The Dark Hedges Photos
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I visited the Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland with a tour group. It was a quick stop to see this natural phenomena, and I feel like a quick stop is all that's needed. They are gorgeous to see and take some photos, but that's about all there is to do. If you go in with that mentality, you will not be disappointed! The Dark Hedges stood in for the "King's Road" in the TV series Game of Thrones, so if you're a fan of that show (which I was, when it was on) you will definitely recognize the look of this imposing view. The road is lined with planted beech trees that swoop up and then out to give the hedges their very unique look. There is a legend that a ghost called "The Grey Lady" visits the Dark Hedges, having been the daughter of the hedges' original planter, James Stuart. Whether the legend is true or not, it does give a little extra spooky factor while you're standing there in the shadows of the Dark Hedges. I think this is definitely worth a stop if you're in the area or on a tour, but a quick photo and small stroll is all that is needed.
We were GOT fans before the final season, so we had to at least visit one of the filming sites while in Northern Ireland. The dark hedges were easy to find and there was free parking, which was great. We were really happy to see there was no entrance fee, and we could just walk through the lane ourselves and take pictures. The trees are absolutely stunning regardless of their association with GOT, and the estate looked really beautiful. Online, it looked like you can book tours of the estate, and it's probably a lovely spot to spend an afternoon in the Irish countryside in summer. We just stopped by to walk down the lane and then continue our drive, but it was worth it to us. I'm sure that in summer or spring, when the trees have foliage on them, it would be even better.
The Dark Hedges was okay... I definitely wouldn't go out of my way to see them. I'm not even a Game of Thrones fan, but people do come just to the tunnel of trees since it was featured on the show. This was one of our stops on our tour we took, otherwise I would have skipped this. Our tour guide was telling us that the trees have not been properly taken care of, so they have started cutting them down and eventually all the trees will probably be cut down. Once we got there, there were literally people cutting down the trees! I couldn't believe it. The trees are sadly not in very good shape, probably a combination of poor maintenance plus visitors who decide to carve their names or initials into them, so disrespectful. Plus, this is an actual road that people drive cars down (which was odd to me) so you have to get out of the way if a car comes. Overall, not my favorite stop in Ireland. Definitely skip it unless you happen to have some free time and you're already in the area.
Sadly, many of the trees are gone since the last time we were here. It's still particularly amazing to view at dusk and dawn. Nearby there are other areas with lovely "tree tunnels" that make for spectacular pictures. Except other people to be there and in your photos. When visiting, be courteous of other vehicles- roads are in use and are narrow.
This was a cool place to stop right by the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge. It was only about 20 minutes away. It's recently known as a filming location for Game of Thrones, so my husband was really interested in going. There's no where to park since the trees just line a street. People just park along the side of the street and then walk down the street to enjoy it. The trees create a very dark alley (hence the name) and they're quite pretty. We only spent a few minutes here since there's not really much to do after you see them. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here, but I think it's definitely worth stopping at if you're going to be in the area.
Nice but not great - at least not in daytime Ever since GoT this place is a must-see for visitors. It was already popular before, but taken really off after the show. The pictures you have in mind are either taken at dusk / dawn or have been worked on by the series FX team. It is a road, a road where cars drive. I have to say try to drive, since the road is always full of visitors. You can park in the nearby village or just park on the side anywhere. But that makes it hard to get a picture without cars in the background. And it's nearly impossible to get one without people. If you can live with all that, then this place is still worth a visit. We were on the way home in this was on the way, so we weren't that disappointed. And we knew it doesn't look like the Kings Road in real life. So it was an ok visit. But nowhere near magical. I can imagine that it might look pretty fascinating at sunrise or sunset, when there's only few cars and visitors. But we didn't have time for that and it was a pretty cloudy day anyways.
I visited the Dark Hedges at about lunchtime on Bank Holiday Monday 30th May 2016 and stayed for probably a couple of hours, most of which was spent waiting for the occasional window of a few seconds in which I could get a reasonably clear shot. Just as I was leaving in the mid afternoon, there was a bridalwear shoot going on so I'm curious to know if that shoot has appeared in any magazines, knowing that I was present at the time. The photographer was shooting telephoto hand-held at quite a distance so must have a very steady stance. After a few hours in Ballycastle, I returned to the Dark Hedges just after 7.30pm and stayed for about 20 minutes, getting shots with the effect of the low angle but very strong evening sunlight. There was less traffic and fewer pedestrians on the whole. There were also more photographers with tripods. There is a small car parking area at the top of the hill, over the bridge and around a slight bend, out of sight from the actual Dark Hedges. However, this is grossly inadequate for the volume of visitors and so you get a lot of people parking their cars on the verges. At least most of them do so at the end of the road. Some, however, choose to park in the middle of the length of the avenue and that really messes up photography. So do lights. It may be broad daylight and blazing sunshine but even a pair of sidelights in the distance will cut through an image, At least I was able to be there long enough to get the pics that I wanted.
