Dark Hedges

The Dark Hedges is a tree-lined avenue of European beech trees planted along Bregagh Road in County Antrim. The trees meet overhead to form a tunnel between six and ten metres wide, covering about 150 metres of the road. Planted around 1775 by James Stuart for his Gracehill House estate, they now stand roughly 250 years old. Once numbering 150, about 75 remain today, their natural decline accelerated by storms and visitor impact. The avenue gained fame as the King’s Road in the television series Game of Thrones. It also appeared in the 2017 film Transformers: The Last Knight. Local tourism campaigns in the 1990s helped draw attention to the site. A ghost called the Grey Lady is said to wander the road, linked to legends of a maid or Stuart’s daughter. Visitors walk a closed road now reserved for pedestrians. The tunnel of twisted branches creates a dramatic canopy overhead. Storms in recent years have brought down several trees, prompting conservation efforts. Some weakened trees have been removed for safety, while others remain as part of the historic landscape. The site blends natural beauty with cultural memory, framed by centuries-old beech trees.