The best cycling routes around Carnanransy

As you cycle through the rolling landscape of County Tyrone, the Wellbrook Beetling Mill is an absolute must for a stopover. Situated in an idyllic, wooded stream valley along the Ballinderry River, this 19th-century water mill provides a stark contrast to the tranquility of its surroundings. This is the last working 'beetling mill' in the United Kingdom. "Beetling" was the final step in traditional Irish linen production: using enormous wooden hammers (beetles), powered by a water wheel nearly five metres high, the linen was processed for hours until it acquired its characteristic sheen. When the mill is running, you can hear the rhythmic thudding from afar – an impressive sound that takes you straight back to the industrial heyday of Northern Ireland.

High above Cookstown, at the foot of the impressive Sperrin Mountains, you will find the Beaghmore Stone Circles. This is one of Ireland's most fascinating archaeological sites. Only rediscovered in the 1940s during peat cutting, the bog revealed a complex of seven stone circles, ten stone rows, and numerous Bronze Age burial mounds. For a cyclist, the road to Beaghmore is an experience in itself. The route takes you away from the inhabited world into a vast, quiet landscape where the wind has free rein. The complex itself exudes an enormous sense of peace and is the perfect place to get off your bike and soak up the prehistoric atmosphere.

Small, cozy coffeeshop in the center of Beltrim, housed in an old bank building. Known as a quiet stopover for cyclists in the Sperrin region, with good coffee, cakes, and a friendly atmosphere. Located close to the river, it forms a logical break point on routes between Omagh, Gortin, and the Sperrins hills.

Steep but short stretch. Nice for photography

Gortin is a great place to begin and end a run. You could visit The Auld Bank Coffee Shop for delicious breakfast, lunch, coffee and snacks, or, if it's a cold pint a pub lunch you'd prefer, you could check out Mossey's Bar.

Gortin is a pleasant town situated in the heart of the Sperrins in County Tyrone. The town is nearby to a number of wonderful walks including Gortin Glen Forest Park, Mullaghcarn & Craignamaddy. There are also a few pubs in the town, such as Mossey's Bar and O'Neills.

It’s disappointing that the dirt trails through the forest are for mountain bikers only. As a walker, you have to stick to the tarmac roads - also used by the mountain bikes. It felt like there is an assumption that walking is more about an afternoon stroll with the kids and the dog. The forest is for the mountain bikers.

Beaghmore (Bheitheach Mhór), meaning ‘big place of birch trees’. The stones speak of ancient rituals and to a people who understood astronomy. When you visit this ancient site look up in wonder at the sky and reflect, that the people that built these monuments observed the same sky, sun, moon and stars.