I'm not a Game of Thrones fan, but The Dark Hedges was on my list of cool nature-y sites to see while visiting Northern Ireland/UK! We parked at the Hedges Hotel and walked over. It actually worked out well: there is an amazing fairy village right near the parking lot. It was so cool! We walked to the nearby Grace Village House, and then crossed the road to see the hedges. The rows of beech trees (hedges), of which 150+ were planted in the 18th century, are intertwined and make for beautiful, unique scenery. Unfortunately many have been lost over the years (some due to increased tourism/buses driving through), but nonetheless, it's still such an impressive scene. Due to it's sheer popularity, though, (and close proximity to Giant's Causeway and the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge), it is a heavily visited site. If your aim is great pictures, I'd suggest going at off-peak times: perhaps in the morning or afternoon during the weekday. We were there around 4:30pm on a Wednesday, and there were several cars parked already, and tour buses pulling in around 5pm as we left. The Dark Hedges are definitely a beautiful site to behold, GoT fan or not!
The Dark woods! Le major sigh! It's honestly just a short 10 min walk along this road surrounded by old oak trees with twisted trunks but super magnificent walking it in real life - it's honestly as glorious as it looks on TV on Games of Thrones and I felt so lucky to be able to walk it in real life. We really lucked out too - it had started raining while the tour bus was heading here, and so I think a lot of folks decided not to come here but a few minutes after we took the turnoff to this magnificent avenue of oak trees, the rain stopped and a few minutes after that, the road which had been empty was suddenly swarming with cars. And I think what surprised me is that it's a proper road, surrounded by two farms and I felt a bit sorry for the locals who have to contend with tourists like me holding them up by walking in the the middle of the road to take pics. The tour I was on, the guide suddenly pulled out these swords and so you could pose in your modern garb, making these fierce expressions. I got a great photo of two blokes fake- pretending to fight, highlighted by the trees. I would absolutely consider this to be a highlight of my trip and recommend checking this natural cathedral of ancient oak trees out! A++ Note: #214 of Yelp 100 challenge for 2016
This is a road out in the middle of nowhere. We stopped here on our way to Giant's Causeway, which worked out great. I don't care that it's just trees lining a road because it looks really cool and I love taking pictures. We probably stayed here for longer than a short strip of road should warrant, but who cares it was enjoyable for us! There were a good amount of people around, especially a girl in an orange jacket that I feel like is in ALL of my pictures. I hope I'm in all of your pictures as well orange-jacket girl! Try your best to get some clear shots, but don't be frustrated if you can't because this isn't really a site, it's a road with cars on it.
The Dark Hedges, which was a filming location for the Game of Thrones, did not look as impressive when we visited in late August 2025 as compared to the location's historical photographs. There were a lot of gaps in tree coverage. The reasons are documented in Wikipedia -- tree health, storm damage, and tourist vandalism. We were here for about 45 minutes, lingering longer so I could get some photographs; but 30 minutes might be a long visit for most people. An ultra-wide lens might be useful for one or two shots, but a normal zoom lens should be otherwise be fine. A rain sleeve would be helpful if your camera isn't water resistant. There's a small shed by the parking lot that sells Game of Thrones related merchandise, and a separate café with restrooms. read more
Reviews are correct its not all that. I dont mind paying for parking but so many people and so many trees gone. It was just very disappointing. We had been at Giants causeway and were heading north anyway. If I had went way out of my way I'd be mad. To get pics without people you would have to wait a long while and have nothing else on your list to do. So idiots even have been carving on the trees ....what's wrong with people . Or be good at editing and editing people out. read more
Worth a visit. The Dark Hedges is the mythical line of beech trees from the Game of Thrones located in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland. The trees intertwine forming a natural archway over the road. The trees, planted in the 18th century by the Stuart family to impress visitors as they approached their mansion, have grown to form one of the most photographed natural marvel in Northern Ireland. Make sure to visit early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid the crowds. read more
Beautiful and serene. Free to all and a great walk though glorious fields. Also, there's an interesting accompanying story about the grey lady who roams the area. We only spent a few minutes here, so I would definitely return to explore more. Enjoy! read more
I visited the Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland with a tour group. It was a quick stop to see this natural phenomena, and I feel like a quick stop is all that's needed. They are gorgeous to see and take some photos, but that's about all there is to do. If you go in with that mentality, you will not be disappointed! The Dark Hedges stood in for the "King's Road" in the TV series Game of Thrones, so if you're a fan of that show (which I was, when it was on) you will definitely recognize the look of this imposing view. The road is lined with planted beech trees that swoop up and then out to give the hedges their very unique look. There is a legend that a ghost called "The Grey Lady" visits the Dark Hedges, having been the daughter of the hedges' original planter, James Stuart. Whether the legend is true or not, it does give a little extra spooky factor while you're standing there in the shadows of the Dark Hedges. I think this is definitely worth a stop if you're in the area or on a tour, but a quick photo and small stroll is all that is needed. read more
