10 places to see while hiking Ireland's northern coast
Most people only ever experience the Giant’s Causeway as a day trip from Belfast, yet there's plenty more to see in this overlooked region.
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Tour of Gobbins Coastal Walk Islandmagee Co Down
On Saturday 11th of August 2018 we finally got booked in to see/walk and experience the famous Gobbins Coastal path. This stunning spectacular coastal walkway over modern replicas of the original 1902 series of bridges has been described as the most dramtic walk in Europe. You can judge this for yourself when you come to visit. If you cannot get here I hope my video tour and accompanying commentary will give you an very good idea what you can expect to see. We had a great day on the walk. Our tour guide was Olwen. She was fun, a real people person and clearly loved the Gobbins and sharing her knowledge about them with others.
' The Gobbins, near Islandmagee, County Antrim, is a spectacular coastal walk along the Causeway Coastal Route. It is a 40 min. car trip from Belfast past Carrickfergus.
A 2.5- hour fully guided walking tour offers visitors the opportunity to experience the abundance of birdlife, amazing scenery, geology which exist along this dramatic coastline. Stunning bridge architecture links the path over rocky inletsand deep chasms.
Originally opened in 1902, the path has been restored and is now enjoyed by visitors from across the world who come to experience the dramatic scenery that awaits them along this stretch of coastline. Weaving its way along the basalt cliffs of the famous Causeway Coast, you will walk suspension bridges, through a tunnel and along pathways and see the ever-changing flora and fauna along the cliff face. Be amazed by the closeness of Scotland as you peer across the Irish Sea to the East. You will learn about the geology and biodiversity of the area, as well as its amazing history.
The Gobbins Path was masterminded by the Irish railway engineer, Berkley Dean Wise as an incredible tourist attraction. The path originally opened in 1902 and was later abandoned in the 1960’s until an investment of over £7.5 million brought about its rebirth in 2015.
The Gobbins Experience
The Gobbins Path is an arduous trek that is often narrow and uneven, accessed by a very steep pathway. Due to the nature of the rugged coastal location suitable outdoor clothing and walking/hiking boots with thick tread and ankle support are essential. Without exception, all guests must wear a safety helmet whilst experiencing The Gobbins. To enjoy The Gobbins a good level of fitness is needed. You must be fit enough to climb 50 flights of stairs and walk a very steep 1 in 5 gradient.
Opening times
Visitor Centre - 09.30 - 16:30
Café - 10:00 - 16:00
Tours run every 30 minutes from 10:00
Last Tour Times
Last tour in April - August at 18:00
Last tour in September - 17:00
Last tour in October - 16:00
Price list
Adults £15
Concessions £12
Family (2 Adults up to 3 children) £38
Registered Carer - Free
For group bookings over 10 ppl, contact groups@thegobbinscliffpath.com
Hire of hiking boots £10 (£5 deposit returned after the tour)'
Great Days Out Around Northern Ireland
Ever wondered where to start exploring the gorgeous rolling green hills of Northern Ireland, or its enigmatic coastline, perhaps the bustling cities Belfast and Derry~Londonderry are calling out your name?
Well, Tourism Ireland’s brand new video is brimming with easy to reach trip ideas to get you around Northern Ireland. The only tricky thing will be choosing which trip to take... and how many!
Footage of Cuilcagh Legnabrocky Trail courtesy of
FAST FACTS:
1. The urban city of Belfast is renowned for its charming atmosphere and friendly people, but its maritime heritage can bring you on a fascinating journey into the city’s shipbuilding past. Head to the city’s Titanic Quarter, the location for Titanic Belfast: Expect gantry rides, an underwater cinema show and stunning cabin recreations. No wonder it has been named the World's Leading Tourist Attraction at the World Travel Awards.
2. The prestigious travel bible Lonely Planet voted Belfast and the Causeway Coast Best in Travel 2018. Deemed to be one of the world’s most “geographically diverse regions”, the Causeway Coast is home to amazing sights, including the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, Mussenden Temple, as well as the jewel in its crown: the legend-laden Giant’s Causeway.
3. HBO’s hit tv series Game of Thrones® brought the natural beauty of Northern Ireland to the small screen. Impressed with the landscapes? Well, did you know the show was filmed at multiple Northern Ireland locations, including the Dark Hedges in County Antrim and Castle Ward in County Down. Grab your broadsword and enjoy.
