Ardboe High Cross

Ardboe stands on a quiet point on the western shore of Lough Neagh, where the finest and most complete high cross in Northern Ireland, a tenth-century sandstone cross carved with biblical scenes, rises beside the ruins of an old abbey and graveyard. It is an evocative, atmospheric spot that few visitors reach, and the combination of the ancient cross, the ruins and the vast inland sea of Lough Neagh makes for memorable aerial images. There is a small car park and open grass by the shore to launch from, with the lough opening out flat and enormous to the east. Because the cross is a state-care monument in an active graveyard, be respectful: do not fly low over the cross or over any visitors paying respects, and keep the machine well clear of the fragile carvings. The Lough Neagh shoreline here is an internationally important wildfowl area, so in autumn and winter give flocks a wide berth and avoid flushing birds off the water. It is flat, open and quiet, with no airspace worries to speak of. Still, misty mornings over the lough produce beautifully moody footage, with the cross and ruins emerging from the haze above a glassy sheet of water.