3 years ago
We were GOT fans before the final season, so we had to at least visit one of the filming sites while in Northern Ireland. The dark hedges were easy to find and there was free parking, which was great. We were really happy to see there was no entrance fee, and we could just walk through the lane ourselves and take pictures. The trees are absolutely stunning regardless of their association with GOT, and the estate looked really beautiful. Online, it looked like you can book tours of the estate, and it's probably a lovely spot to spend an afternoon in the Irish countryside in summer. We just stopped by to walk down the lane and then continue our drive, but it was worth it to us. I'm sure that in summer or spring, when the trees have foliage on them, it would be even better. read more
The Dark Hedges was okay... I definitely wouldn't go out of my way to see them. I'm not even a Game of Thrones fan, but people do come just to the tunnel of trees since it was featured on the show. This was one of our stops on our tour we took, otherwise I would have skipped this. Our tour guide was telling us that the trees have not been properly taken care of, so they have started cutting them down and eventually all the trees will probably be cut down. Once we got there, there were literally people cutting down the trees! I couldn't believe it. The trees are sadly not in very good shape, probably a combination of poor maintenance plus visitors who decide to carve their names or initials into them, so disrespectful. Plus, this is an actual road that people drive cars down (which was odd to me) so you have to get out of the way if a car comes. Overall, not my favorite stop in Ireland. Definitely skip it unless you happen to have some free time and you're already in the area. read more
Sadly, many of the trees are gone since the last time we were here. It's still particularly amazing to view at dusk and dawn. Nearby there are other areas with lovely "tree tunnels" that make for spectacular pictures. Except other people to be there and in your photos. When visiting, be courteous of other vehicles- roads are in use and are narrow. read more
8 years ago
This was a cool place to stop right by the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge. It was only about 20 minutes away. It's recently known as a filming location for Game of Thrones, so my husband was really interested in going. There's no where to park since the trees just line a street. People just park along the side of the street and then walk down the street to enjoy it. The trees create a very dark alley (hence the name) and they're quite pretty. We only spent a few minutes here since there's not really much to do after you see them. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here, but I think it's definitely worth stopping at if you're going to be in the area. read more
I didn't think this place was at all interesting and would not go out of my way if not in a tour group. It really will take less than 10 min and most of that is walking to and from your car. If you get there early, it may make for some good pictures read more
10 years ago
Nice but not great - at least not in daytime Ever since GoT this place is a must-see for visitors. It was already popular before, but taken really off after the show. The pictures you have in mind are either taken at dusk / dawn or have been worked on by the series FX team. It is a road, a road where cars drive. I have to say try to drive, since the road is always full of visitors. You can park in the nearby village or just park on the side anywhere. But that makes it hard to get a picture without cars in the background. And it's nearly impossible to get one without people. If you can live with all that, then this place is still worth a visit. We were on the way home in this was on the way, so we weren't that disappointed. And we knew it doesn't look like the Kings Road in real life. So it was an ok visit. But nowhere near magical. I can imagine that it might look pretty fascinating at sunrise or sunset, when there's only few cars and visitors. But we didn't have time for that and it was a pretty cloudy day anyways. read more
I visited the Dark Hedges at about lunchtime on Bank Holiday Monday 30th May 2016 and stayed for probably a couple of hours, most of which was spent waiting for the occasional window of a few seconds in which I could get a reasonably clear shot. Just as I was leaving in the mid afternoon, there was a bridalwear shoot going on so I'm curious to know if that shoot has appeared in any magazines, knowing that I was present at the time. The photographer was shooting telephoto hand-held at quite a distance so must have a very steady stance. After a few hours in Ballycastle, I returned to the Dark Hedges just after 7.30pm and stayed for about 20 minutes, getting shots with the effect of the low angle but very strong evening sunlight. There was less traffic and fewer pedestrians on the whole. There were also more photographers with tripods. There is a small car parking area at the top of the hill, over the bridge and around a slight bend, out of sight from the actual Dark Hedges. However, this is grossly inadequate for the volume of visitors and so you get a lot of people parking their cars on the verges. At least most of them do so at the end of the road. Some, however, choose to park in the middle of the length of the avenue and that really messes up photography. So do lights. It may be broad daylight and blazing sunshine but even a pair of sidelights in the distance will cut through an image, At least I was able to be there long enough to get the pics that I wanted. read more
