Boasting the unspoiled beauty of counties Laois and Offaly, the Slieve Bloom Way takes over three days to complete.

Expect idyllic forest scenery as the loop crosses high, heathery ridges and dips down into many deep and beautiful glens, sprinkled with trickling streams.

This stunning trail does have a few rough and rugged sections but these stretches rarely rise to high altitudes and don’t demand great stamina.

Strenuous in grade, the terrain consists of forestry tracks, tarmac roads, and paths alongside streams and over open moorland, some of which can be wet and muddy.

The Slieve Bloom Way is best accessed by one of the six trailheads. Apart from the village of Kinnitty, there is no accommodation available on the actual route, but there are many characterful towns and villages dotted around the mountain range, some quite close to the route, that provide overnight accommodation.