Black Mountain (Belfast)

Black Mountain is a large hill which overlooks the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. With a height of 1,275 ft (389 m), it towers over most of west Belfast and is part of the Belfast Hills. Its name is probably derived from the adjoining mountain called Divis, and they may have been seen as one mountain in the past. Black Mountain transmitting station is on the summit.

Black Mountain is composed of basalt with limestone underneath, as is Cavehill further north. There have been flint finds in the area, which also contains raths, deserted farms and overgrown paths joining the fields and homesteads and trails scattered over the mountain.

For many years people have lobbied for the preservation of the Belfast Hills, hoping to bring an end to many years of quarrying. The quarry is steep and deeply excavated and the basalt from it is used mostly for road stone. The hill is under National Trust guardianship. It won the Amazing Spaces award in November 2005.