tavern and the Cave Hill Visitor Centre, it is a very popular venue for weddings, conferences and events. As mentioned before it is free to visit the castle and grounds, inside are several floors which are accessible to the public. To get there from the city use your Visitor Pass or buy a day rover ticket then catch a Metro services 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G a from city centre and ask for the Belfast Castle stop, you then have to walk along Innisfayle Park to the main entrance. You can find out more by visiting the castle and the times for various elements within it on their website, click the following link which will open in a new window: Belfast Castle