Scrabo Tower

Scrabo Tower is a stone monument tower standing on Scrabo Hill near Newtownards in Northern Ireland, rising approximately 135 feet (41 meters) above the surrounding hillside. Built from sandstone and dolerite with crenellations and corner turrets in the Scottish Baronial Revival style, it stands prominently above the rolling County Down countryside.

The tower was built between 1857 and 1859 as a memorial to Charles Stewart, the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, who had served in the Napoleonic Wars. Some 730 subscribers contributed funds for its construction, including Napoleon III of France.

The name Scrabo comes from an old Norse word for hill, a reminder of the seafaring people who once navigated these waters. Today visitors come to walk the paths around the tower and take in the view over the lough below.

The interior climb is currently not available, but paths through the Country Park around the tower remain open daily. A car park at the base of the hill provides access to the surrounding area.

Both types of stone used in the tower were quarried directly from the hill on which it stands. This gives the monument the appearance of growing naturally from the rock beneath.

Location: County Down

Location: Scrabo

Inception: 19 century

Address: Scrabo Tower (Londonderry Monument), Scrabo Hill, Scrabo, Newtownards, Co Down, BT23

GPS coordinates: 54.58010,-5.71550

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:28