9 years ago
I'm not a Game of Thrones fan, but The Dark Hedges was on my list of cool nature-y sites to see while visiting Northern Ireland/UK! We parked at the Hedges Hotel and walked over. It actually worked out well: there is an amazing fairy village right near the parking lot. It was so cool! We walked to the nearby Grace Village House, and then crossed the road to see the hedges. The rows of beech trees (hedges), of which 150+ were planted in the 18th century, are intertwined and make for beautiful, unique scenery. Unfortunately many have been lost over the years (some due to increased tourism/buses driving through), but nonetheless, it's still such an impressive scene. Due to it's sheer popularity, though, (and close proximity to Giant's Causeway and the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge), it is a heavily visited site. If your aim is great pictures, I'd suggest going at off-peak times: perhaps in the morning or afternoon during the weekday. We were there around 4:30pm on a Wednesday, and there were several cars parked already, and tour buses pulling in around 5pm as we left. The Dark Hedges are definitely a beautiful site to behold, GoT fan or not! read more
10 years ago
The Dark woods! Le major sigh! It's honestly just a short 10 min walk along this road surrounded by old oak trees with twisted trunks but super magnificent walking it in real life - it's honestly as glorious as it looks on TV on Games of Thrones and I felt so lucky to be able to walk it in real life. We really lucked out too - it had started raining while the tour bus was heading here, and so I think a lot of folks decided not to come here but a few minutes after we took the turnoff to this magnificent avenue of oak trees, the rain stopped and a few minutes after that, the road which had been empty was suddenly swarming with cars. And I think what surprised me is that it's a proper road, surrounded by two farms and I felt a bit sorry for the locals who have to contend with tourists like me holding them up by walking in the the middle of the road to take pics. The tour I was on, the guide suddenly pulled out these swords and so you could pose in your modern garb, making these fierce expressions. I got a great photo of two blokes fake- pretending to fight, highlighted by the trees. I would absolutely consider this to be a highlight of my trip and recommend checking this natural cathedral of ancient oak trees out! A++ Note: #214 of Yelp 100 challenge for 2016 read more
This is a road out in the middle of nowhere. We stopped here on our way to Giant's Causeway, which worked out great. I don't care that it's just trees lining a road because it looks really cool and I love taking pictures. We probably stayed here for longer than a short strip of road should warrant, but who cares it was enjoyable for us! There were a good amount of people around, especially a girl in an orange jacket that I feel like is in ALL of my pictures. I hope I'm in all of your pictures as well orange-jacket girl! Try your best to get some clear shots, but don't be frustrated if you can't because this isn't really a site, it's a road with cars on it. read more
I visited The Dark Hedges as part of the Paddywagon Day Tour from Dublin to Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland. I probably wouldn't have known about this site otherwise since this is an estranged road in a middle of the country side - but was extremely glad we were able to make a stop here. I was even more excited when I found out the road was used as 'the King's Road' on Game of Thrones. The beautiful road of beech tree trees are over 250 years old and planted by the Stuart family to impress visitors coming to their family home. It has since then become known as the Dark Hedges. We arrived around 11am on a March morning, although would love to visit the Dark Hedges during the twilight hours. The sun was peeking through the branches so it wasn't as eerie as expected, but still has a magical feeling passing through the road. The road is supposedly haunted by a spectral 'Grey Lady' who appears at dusk among the trees. This is a great scenic drive, through old intertwined trees that line the roadway. A great spot that makes for some incredible photo opportunities. read more
7 years ago
Pretty cool place for a photo. The one displayed on atlasobscura was shot in the dark, freaked me out and I didn't want to go Haha. But I went on the Castles and Thrones tour of the Game of Thrones series, and it looked a little more welcoming. This was a set location in season 2 episode 1. read more
8 years ago
Super cool road! It's really amazing to stand at one end of this road and just soak up the atmosphere. This place was used for The Kings Road in The Game of Thrones, and it's obvious why - the entire area looks incredible. My wife and I stopped here on our GoT tour, and took some photos. Even if it wasn't related to GoT I would have loved it. Definitely worth checking out, if you're considering it! read more
9 years ago
Very beautiful! We parked by the Hedges Hotel and walked over. I wish everyone did that. There are a lot of cars over by the hedges and it makes it kind of hard to get a good picture. Definitely recommend stopping here! read more
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