The Antrim and Causeway Coasts of Northern Ireland

Carpe Diem

Dublin based travel blogger travelling throughout Europe and Ireland. My blogs are travel guides based on my experiences with an expert focus on culture.

Monday 9th July by Carpediemeire

The Antrim and Causeway Coastal Route is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and is billed as one of the Worlds greatest coastal drives. With the UNESCO world heritage site of the Giants Causeway as its prime destination, we gave it a go.

It’s a two-hour drive to Belfast before you turn out towards the Antrim Coast. It’s an uneventful drive through industrial lands, Belfast is known for its shipbuilding and other industries. Leaving all this behind the first town we reached was Carrickfergus. The town has some pretty streets so we took a breather from driving. Dominating the town from its coastal position, is the colossal Carrickfergus Castle. The castle was constructed by John de Courcy in 1177 as his headquarters after his conquest of eastern Ulster. At the time three-quarters of the castle was surrounded by water. Curtain walls have been added over the centuries to give it its robust appearance now. It is one of the most intact Norman structures on the island of Ireland. Like all castles it seems, it has served as a prison, garrison and armory over time. We didn’t visit the interior but there are displays and an arsenal of cannons within. Hours are 9 to 5 and admission is £5.50.

Antrim Coast Road

The coastal route by no coincidence hugs the coast, and is a beautifully scenic drive. It’s earned its reputation as a great coastal route. From the narrow Black Arch it meanders through open countryside often with steep hills on the inland side. Sweeping views of the Irish Sea abound on the coastal side. We made a few inevitable stops along the way to take in the sea vistas, but didn’t venture off the route. With time there are many distractions along the route, The Gobbins cliff walk, Glenarm Castle, Cushenden Caves (for the GOT fans, I’m one) and great hiking in the Glenariff Forest Park, but that would take another day that we didn’t have. So we stuck to the wonderful coastline and rounded Fair Head, and onto the Causeway Coast.

Carrick-a-Rede

The weather turned a little unsettled as we approached Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. This unusual sight is one of the most distinctive images of this part of Ireland. It was first built-in 1755 for a much different purpose, to help salmon fisherman access the small island. The islands sole structure is a small fisherman’s cottage with its crane used to lower boats onto the water. The ticket office sells time slots to visit the bridge, priced at £8 per adult. The location is open until 8pm during summer months.

There is a quite easy walk from the ticket office which shouldn’t be difficult for anyone with no mobility issues. The full looped walk is about 1.5km. The sea views add to the anticipation. Waves bash up on weathered ricks below. Reaching the bridge there is a descent down some steel steps, and… a significant wait as people take their time crossing the bridge. Some pose for photos and others try to summon the courage to cross it. When you finally make it to first berth, it is certainly more beautiful than scary. There is a drop of about 30 metres to the sea below, but the bridge is sturdy with only a small sway. It’s a great place to strike that pose, or indulge in a selfie moment. Beata is not the biggest fan of heights, but this didn’t bother her.

The island of Carrick-a- Rede itself is quite small. The fisherman’s house only opens to the public on certain weekends. So we walked around and listened to the caws of birds overhead and the roar of waves below. There is a large population of sea-faring birds such as kittihawks, guillemots, and oystercatchers on the island, and of course the associated smells that come with this. The cliffs below have unusually coloured caves, with strong green tones in the rock. The bridge itself is the main attraction but its location helps make it a must see.

Giant’s Causeway

It’s only another fifteen minutes drive to the main event. The Giant’s Causeway has been recognised by UNESCO since 1986, for its unique geological attributes. It was formed some 50-60 million years ago by volcanic activities. There are some 40000 individual basalt columns located over the whole site and all at varying heights. Legend has it that Finn MacCool built the phenomenon as a bridge to cross the sea to fight a Scottish giant, but destroyed most of it as the Scottish giant was too huge. But of course we know this isn’t true, an Irishman would never back out of a fight.

There is a recently constructed visitor centre on the site with a cafe. So that was our first priority, sandwiches and coffee being the offering accepted. The opening hours are from 9am usually till about sunset and admission is £8.50 into the causeway. If you arrive after hours admission isn’t charged.

