Rathlin Island

Loading the Ferry

From the part of the Antrim coast where we stayed in Northern Ireland we could look across the sea to the long and thin looking Rathlin Island. As was the case during our week in Scotland the urge to visit was irresistible and our guide book suggested that walking on the island was a delight so we needed no second bidding when we got up and discovered a beautiful sunny morning greeting us.

Lolling About

The island is reached by ferry from Ballycastle and there are two choices – a fast ferry (25 mins) or a slow one.  We took the slow ferry across from Ballycastle - the four mile journey took about 45 minutes to complete but it was a delightful crossing. The boat is no more than a converted trawler and although billed as a car ferry the reality was that with three vehicles aboard when we went over it was full! Two of the three vehicles belonged to contractors, sent over to help with one of the 50 or so households on the island. One of the contractors clearly wasn't much of a sailor, for he was fairly green most of the way across.

Seabird Coast

When we arrived at the other end we were greeted by a bus driver in a fairly dilapidated looking bus who was offering tours of the island. To be honest it isn't possible to go that far for the island is only about 6 1/2 miles long. However, we did want to take a look at the lighthouse that we were able to see from the mainland and I had thought that walking there and back might be a bit much for the girls so we hopped on. I cheekily asked if we could take a look at the south of the island first for I knew that was the part that we were unlikely to look at otherwise.

Puddle Track

Eventually the chap managed to drum up enough support to make the trip viable and off we headed along the very narrow road down towards the southernmost section of the L shaped island. On the way the driver told us about the most famous visitors to the island, all with very different stories. Robert the Bruce is said to have come to the island after a bad defeat to the English in one of the many battles that took place between the two countries back in the Middle Ages. After watching a spider weave and reweave a web several times he eventually took inspiration from the spider never giving up and headed back to Scotland where he beat the English famously at the Battle of Bannockburn. More recently Marconi used Rathlin to make the first radio message back to Ballycastle a little over 100 years ago - how technology has moved on since! The reason for choosing this unlikely spot is that Rathlin Island stands in the middle of a hugely busy shipping lane.  Currents are strong due to the narrowness of the channel and this led to the loss of shipping and lives.  It was thought that radio would help save lives by dealing with distress calls that much more quickly.  The most famous recent visitor was Richard Branson who crash landed his balloon here when making the first ever crossing of the Atlantic.

Being left Behind

After our rather bumpy ride down to the south headland we had a few minutes out of the bus to take a look around. I headed down to the water to find a whole load of seals sunbathing, which was rather more exciting for me than them. They barely moved a muscle as they lazed on the rocks, briefly looking up to make sure we weren’t a threat before returning to their daytime slumbers.  At this end of the island was a ruined building, possibly a kelp station.  Kelp was routinely harvested in these parts for agricultural uses.  Away in the distance was the stripy tower of the south lighthouse, a rather squat looking beacon warning ships to steer clear of this treacherous headland.

Kebble Lough

There wasn't long to enjoy the sights though - we were soon back on board for the lively ride to the other end of the island. The road was extremely narrow but we were at least confident that we were very unlikely to meet anyone coming the other way for there are few vehicles on the island. It was a good job for as we got closer to the western end we ran out of tarmac and our onward trip was along what could only be described as a farm track.

Another Bus Tour

At the farthest end of Rathlin Island we finally reached the RSPB nature reserve, which is largely a sea cliff and a visitor centre.  Sadly for us the visitor centre was closed and isn’t due to reopen until 2015 after some major refurbishment.  It also meant that the viewing platform down by the West Lighthouse was also out of bounds and so we had to make do with peering over the fence.  We got out of the bus to hear the cacophony of sea birds and far below us on the cliffs were puffins, guillemots and various types of gull all vying for the loudest cry. It was at this point that we decided to part company with the bus and we started the four mile walk back along the road to the harbour.

