A granite mountain range in County Down in the south-east of Northern Ireland which includes the highest mountains in Northern Ireland and the province of Ulster. The highest of these is Slieve Donard at 850 metres (2,790 ft). The Mournes is an area of outstanding natural beauty and has been proposed as the first national park in Northern Ireland. The area is partly owned by the National Trust and sees a large number of visitors every year. The Mournes are only a 30 minute drive from Strangford (Strangford is a short 8 minute ferry crossing from Portaferry).