Slemish Mountain

Slemish is a craggy volcanic plug that erupts abruptly from the flat drumlin farmland east of Ballymena, and it is one of the most rewarding low-effort flying spots in County Antrim. The little base car park sits right beneath the summit, so you can launch from open ground without a long carry. From a few metres up the drone reveals the plug's near-perfect conical mass, the patchwork of hedged fields draining toward the Braid valley, and on clear days the Antrim plateau and Lough Neagh basin beyond. The hill is famous as the place where a young Saint Patrick is said to have herded swine, so expect a pilgrimage crowd every 17 March; the rest of the year it is genuinely quiet. Wind is the main enemy here, because the isolated summit accelerates and disturbs the airflow badly, so pick a settled day and keep well clear of the steep scree faces. There are usually a few walkers on the direct path to the top, so launch off to the side and keep your height sensible over them. It photographs best in low golden light when the plug throws a long shadow across the surrounding fields.