Kilkeel Harbour showcases two sides of the town’s maritime themes: history and fishing at the Mourne Maritime Visitor Centre, and a “catch-to-cook” experience at the same Nautilus Centre. Other highlights include exploring the town on foot and playing golf in the landscape of the Mourne Mountains.

Harbour, fishing and maritime history

The Mourne Maritime Visitor Centre is located in the Nautilus Centre, overlooking Kilkeel Harbour. It covers the history of the local harbour, the development of the fishing industry and maritime connections over the years. This brings a specific place and the development of the themes associated with it into focus together.

Children can visit the wheelhouse at the Centre and try steering a ship into Kilkeel Harbour. This interactive activity makes steering the ship into harbour a tangible part of the maritime theme. Alongside the history of the harbour and fishing, it offers children a practical activity and a different way to engage with the subject than through historical accounts.

Kilkeel on foot and with a connection to history

The Kilkeel Walking & Heritage Trail is a designated route for exploring the town on foot. This offers a different focus from the Visitor Centre: while the Centre focuses on the harbour, fishing and maritime connections, the trail puts exploring Kilkeel on foot centre stage. If you prefer to discover the town on foot, the designated route is a distinct option alongside a visit to the harbour.

The Old Church of St Colman dates back to the 14th century. This specific historical reference complements the Visitor Centre’s broader look at the development of the harbour and fishing. Together, they offer two different historical perspectives: a dated reference to the church and the development of maritime themes over the years.

Seafood at the Nautilus Centre

The Mourne Seafood Cookery School is also located in the Nautilus Centre at Kilkeel Harbour. It offers a “catch-to-cook” experience featuring locally caught fish and seafood, as well as artisan products. The name sums up the culinary focus, from the catch to the kitchen; artisan products are also part of what it offers.

The Nautilus Centre thus combines maritime history with a culinary approach to fishing. The two perspectives share a location but have different focuses: the Visitor Centre covers the harbour and maritime development, while the Cookery School offers a “catch-to-cook” experience. For travellers who want to focus on local seafood, this is a tangible complement to the history of the harbour.

Golf in the landscape of the Mourne Mountains

Kilkeel Golf Club is a 6,700-yard championship parkland course designed by Eddie Hackett. These details describe different aspects: the course length, its category and its designer. This helps place the golf offering in context beyond just the club’s name.

The club is set amid the landscape of the Mourne Mountains, an area of outstanding natural beauty. This means there are different criteria to consider when choosing between local attractions: the Nautilus Centre brings together harbour, fishing and seafood themes; the trail is a designated route for exploring the town on foot; and the golf club is defined by its course length, type, designer and setting. If you’re looking for hotels in Kilkeel, you can first consider which of these highlights you’d like to shape your trip.

Discover more destinations: Warrenpoint, Hilltown, Crossmaglen, Newry

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