The walk down to the causeway is paved and about 1km. However this is where it becomes more difficult as it’s necessary to clamber and climb over the stones to see it all. The stones are very intriguing and it’s difficult to envisage how it all formed so perfectly. If being incredibly random is perfect. After spending time walking around the stones, we decided to take a different marked route back for a different point of view. This route passes by the organ, an organ-shaped formation on the rock face. It’s an invigorating ascent up the Shepherd’s steps to the cliff walk above but the obvious reward is the elevated aspect. The views both below to the causeway and down along the coastline are exhilarating. It’s a further 2km to return this way, and honestly would have been better to come this way without the climb and return via the lower route.

A possible near escape

We had spoken to each other before the trip and decided to try save money on accommodation. So we booked a very modestly priced B&B. But if something is cheap there is usually a reason. So we set off in hunt as the location was just outside Bushmills on the Craigalappan Road (I’ll be polite and leave out the name). So we drove to where the GPS indicated which turned out to be a farmhouse. We drove to the end of the road, and back and no sign of a B&B. So we returned to the farmhouse and asked for directions. Thankfully they sent us in the right direction, and with the aid of good old Irish directions we landed outside a house with no sign or anything to indicate what it might be.

We parked and knocked on the door. Opening the door a quite unsure long-haired man allowed us to enter. He looked out-of-place. A lady was sitting inside and to be honest we weren’t sure who anyone was and if we were even in the right place. The guy showed us to a barren room, with bed linen that seemed to have seen too many quests. They were grey and faded. Now we started to feel uneasy. When he took us to the kitchen and told us breakfast was self-service, and consisted of the cheapest bread and ham that money can buy, we took that look at each other. Thankfully no credit card was asked for at the booking stage, so we politely said it wasn’t what we expected, left, and tore off in the car. Looking back we both had that feeling that we had just escaped a scene from a horror movie, where the protagonists stay and are the victims of a midnight bloodbath.

To the safety of Portrush

Bushmills was short on online availability so we knocked on the doors of a few guesthouses (as my parents used to do in the days before the internet) but to no avail, so we gave up on the town and drove to Portrush instead. Spotting the Golf Links Hotel we chanced our arm, and luckily they had a room. It was double the price of the B&B, but I would happily have paid quadruple. The room was clean if small, and the bistro in the hotel had some good fare.

After a good rest we ventured downstairs to said bistro, and it proved excellent, we shared some wings, before mains of lasagne and ribs, and our must have item if it appears on a menu, chocolate fudge cake. With the extra five kilos that we had consumed, we sought advice on the town on where to walk and find live music. The walk into the town helped and as dusk fell around us, we strolled along the east strand. It was beautiful and peaceful there. When we finally made it to the pubs the thought of some drinks didn’t entice us. The stretch of amusement arcades did though and to be honest we probably had more fun there than we would have had in the pub. Beata is a seasoned Fusball player and she always hammered me at it. Yes we are quite competitive but it gives it an edge.

After a good sleep where no one tried to murder us, we had our breakfast in the hotel. The weather wasn’t with us on this second day, it started out quite rainy, and the coastal attractions by their nature are best enjoyed in dry weather. We waited for a break and when the rain dissipated we drove the full 2.5 miles to Dunluce Castle.

Dunluce Castle

Dunluce Castle is a 16th century castle built on a dramatic outcrop on the coast. It is renowned as one of the most romantic ruins in the country. The castle has a history that adds to its story, legend has it a banshee haunts it, and the old kitchens gave way with the earth beneath it and were lost to the sea. The attraction is open till 5 daily and admission is £3.50. Access is across a bridge to what remains of the castle, the roof long since having disappeared. There is partial reconstruction and placards describe how the building once looked, but its best enjoyed by simply wandering and soaking in the location. It rained a little again and that was soaked in too. The drops from the north side are sheer. Actual drops not raindrops. There is walk down below the castle, and to the west in the direction of Portrush there are a number of sea arches. The castle has been the location of some notable movies, and more recently that of the castle of Pyke in Game of Thrones.

Dark Hedges

It’s a 13 miles (20 kilometer) drive south from Dunluce Castle to find the Dark Hedges. This landmark found fame in (you guessed it) Game of Thrones. It is an avenue of Beech trees that were grown to provide a beautiful entrance into the Georgian mansion, Gracehill House. A lot of its current visitors only know it from the phenomenon that is the adapted books. Myself included. We parked up the car and took a stroll down along it. Its usually swarming with people and has probably lost some of its mysticism due to its popularity. It would certainly be better late in the evening or early morning. And its surely better in black and white. Admission is of course free.