Above and Beyond: Lizzie Gore-Grime’s off-roading adventure in Co Wicklow

Join our Editor-in-Chief as she goes off-roading around the wilds of Wicklow in the unstoppable new Defender, before checking into one of Ireland’s most exciting new eco-retreat centres – The Deerstone, in Laragh.

It may not be its most impressive feature, but the first thing I commented on when I climbed (up) into the new Defender 110 model was the paint colour. And clearly I was not alone, judging by the comments on social media when I posted a pic of the car. But seriously, what a colour!

It’s called Grasmere Green and is a modern take on one of the original Defender colours, first released back in the 1940s, now reintroduced as a Defender 75th anniversary limited edition.

The shape and outline of the new Defender also pays homage to the original model, boasting the same iconic boxy silhouette, yet feels stylishly modern, with a lightweight aluminium frame, and some softer exterior curves that look smart but still feel solid. But don’t let any of the more modern flourishes fool you, the 2024 Defender is every bit the off-road beast as its predecessor.

And what better location to test said capability than scaling Wicklow’s Little Sugar Loaf? At 342m high it’s not as lofty as its big sister, but as I sat behind the wheel of the Defender and looked up at the winding tracks ahead, extra muddy after two days of solid rain, the gradient looked suitably intimidating to my novice off-roader eyes.

But after just a few minutes I felt myself completely relax as I allowed the car to do what it does best. If there is one overarching sensation behind the wheel of a Defender it is “solid” and with solid, comes “safe”. And frankly, whatever boulders and swampy potholes you see ahead pose zero problem thanks to the Defender’s expert terrain response system – a hi-tech system with sensors that report 500 times per second, with high ground clearance and 900mm wading depth. And when it comes to going down, no matter how sheer the drop, you merely press a button to turn on “hill descent mode” and the car takes over to ensure a careful, controlled descent. Not so essential in Sandymount, but on the Sugar Loaf I was very glad of it.

After two hours of proper muddy hillside off-roading, we then got to appreciate the car’s ability to glide, or at least that’s what it felt like, as we took the long route home, a spin through the spectacular Sally Gap. This allowed us to experience the car in electric mode as we were driving the new Defender plug-in hybrid model, (offering 42km of electric driving on every charge), adding even more smoothness to the ride.

Now, with only open road ahead, we took the opportunity to appreciate the comfort and luxury of the interior. Between the super luxe leather seats, stylish cockpit, Meridian speaker system and slick Pivi Pro Infotainment touchscreen system – the Defender boasts all the mod-cons you expect of a luxury car today, but enhanced by all its additional rugged capabilities.

Suitably exhilarated by the combination of adventure and stunning scenery, the icing on the cake was yet to come, with our arrival at The Deerstone, our base for the night. The eco-retreat centre in Laragh, opened in late 2023 by Kirsty Foynes is nothing short of spectacular.