For a holiday a little closer to home Northern Ireland offers many delights and the County Antrim Coastline has a wide of range of attractions for everyone to enjoy no matter what you look for , making the area an ideal destination for a week’s holiday. Northern Ireland is relatively easy to get to from Great Britain, you can hop on a flight to Belfast and all you need is ID like a Driving License so no need for a passport. You can also take a ferry across and it’s also worthwhile to hire a car for the time you’re out there to get around the countryside easily.
County Antrim Coastline
Picture courtesy of Effervscing Elephant
County Antrim’s top attraction is of course the Giants Causeway the amazing system of hexagonal rock formations on the coastline is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of four natural sights belonging to the UK.
According to legend the Irish giant Finn MacCool lived on the north coast of Ireland over the sea from his Scottish rival Banandonner, both would roar across the water at each other and generally trade insults. The insults then escalated and Finn threw a rock to Scotland, thus challenging Banandonner to a fight, but Banandonner could not swim, so Finn desperate for the fight to go ahead ripped up slabs of volcanic rock and created a causeway between the two countries. However the fight never went ahead after Finn tricked Banandonner into thinking he was a baby when he arrived in Ireland so believing the child to be the offspring of his rival, took fright, convinced that if a mere baby could be so huge, the father must be a figure of epic size. He then fled Ireland ripping up most of the Causeway as he went.
Giants Causeway
Picture courtesy of qyphon
However the cause way was actually formed by volcanic explosions deep underground that forced molten basalt up to the surface and formed a plateau of lava which when it cooled and contracted it coalesced into huge hexagonal basalt columns around 60 million years ago.
Here you can enjoy the natural beauty of the cause way and if you are more adventurous can also challenge yourself to the 162-step hike from the Causeway to the cliff tops along the soaring rock columns exposed in the cliff face. If you have a head for heights you could also visit the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge which is nearby, this rickety 80ft-high bridge links the mainland with a tiny island 65 feet off-shore. However if you wish to partake in something more sedate or need a stiff drink after going on the bridge then a visit to the Old Bushmills Distillery will be in order, this is the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery.
Carrick-a-Rede
Picture courtesy of williamsdb
There are some great places to stay nearby including the seaside towns of Portrush, Portstewart and Ballycastle and easily accessible by car from Belfast, each town has a great offering of guesthouses, B&B’s and hotels.
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