Forest bathing at Mount Stewart

Mount Stewart, on the Ards Peninsula south of Newtownards, is best known for its gardens, but the estate also has woodland worth slowing down in. Lily Wood began as shelterbelt planting around the garden, and Broadley's woodland and Rhododendron Hill add birches, acers, camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons. The estate has a healthy population of red squirrels, and Rhododendron Hill is a refuge for them.

The red squirrel trail is only a mile but is given about an hour and a half, which tells you how it's meant to be walked: slowly, stopping to look and listen. It starts at reception and uses well-surfaced paths and lawn, mostly level with some gravel, so it suits most people. Spring is the time for the rhododendrons; autumn brings colour to the acers. There are toilets, a tea room, wheelchairs and a powered mobility vehicle to borrow, and dogs on leads are welcome across the estate.