About Us

Regenerative Tourism in the Coastal Uplands

Developed in partnership between Aberystwyth University, University College Dublin, the Dyfed Archaeological Trust, and local communities, this project connects four communities that lie inland and upland from the Irish Sea coast: the Cambrian Mountains, Mynydd Preseli, the Wicklow Mountains, and the Blackstairs Mountains. These areas have many links stretching back into prehistory. Today, they remain mainly rural communities. Each have strong farming traditions and are home to vibrant communities with a rich history and heritage ready for you to explore. We invite you to be more than a tourist, we invite you to be a ‘regenerative tourist.’ As you explore, actively engage with the local communities you visit, participate in recording and monitoring wildlife and landscapes, and support local activities and businesses!

The Coastal Uplands: Heritage and Tourism (CUPHAT) Project was funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Ireland Wales Co-operation Programme. The project partners worked with a range of communities, local and national stakeholders from Wales and Ireland to identify aspects of the cultural and natural heritage of these areas to showcase for a tourist audience. We are hugely grateful to the funders, stakeholders, and particularly to the local communities of the Cambrian Mountains, Mynydd Preseli, Wicklow Mountains and Blackstairs Mountains for their support and willingness to engage with us. With their help we bring you ‘Coastal Uplands: Revive | Explore.’

This website showcases the wealth of sites to visit and things to do in the Coastal Uplands of Ireland and Wales. We have selected five sites in each area that showcase the rich cultural and natural heritage that these areas have to offer and we have tried to highlight links between the southeast of Ireland and the west of Wales. They cover four themes: Geology & Landforms, Biodiversity, Archaeology, and Community Lives. At the time of writing, the majority of the sites listed are free to visit and easy to access. Some of the sites are less accessible or privately held, and where this is the case, we have indicated this and provided digital content to replace an actual visit. These issues are subject to change. For every site and every visit we invite you to be a responsible visitor, ensure your own safety by planning your own routes and obeying the countryside code.

This project has aimed to bring regenerative heritage-based tourism to these areas. We encourage you to do what you can during your visit to help and support local communities and businesses.

Suggestions include:

  • If you can, please stay local, eat local, and shop local in these communities.
  • Our ‘Areas’ and ‘Get Involved’ pages include information about how you can get involved in citizen science activities while you are here. These easy-to-use apps or websites allow you to help us monitor local environments and landscapes. We do not expect you to do them all, but do try and pick at least one to do during your stay!
  • On our ‘What’s On’ page you will see that the CUPHAT project team have worked alongside local businesses, community groups, and other organisations to highlight a range of authentic, local experiences that celebrate the unique natural and cultural heritage of these mountain communities. Why not make time to do one of these activities while you are in the area.