Navigate your way around the Belfast Hills with Google Trekker

A new Google Maps service, which will help walkers to plan their journeys, was launched on Thursday morning (May 19) in Belfast.
Walkers will be able to plan treks in the hills around Belfast using Google Trekker.Walkers will be able to plan treks in the hills around Belfast using Google Trekker.
Walkers will be able to plan treks in the hills around Belfast using Google Trekker.

Walkers wanting to hike in the Belfast Hills will be able to plan their treks in closer detail now with the use of Google Trekker.

The new service is now available on Google Maps. It was launched at Visit Belfast’s Welcome Centre, where people were invited to try the service for themselves.

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The new web-based map, which is available on Google Maps, works in a similar way to Google Street View, with users able to see all of the footpaths and mountain trails around Belfast, including those on Cave Hill, Carnmoney Hill, Divis and Black Mountain.

Members of the Belfast Hills Partnership carried out the task of taking photographs of the paths and trails around Belfast over a three week period.

Manager Jim Bradley said: “It was no mean feat lugging a 42 pound backpack up and down hill tracks across our main public sites. We had four fit volunteers and staff taking turns to pound the paths, while the machine took 24 photographs per minute using 15 high tech cameras.”

He added: “We believe this is a great introduction and taster for tourists and local people who have yet to try some of our sites. A quick look at the paths using the Google Maps Streetview function and you can see what the paths, views, landscape and upland habitats are like and why its worth getting up into the hills.”

After the data was collected, Google have been analysing and stitching together the images to create continuous 360 degree views along some of the best viewpoints in Northern Ireland.

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