A Day on the Antrim Coast

For most people my age and older, Northern Ireland is still met with some hesitation. Growing up I was a huge Cranberries fan so I was exposed to what was happening in Northern Ireland in the 90’s through their music and it seemed like a scary place to live. However when we were planning our trip to Ireland we read that it’s long been safe to travel there. And after reading about the Antrim Coast, we added a couple nights in Belfast. The Antrim Coast was described as one of the top 10 coastal drives in the world. I’ve driven US 1 through the Keys and Highway 1 along the California coast so I was skeptical of this declaration. I shouldn’t have been because our time on the Antrim Coast ended up being the highlight of our trip.

Our experience to visit the Antrim Coast was through a large group tour. I don’t like large group tours but it was 3-4 times the cost to go with a small group and back then it was hard for me to spend more money for a better experience (I am not like that anymore!). I did like our tour guide and he gave us some good information about the area but in retrospect, I would suggest renting a car for this drive that way you aren’t on anyone’s schedule. We left downtown Belfast early in the morning and it was gloomy and rainy. While we had great weather on our trip so far, I didn’t have my hopes up that it would last so the rain was to be expected. By the time we got to our first stop just outside Belfast the rain had let up but it was still cloudy. Carrickfergus Castle was our first sight to explore. We did not go inside but were able to walk around the outside grounds for free. The castle was built by the Normans in 1177 along Belfast Lough. It was utilized until 1928 when ownership transferred from the British Army to the government in Northern Ireland and has since been a monument for the country.

We drove along the coast for a couple hours and the top 10 drive declaration I was skeptical about was quickly fading as the sun began peeking out and rainbows appeared over the North Channel of the Irish Sea. I even spotted a seal in the shallows! By the time we arrived at our second stop, the Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge we had sunshine and blue skies. And that made for quite the dramatic backdrop over the sheer rocky cliffs and turquoise water. The views were much more beautiful than I ever expected and I immediately fell in love with the area. On clear days (as we were lucky to have) you can see Scotland in the distance. You can walk on trails along the cliff and if you choose, you can also walk across the bridge (free of charge). They allowed traffic across in groups and in one direction. When it was our turn, I got a lot more nervous than I expected about the 98 foot height but despite the bridge being there (in some form or another) for over 350 years, it is quite solid and safe. The 66 foot long bridge was originally built by fisherman to catch salmon that swam through the rocks to reach their spawning rivers. I didn’t want to leave when we had to, I could have enjoyed the views there the rest of the day. For Game of Thrones fans, the parking lot for the rope bridge is next to a rock quarry used for parking overflow but was used as a filming location in season 2.

Bushmill’s Distillery was our mid-day stop and our opportunity for lunch. We passed on taking the tour there as we had just toured Tullamore DEW a few days prior but enjoyed exploring the grounds and eating lunch. Bushmill’s is the oldest licensed distillery in the world with expansive grounds and included a stage for concerts. If you aren’t in a tour group you can eat lunch at one of the nearby restaurants in lieu of eating at the distillery as the food was just okay. But the whiskey was good. 😉

After we left Bushmill’s we had a short stop for a quick photo opportunity of Dunluce Castle. It’s right on the coast but one castle you can’t enter as quite some time ago, part of it collapsed into the sea. It was built in the early 1500’s and is yet another stop in Northern Ireland that was used in Game of Thrones filming. The castle ruins against the backdrop of high cliffs over the ocean is quite dramatic and worth a quick stop to see.

We arrived at our final destination shortly after Dunluce, the famous Giant’s Causeway. The weather had changed again and was on and off clouds, rain and sun but cooperated for the majority of our time there. The actual area is a bit away from the visitor center and you can either walk or pay to take a small bus. We chose to walk down but took the bus back. Officially (aka scientifically), the Giant’s Causeway is made up near perfectly hexagonal shaped basalt rock columns, a result of an ancient volcanic eruption. I personally like the Irish legend better about two feuding giants, one Irish and one Scottish. The Causeway is a very popular destination. I’d love to go back when I can control what time I arrive - as in first thing in the morning. We were there in late afternoon and it was quite crowded and I stood no chance of capturing a photo similar to what I’d seen online with no one in it. If you can get to the Causeway and rope bridge early, do it. Less people will make for a more pleasant experience. Once we had our fill of exploring we still had time before we needed to be back on the bus for our return to Belfast so we went to The Nook Pub next to the Causeway for a drink. It was a cozy little pub with peat burning in the fireplace, views of the Irish countryside and hardly anyone in it. A good finish to our day on the Antrim Coast.

The basalt columns at the Giant’s Causeway

As we arrived back in Belfast our driver thanked us for visiting Northern Ireland and talked about how they are still struggling to get tourists to visit after all the prior conflict of the country. It made me immensely sad that people would avoid such a beautiful country because of its history. The Antrim Coast was amazing and we had a great time exploring downtown Belfast. We has some of the best meals of our trip, shopped St. George’s Market, saw Belfast’s famous city hall all washed down with good Irish beer and whiskey in some fun pubs. So if you are ever considering exploring Ireland, don’t hesitate to add Northern Ireland to the itinerary!

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