Game of Thrones filming locations

Northern Ireland becomes a fantasy land

With everything from historic buildings to rugged coastline and wild countryside, there was no shortage of backdrops in Northern Ireland that could pass as parts of Westeros. Eagle-eyed viewers can spot them scattered throughout the series, serving as everything from battlegrounds to family strongholds.

Why not see how many of them you can recognise in the show, or better still, plan a trip to our places and spaces Northern Ireland to explore the filming locations in real life?

Castle Ward, County Down

Lying on the shores of Strangford Lough in County Down, the Castle Ward Estate provided some of season one’s most recognisable locations. The historic farmyard stood in for parts of Winterfell, including the archery range where the Stark children practised their skills.

Take a wander round the wider estate and you might also recognise other sites such as Robb Stark’s army camp, and the setting for The Twins – home of the treacherous Lord Frey.

The battle between the Starks and Lannisters in episode nine (‘Baelor’) was also filmed here, along with the scene in episode ten (‘Fire and Blood’) where Brienne confronts three Stark men.

Download the Game of Thrones location map to see the scenes shot at Castle Ward.

Portstewart Strand, County Londonderry

Portstewart Strand in County Londonderry was also chosen as a location for season five. The dune-covered beach made the perfect stand-in for the Dornish coastline, where Jaime and Bronn came ashore on their way to fetch Princess Myrcella.

Downhill Demesne, County Londonderry

Perched dramatically on the cliff edge, Mussenden Temple gave the Game of Thrones camera crew a perfect view of Downhill Beach (not National Trust owned) which became Dragonstone in season two. The beach was the place where Stannis Baratheon rejected the Seven Gods, and allowed Melisandre to burn their effigies.

Murlough Bay, County Antrim

Remote Murlough Bay became the Iron Islands in season three. It was used as the location where Theon meets his sister Yara on the way home to Pyke, and also as the place Davos Seaworth was shipwrecked after the Battle of the Blackwater.

Behind the scenes of Game of Thrones

Castle Ward had no idea what it was getting into when it agreed to the filming of a pilot for a fantasy series. There had been some small shoots before Game of Thrones, but nothing on this scale. 

The staff were a little star struck when the team of producers and executives flew in from LA to check out the site. It was agreed that the area was the perfect setting for the home of the Stark family. 

In total the crew spent eight weeks building sets at Castle Ward ahead of time, and during filming there were hundreds of cast and crew on site. The main set was the Winterfell set up in the farmyard, although it was helped by a large amount of CGI in post-production.

After the first season aired, it was clear the show was a hit. A version of the Winterfell set was then built in Titanic studios in Belfast, as continued filming at a busy heritage site like Castle Ward was no longer sustainable.