Located about 49 miles (78.85 km) northwest of Belfast and 150 miles (241.40 km) from Dublin, the fascinating Dark Hedges, an avenue of large mature beech trees that resembles an enchanting and eerie tunnel, is situated between the villages of Armoy and Stranocum in Antrim County, along Bregagh Road. Planted in the 18th century, the opposing rows of beech trees began to bend over the road and as they matured, their upper branches intermingled to create a shadowy arboreal tunnel that gives off a sinister ambience. Gradually, with the aura of the supernatural prevailing in the atmosphere, it came to be known as the Dark Hedges, even developed its own ghost story featuring a Grey Lady, who floats along behind the rows.

It all started in 1775, when James Stuart, one of the descendants of King James I, built an elaborate Georgian mansion in his estate around two and a half miles north of the village of Stranocum and named the mansion Gracehill House, after his beloved wife Grace Lynd.The expansive estate surrounding the mansion was originally owned by the royal family, which King James I gifted to one of his cousins. Ultimately, the property was passed to his grandson, William Stuart, and remained in the Stuart family for many years.

Although the estate was an impressive spectacle in itself, James Stuart wanted to create an equally imposing scenic avenue leading up to their newly constructed mansion to impress visitors as they approach the Gracehill House.

Finally, after much contemplation, the Stuart family, planted 150 opposing rows of beech trees along the entrance to the Georgian estate, which gradually bent over the road and their upper branches entangled to create a spectacular fusion of light and shadow.

Two centuries later, the ethereal natural tunnel with the eerie atmosphere, created by the ghostly display of light and shadow, came to be known as the Dark Hedges and started to attract thousands of visitors from all over the world for its sinister ambience. Although out of the 150 trees originally planted by the Stuart family, about 90 remained by 2016, the desolateDark Hedges, framed by the unusually bent trunks and gnarled branches, is still regarded as a paradise for the photographers. Even,it was also used as a filming location for the King's Road in the famous television series Game of Thrones.

Probably due to its enchanting and eerie atmosphere, the Dark Hedges is marked as a haunted place, frequented by a spirit called Grey Lady, who floats and glides along behind the trees, and disappears just as the alley ends. According to the local myths, she is joined by spirits from a nearby forgotten graveyard on Halloween night.

While some people believe that she is the spirit of one of the maids of the house, who died mysteriously centuries ago, others maintain that she is the hovering soul of Cross Peggy, the daughter of James Stuart.

However, another version of the story says, she is a lost spirit from an old and deserted graveyard that is thought to lie hidden in the fields nearby. On Halloween night, the forgotten graves are said to open and the ghost of Grey Lady is joined in her venture by the tormented souls, buried beside her.

The tree alley, known as the Dark Hedges, is no longer part of the Gracehill estate as it was in the past and the Gracehill House, the Georgian manor house that was built by James Stuart as the home of the family home, is now operating as a private bar and restaurant, rented for wedding celebrations and maintains a golf course.