Kebble Cottage

The walk was relatively easy going (more so than I thought) as we merely followed the road.  There were stunning views all the way from the off, especially south to the mainland but also to Scotland much further distant.  All along the sides of the road was a profusion of wildflowers, with heather and gorse both out to make a magnificent moorland carpet.  Initially our route took us through Kebble Nature Reserve where the road was unsurfaced and unfenced.  Down in a hollow in the moor was a surprisingly large lake, Kebble Lough, which reflected the puffy white clouds in the sky perfectly.

Cleggan

At the far end of the nature reserve we passed by the small Kebble Cottage, the most westerly house on the island.  Outside was a small picnic table but we concluded that it was a little early for lunch and so wandered on.  We crossed a cattle grid (designed to keep livestock out of the nature reserve) and then on to the tarmac road, which was to be our companion all the way back into Rathlin Harbour.

Endless Road

We climbed the hill at Kinramer, passing by a large group of cyclists going the other way.  With so few cars on the island it really is a great place to walk and cycle without any road safety worries.  At the top of the hill we got the most magnificent view across the whole of the east of the island and its L shape could really be appreciated.  Just in the dip below the hill was the hamlet of Cleggan with some of the houses at least being unoccupied albeit furnished.  Perhaps they were holiday cottages?  You would really have to enjoy the outdoors and a simple holiday to enjoy staying here for other than its immediate charm there is little else to do on the island except explore and socialise.

Picnic View

We also passed by Kinramer Wood where there is a short walk through the only largish tract of trees on the island.  Above us were buzzards wheeling around looking for lunch opportunities – they obviously rule the skies in this part of the island for there were no signs of any other seagulls.  At a much lower level it was an insect’s paradise – perhaps not surprising with so many wild flowers growing.

Catholic Church

Off to the left near Cleggan is a rare outcrop of rock apparently, called porcellanite.  This was discovered by Stone Age people who exploited this hard rock to fashion tools and weapons.  The rock is a crystalline volcanic rock, hence its hardness.  The route now became more obvious as it stretched out ahead.  This part of the island was characterised by scattered houses on small plots of land and turnings to the left and right were largely just access roads to the odd house in the distance.

Rathlin Church

Sadly the good weather that we had enjoyed to this point didn't last. Inevitably about half way back the rain started coming down quite heavily although luckily it was a shower that didn't last too long. When the rain relented we managed to find a small picnic site that I had clocked on the way out with a magnificent view across the whole island. We lingered for a little while eating our lunch before heading down the hill into Rathlin village.

Rathlin Harbour

On the way down the steep hill into the village we headed past the catholic church and the school where only eight pupils attend.  We thought briefly about heading over to the east lighthouse but concluded that we may not have enough time to do it justice and opted instead for the descent down into the Harbour.   We passed by the proud looking St Thomas's Church, built in 1812 and commanding a great view of the harbour just beyond.  By now the weather had significantly improved once again and touring around the small settlement was a joy.  I whiled away some time in the visitor centre chatting to the locals while the girls while away the remaining time by drawing and painting. It was rather a pleasant end to the day for all of us :)

Rathlin Ferry

Eventually we got the ferry back and this time we had opted for the quicker passenger only ferry. That turned out to be quite a lively affair as about half way across to Ballycastle we ran into a very powerful squally shower, which made us all duck for cover inside. Despite the rather unpleasant end it was a thoroughly enjoyable day.

The Walls of Derry

Guildhall

Of all the cities in Ireland to have a complete set of medieval walls I would not have expected it to be Derry (also known as Londonderry).  Once I learned of their existence it seemed like a good place to check out, especially as the weather had been so poor during the week.  At only a mile long I knew that even with a showery day we would have enough breaks to be able to complete the whole walk.  At that length it probably also qualifies as the shortest walk on this entire blog! 

