Black Mountain is a prominent peak in the Belfast Hills west of Belfast, rising above west Belfast and forming, with neighboring Divis, a major upland landscape at the city’s edge. Its height offers wide views across Belfast, Belfast Lough, and Lough Neagh, with Scotland and the Isle of Man sometimes visible. Formed mainly of basalt over limestone, it has also been important for geological study. The mountain preserves evidence of human activity from prehistory onward, including Neolithic artefacts, settlement traces, monuments, and old field systems. After decades of restricted military and private use, most of it was bought in 2004, restored, and reopened for conservation and recreation in 2005.