4. Suitably nicknamed ‘Stairway to Heaven’, the boardwalk around the Cuilcagh Mountains in the Marble Arch Global Geopark is actually part of the Cuilcagh Legnabrocky Trail. The boardwalk is 1.6 km in length and is located at the end of a 5.8km limestone gravel track. The Cuilcagh Legnabrocky Trail is a linear route which will appeal to walkers with some experience walking in the hills. According to NIExplorer: “Cuilcagh, from the Irish meaning ‘chalky peak’, is Fermanagh’s highest mountain and sits right on the border of County Fermanagh in the north and County Cavan in the south of Ireland. Legnabrocky is the rural townland just to the north of the mountain’s summit and is where this walking trail begins.” Discover more of it with NI Explorer’s wonderful video.
5. With the Irish Sea tracing around the course perimeter and the Mourne Mountains as a striking backdrop, Golf Digest has listed Royal County Down Golf Club as number one in its ranking of the World’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses outside the US.
6. Don’t just sweep in to Derry~Londonderry on a flying visit, stroll the walls – they’ve been standing tall for some 400 years, after all! Take a tour and meet the locals, enjoy tastes galore in the Walled City Brewery, and follow your ear to traditional music sessions across town. Northern Ireland’s Walled City is spectacular in every way, but for one week during the year, it turns ‘spook-tacular’ as it transforms into what USA Today has said is the world’s best spot to celebrate Halloween!
7. Ireland’s patron saint, Saint Patrick, can be remembered fondly in Counties Down and Armagh. Said to have begun his mission to spread Christianity in County Down, Saint Patrick went on to found his main church in County Armagh in 445AD.
8. The wild and wonderful Mourne Mountains are a nature lover’s paradise. An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it has numerous trails for walking, hiking and mountain biking as its peaks sweep down to the sea. But did you know they were also inspiration for one of the world’s best-loved authors: “I have seen landscapes which, under a particular light, made me feel that at any moment a giant might raise his head over the next ridge,” wrote CS Lewis, the Belfast-born author of the Chronicles of Narnia.
9. Rediscover the stories of your ancestors at the intriguing Ulster American Folk Park. This unique experience is home to authentic thatched cottages, a full scale emigrant ship and American Frontier log cabins.
For more information, visit
The Best things to do on Northern Ireland's Causeway Coast | The Planet D
The Best Things to do in Northern Ireland on the Causeway Coast
Things to do in Northern Ireland
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Dave and Deb of The Planet D show you the very best things to do on Northern Ireland's stunning Causeway coastal route!
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From the Giant's Causeway to the Dark Hedges, the Causeway Coastal Route of Northern Ireland is one of the greatest drives in the world. ThePlanetD highlights all of the best things to see and do on their road trip through Ireland.
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VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:
We’re on the Causeway Coastal trail here in Northern Ireland!
Driving the Causeway Coastal Route in Northern Ireland is one of the greatest drives in the world
By far I would say for me the biggest highlight was the Giant’s Causeway
I’ll never forget walking out there for the first time and
my jaw dropping because there’s all these basalt columns
you know they look like they’ve been placed there by an architect
Yeah legend has it that the giant Finn McCool made a giant causeway
hence the name
over to Scotland to fight with another giant
The Carrick-A-Rede Bridge
Now this is an old bridge that the fishermen used to use back in the day
You know what it’s been modernized now for tourists
When you take this bridge over
like the bridge is a highlight yes
but when you get out there and you’re standing
on these massive massive cliffs
you know overlooking the ocean
you really feel small
I really respected mother nature
when I was standing there
Yeah this is a wild coastal route
I’m telling you the waves are pounding
the cliffs are giant
these are some of the highest sea cliffs in the world
and when you’re standing out there
you’re just in awe
If you do get a chance
I highly recommend Ballintoy Harbour
this was one of my favourite stops
you really get up close to those wave crashing
against those cliffs and it really does take your breath away
when you’re standing there
the beauty about this place too is that
tour busses can’t get down there
and for those Game of Thrones TV buffs out there
this was used as Theon Greyjoy’s home