Defending the East Walls

The Walls were built during the period 1613-1618 by the honourable, the Irish Society as defences for early seventeenth century settlers from England and Scotland.  They also delineated a section of dry ground, which was effectively an island from the neighbouring swamp or bog that had been created by the neighbouring River Foyle.  Outside the walls is now the famous Bogside area of the city and hence that is how it got its name.  Originally there were four gates to the city with the roads leading to a central hub but over the years other gates were added and it was one of these later ones where we started our walk; the Magazine Gate.  This was added in 1865 to enable access to Magazine Street from the Guildhall opposite.  This is the north east corner of the walls. 

View of The Peace Bridge

We decided to follow the route clockwise and so the walls here were initially quite level and pretty thick.  Along the tops were a row of cannons that had been restored by Derry City Council in 2005.  There are 24 of these cannon altogether and under expert supervision and often by hand, craftsmen cleared the barrels of centuries of rubbish, stripped off layers of paint and corrosion and bathed, sponged and waxed the cannon back to their former glory.  My daughters enjoyed pretending that they were trying to withstand any enemy approaches by pretending to fire them.

Janus

From the walls we could see the magnificent Guildhall and the square in front that once hosted various parades.  The old Guildhall is the only one of its type to be still operating as a civic building in Ireland and was built in 1887.  The Guildhall looks magnificent today after its refurbishment in 2013 but its history has not always been very happy as it was badly damaged by fire in 1908 and again by bomb attacks during the Troubles in 1972.  Hopefully it can enjoy a long and peaceful history free from any of that stuff now.

Shipquay Gate

Past the row of cannons facing the Guildhall we passed by the Shipquay Gate, one of the original four.  Our view past here was rather restricted by buildings on both sides and the wall seemed to be much lower around this section.  I imagine that it has suffered from land being built up on both sides, reducing its height somewhat.  Shortly after the Shipquay Gate we reached the south east corner of the walls and turned sharp right to head up hill, gently at first.  The walls here are probably the least impressive as they are overshadowed by the Millennium Forum, a modern shopping centre in the inside of the walls. 

The Playhouse

At the corner was formerly the Water Bastion and originally the river lapped against it.  Now the river is several hundred metres away.  A couple of notable things happened here – Governor Lundy escaped over the wall to head to Scotland when he was suspected of surrendering the city to James II during the siege that was happening at that time.  More recently the Undertones rocked the Casbah club near here during the punk revolution of 1976.

Reminder of the Troubles

As we headed past the Millennium Forum we spotted a rather unusual looking statue.  I recognised it as possibly a Gormley work (he of Angel of the North fame) and found later that I was right.  This small statue is regarded as a forerunner to the Angel of the North and is one of three identical statues, with the other two sold and in private hands.  Janus is of course the Roman God that January is named after for his head looks two ways – into the past and the future.

St Coulomb Cathedral

Beyond the Forum the wall climbs steeply and perhaps it is most impressive along the western side.  We stopped briefly at Newgate Bastion, still impressive despite being surrounded by buildings.  As we climbed further up the hill though the buildings on either side moved further back providing us with some extra space to look out over the city.

Bishops Gate

Just outside the city walls as we headed to Ferryquay Gate was a reminder of the Troubles with a corner of the street still reserved for bonfires and Unionist slogans.  Inside the walls were perhaps the finest buildings that we saw in all of Derry, most of which looked as if they had been refurbished in the last few years.  Derry was the City of Culture in 2013 and I imagine that this was the catalyst for much of the improvements to the city.  The building that particularly caught my eye was the Plyhouse.  This was apparently a couple of primary schools that were closed and turned into an arts centre in the early 1990s.  The amber colour was quite fetching for the old building.

View of Old Derry

Just beyond the Playhouse is the Cathedral of St Columb, which still dominates the city landscape and certainly this corner of the city walls.  The cathedral dates from 1633 after an earlier church was destroyed by an accidental explosion in 1568 and then completely razed by Sir Henry Docwra, who used the stones of the old church to help build the city walls.  Perhaps surprisingly the Cathedral was the first to be built as an Anglican Cathedral anywhere in Europe.

