Lagan Towpath

Great walks and you'll be surprised at what you can see,,if you look!

It's decent enough on one side. Still good park areas and man made waterfall features near the Island Arts Centre. But there are sections of it that don't make sense, like it being run down and closed and having to change to one side towards Lambeg, and having to get off it to cross at the Union Bridge. Like it is not very obvious where to go that is safe and you could go the wrong way and end up on a road or at a dead end in a bush with loads of litter by accident but there are different parts of it that are still nice...

Nice long walk, usually very busy especially when it is nice outside.

Lovely walks along the towpath from the Lisburn Council head quarters towards Moira or Belfast. Carpark available. Currently (Sept 2022) the Cafe in the Centre is closed and has been since Covid. Would attract more visitors if back open as the only alternative is to walk into Lisburn.

Easy walking along a tarmac path.We walked the route from Lagan Valley Centre to Lambeg Lock and back on a late Sunday afternoon and found it quite quiet.The total return distance between those two places was approximately 3 milesThe tarmac path makes it suitable for all levels of mobility.There was plenty of birdlife to be seen, for example, Little Grebes, Grey Herons, Mute Swans, ducks and if lucky, Kingfishers.There was little dog fouling or litter.The plastic litter in the canal has also reduced considerably over the last few years.Most cyclists were sensible although as per usual some lycra clad cyclists on racing bikes rode far too fast and didn't ring a bell when approaching walkers.

Very busy usually between the hours of 12 noon -1600hrs.lovely scenery all the way.easy walking ,good for everyone.

Lots of parking at the Island Centre and access to the tow path with exits at Hilden, Lambeg or if you feel fit Drumbeg or Shaws Bridge. Just watch out for the cyclists..

Love this path & I cycle here regularly. However had a terrible experience last week. In my opinion, when anyone cycles on this path, it is essential when going round bends, blind spots or coming up behind walkers, that you ring your bell & slow down. Racing bikes these days are so quiet that most people just don't hear you when you come up behind them & you have to be responsible for everyone that uses the path. Last Monday my partner and I went for a cycle , it was early & we expected the path to be quiet, which it was . As we approached a bend, he dinged the bell, this guy on a racer who was oncoming towards us, was going so fast, in the centre of the path, he didn't move to the left to give space for us oncoming towards him. My partner managed to brake safely however I pulled to the left, braked and skidded and landed on my right side, I was in total shock. A man walking and my partner came to my aid, the other cyclist didn't stop. We looked where I fell, I had pulled the brakes on moss which most likely caused the skid. As a result of this I ended up in a&e. My knee, hip neck and shoulder badly hurt, can't lift my arm & am in a sling. My reason for writing this is to make people aware, this is a beautiful peaceful path that takes you from Lisburn to Belfast, the views are amazing & you meet some lovely people along the way. It is not a racing track, if you can't see ahead of you, go at safe speeds. I am just so thankful that I wasn't an elderly person out for a stroll or a person pushing a pram , things could've ended more seriously and gladly I'm here to tell the tale. Please don't be put off by my review. I highly recommend it. I just want to raise awareness . Some people get offended when we ding the bell but we are only letting you know we are there & honestly it's for everyones safety. Enjoy! **Update** Since this incident I had a limp, couldn't walk 500 metres as the pain was so bad. Lucky for me I had a total knee replacement this year. I can't bend my knee enough to ride a bike but hopefully I'll be able to take this trip again .

What better way for gentle exercise than a walk along the banks of the River Lagan (cyclists please sound warnings). Stretching from Lisburn to Belfast one encounters the delights of nature during all seasons of the year. A less pleasant experience is the sound of ghostly running footsteps which have caused consternation to some folks who on investigation have been unable to ascertain the whereabouts of the mysterious jogger. Dawn and dusk seem to be favourable times for this disturbing phenomenon prompting the uneasy realization that the Lagan Towpath may be haunted!

Great walk from Lambeg to Drumbeg