Northern Ireland is an area of stunning natural beauty. But its true treasure is the historic hand of man. From quiet dolmen stones nestled in the countryside and standing stones striding across the landscape to dramatic castles dominating seascapes, the eras of mankind have stamped their passing across the land.

And every site comes with a fascinating tale. The megalithic monuments inspire stories of fairies and giants and are the ancient legends expressed in stone and earth. Christianity and accounts of the early saints have left a stamp on the land with old church ruins, holy well pilgrimage sites and the emblematic round tower.And ghost yarns abound in the fortified tower houses and castles of the Anglo-Scottish Plantation landowners.

Many sites are well signposted and easy to find. But some require a good map and perseverance to locate. And it is the engaging pleasure of meeting locals to find the latter that makes this journey special.

From the wilds of the mountains to the gentility of Georgian towns, Diana Dicker paints the picture of an intriguing past profusely illustrated with photographs of the historic dimension of this scenic land.

Diana Dicker is a writer-photographer with a university background in archaeology. Now resident back in the United Kingdom, her journalism training was in Arizona, U.S.A. and she contributes to magazines and books on both sides of the Atlantic, and beyond. Specializing in travel writing, she has enjoyed working on this book uniting her love of exploration and history as well as connecting with her family’s Irish heritage.

Imprint: Halsgrove. ISBN 978 1 84114 991 2, hardback, 214x230mm, 144 pages. Published April 2010.