when he sailed his ship into the harbour
well it was Ballintoy harbour
And we can’t leave out the Dark Hedges
this is another Game of Thrones reference
it’s this grove of beach trees that tower
and make sort of a tree cave
over this really long road
It’s absolutely beautiful
it’s also Northern Ireland’s most photographed
tourist site
Having a car and doing our self-drive
around the coastal route was really key
because we could get there early in the morning
when no one else was there
and we had the Dark Hedges all to ourselves
And if you like castles
Dunluce Castle is another great stop
in Northern Ireland along the Coastal Route
again they don’t dress up their castles
you know it’s just overhanging on these cliffs
and you can just imagine what life would’ve been like
there when people were living there
One place that you gotta make sure you go out to
is the Mussenden Temple
now that’s one of the last stops
or it is the last stop on the Causeway Coastal Route
and then you go back into London Derry into
the cities and everything
but this is a nice stop and Dave loved photographing it
Yeah when I read about the Mussenden Temple
I was really curious because
you walk through a small settlement
and remnants of a settlement that’s there
and you get to the edge of this cliff and there’s
this very small stone temple
that just doesn’t look like it belongs
but it’s an incredible scene to photograph
One last thing that we have to recommend
is a little side trip that you can do
and that’s going out to Torr Head Drive
Not a lot of people make this drive out
but I highly recommend it because
as you get out t this point
you stand there and
it is the closest point to Scotland
Yes it is
It feels like you could almost reach out
and touch Scotland from there
The Giant’s Causeway Coastal Route
is just one of the best things anyone can do
it’s by far one of our favourite drives
we’ve ever done
I highly recommend it
Yeah if you love road trips
don’t miss the Causeway Coastal Route
in Northern Ireland
How to Explore the Causeway Coastal Route
Hold tight – we're about to embark on an epic journey along the coast of Northern Ireland. This is the Causeway Coastal Route, a 4-day itinerary that will bring you to majestic cliff-top castles, sea bridges swaying high above the ocean and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Here's a few facts about the Causeway Coastal Route:
– The Giant’s Causeway was formed over 60 million years ago, when molten lava from the earth’s core came into contact with the sea, crystallising into the 40,000 hexagonal basalt pillars we recognise today.
– The Cushendun Caves were used as a filming location for HBO’s Game of Thrones®. You’ll recognise them from the scene where Melisandre gave birth to a shadowy creature that would eventually kill Renly Baratheon.
– Rathlin Island is the most northerly inhabited island in Ireland – it’s also home to colonies of seabirds, and a curious ‘upside-down’ lighthouse that glows red at night.
– Overlooking Downhill Beach, Mussenden Temple was once used as a private library. It’s modelled after the Temple of Vesta in Tivoli, Italy. Oh, and did we mention they carry out wedding ceremonies here?
– Leading to Carrick Island, the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge was initially set up by salmon fishermen who wanted to make use of the abundant waters around the rocky outcrop.
Find out more at
Binevenagh Mountain and Lake near Limavady N.Ireland 26/3/18
Video of our visit to Binevenagh Mountain and Lake, near Limavady, Co. Londonderry, N. Ireland. It wasn't easy to find and the road up to it isn't great but for the views it was well worth it. We got a great viewing day and visibility was excellent.
One fisherman we talked to caught 4 lovely trout that morning.
Mountainbiking in Northern Ireland - Belfast - Northern Ireland Tourism
Reporter Bert did some mountainbiking in Northern-Ireland with Northern Ireland Tourism. It was a beautiful trip, they also visited Belfast.
Reporter Bert ging mountainbiken in Noord-Ierland met Noord-Ierland Toerisme. Het was een mooie reis, met een bezoek aan Belfast.
You can find more at our website:
Whitehead, Northern Ireland
About 10 miles north of Belfast and beyond Carrickfergus Castle is the small town of Whitehead. You can walk along the coastal path to the lighthouse.
Whitehead Coastal Path Walk Co Antrim Northern Ireland
A walk along the coastal path at the side of Belfast Lough In Whitehead, upto the lighthouse and round back to the carpark.
Glenariff Forest Park Waterfall Walk County Antrim Northern Ireland
A walk around Glenarrif Forest Park in the hills of County Antrim. Entrance fee is £5 per car but is totally worth the walk and there is more than the 1 trail to follow and all have spectacular scenery.