Northern Ireland has it all – from busy towns to peaceful country-sides, green forests and cliffs and bays, beautiful beaches and castles et al.

In our two-part Northern Ireland drive, this is the second part covering the North coast driving westwards.

To view the first part of this drive covering the Northern Ireland-East Coast, click here.

 

The best way to explore the north coast is by the Causeway Coastal Route.

Here are the main highlights of our trip :

Ballintoy

Driving westwards from Torr Head, this pretty location – the historic fishing harbour of Ballintoy and the town which is a short drive away. Incidentally, this harbour’s stunning setting led it to be used as a filming location in the popular TV series Game of Thrones as the Iron Islands. The harbour looks old and has interesting rock formations. In addition, there is a sandy beach, and a large cave you can visit. 

Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge

Managed by the National Trust, this is the key attraction along this beautiful coast. The rope bridge connects the mainland to the tiny island of Carrickarede. As per history, the local salmon fishermen created the first version of the bridge over 350 years ago to gain access to the island for fishing, but now, there are very few salmon in the area and so, no more fishing here.

Set amid breathtaking scenery on the North Antrim Coast, the 30-metre deep and 20-metre wide chasm is traversed by a rope bridge that was traditionally erected by Salmon fishermen! Of course, it’s a bit sturdier these days but there’s still only one way off the island – back across the swinging bridge!

You should skip this if you are not into heights!!

WHITE PARK BAY

We enjoyed walking along a slope to this beautiful bay! Don’t miss it! Enjoy a stroll on this spectacular sandy beach which forms a white arc between two headlands on the North Antrim Coast. Don’t miss the picturesque little harbour. You may be the only people on this beach!

Cushendun

This pretty coastal village is nestled at the foot of Glendun, one of the nine Glens of Antrim. Look out for the goat sculpture, ‘Johann’, and the caves behind the village – again these were used as filming locations for ‘Game of Thrones’.

Giant’s Causeway

It is the only UNESCO world heritage site in Northern Ireland and is an absolute must-visit when in the country. The Giant’s Causeway is a geological feature – around 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns that appear to form a staircase-like pathway out to sea. As per the legend, the causeway was built by an Irish giant, so he could battle with a Scottish giant. However, the scientific explanation for the columns is that they were formed by cooling lava around fifty million years ago, with the cooling lava cracking into the formations we see. It’s hard not to be impressed by the incredible uniform structure and shape of the stones – photogenic and fun to explore.

There’s a large visitor centre which has information on pretty much everything you might need to know about the Giant’s Causeway with a great exhibit.

Dunluce Castle

Dunluce Castle is an impressive ruin, perched dramatically on the cliff top, and looking as if the sea might drown it at any moment. However, the ruin that we see today dates from around the 15th century! It’s a magnificent location, with excellent views along the coast and out to sea. Easy to access, this is an outstanding castle to visit and take some good pictures!

Mussenden Temple

The stunning Mussenden Temple is unique and sits on a precipitous 120 feet high cliff edge. There are cliff top walks to get breathtaking views over Ireland’s north coast. There are colourful sheltered garden paths to stroll on. In addition, there are interesting 18th century ruins to explore if you are into history.

Northern Ireland is the perfect landscape to Drive, Explore, Enjoy!

Northern Ireland
Mussenden Temple, Northern Ireland

Related Posts

Pin It on Pinterest

Leisurely Drives
Dunluce Castle, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Mussenden Temple, Northern Ireland
Exploring Northern Ireland – East Coast
Ring of Kerry – Ireland
The Magical Irish West Coast
Northwest Headland – Ireland
Share This