Bogside View

This part of the wall once housed the three sculptures from Anthony Gormley and they apparently aroused strong reactions in this spot as one looked out over the Catholic area of Bogside, another towards the adjacent army barracks and the other into the city towards the fountain.  The figures were intended to show the double character of the city of that time, divided by religion, culture and politics but united by faith.

Roaring Meg

Beyond the cathedral we reached the double bastion at the south west corner.  This is surely the best view along the whole wall, looking out over the Bogside area beyond.  The old swampy ground that this was named after is now a mass of terraced houses and a large Gaelic sports stadium in the distance.  Our position is defended by Roaring Meg, the largest of the cannons restored and surely in the best spot for this magnificent relic.

Sheltering

By now the rain that had been threatening for a while finally arrived and we had to duck for cover under a nearby tree.  The tree didn’t really shelter us much though and we were pretty soaked within minutes.  It soon passed though and we continued our trip along the last section of the wall down the north side. 

Presbyterian Church

This part of the wall was perhaps the most interesting from a human standpoint for along the way we were entertained by a number of people dressed in period costume who told stories to the passing crowds about life in days gone by and especially during the siege of 1689 when James II tried to starve out the population of Derry in an attempt to wrest the Crown back from William and Mary, who had recently usurped the throne following the Glorious Revolution.  Derry was staunchly Protestant at the time and refused to surrender, prompting the siege.  James II ultimately failed however as reinforcements were sent from England and naval ships forced the Jacobite troops to break the siege.  The event is still commemorated by the Apprentice Boys in Derry each year and this led to a lot of tensions with the largely Catholic residents of the Bogside during the troubles.  Life in besieged Derry sounded horrendous, with inhabitants forced to eat more of less anything they could get their hands on.  Nearly 8000 of a 30,000 population are said to have died.

Tales of Woe From the Siege

Our onward route was sharply back downhill to the Magazine Gate where we had started, passing by the Butchers Gate as we did so.  It seems astonishing that in the 19^th Century a group of local businessmen attempted to force the demolition of the City Walls to improve traffic congestion, which was by then a major problem.  That they failed is a happy turn of events for visitors now as the Walls are surely the most surprising and fascinating feature of modern day Derry.  

Heading Back to the Magazine Gate

I have only touched on some of the history of this city – to explore all the intricacies of what has happened in the life of this city would surely take a much longer and thorough book.  Hopefully my skim through some of the major events associated with the Walls might encourage a few of you to read more.  There is no doubt about it, Derry has had a pretty torrid time since its foundation and many of the events are not that far back in history.  Let us hope though that the brutality and struggles remain in the past for now Derry seems a place full of confidence, with reverence to its past but no longer beholden to it.

Causeway Coast Way

Starting Point

Firstly with this blog entry let me lay my cards on the table – despite my best intentions I did not walk the whole of this route.  A combination of weather conditions and the terrain of the route put paid to that but I did walk enough of it to get a proper sense of the route and a desire to come back another time and walk it properly.

Portstewart Castle

The Causeway Coast Way is, as you might have expected, a 33 mile walk along the stretch of Northern Ireland coast close to the Giant’s Causeway and indeed that feature among others of note along the way are passed en route.  This was our first ever trip to Northern Ireland and we were immediately enchanted by its spectacular scenery.  If there is a bigger tourist secret in the UK I have yet to find it!  With a penchant for coastal walking this was a path that I was anxious to see some of even if there wouldn’t be time to complete it all.  In the end, rainy and windy conditions did not seem conducive to walking clifftop paths with small children while we were on holiday so we had to content ourselves with bits and pieces of the walk.

Washed Up Jellyfish

Our journey started in Portstewart, a small town of just under 8000 people to the north of the university town of Coleraine.  I am not sure why the path begins here but the starting point is pretty spectacular with a view out across the lengthy Portstewart Strand.  This is a well known and visited sandy beach that seems to stretch far beyond the two miles it actually is.  In the far distance we could see the coast of Donegal beyond the entrance to Lough Foyle.  It serves as a reminder of how small the province of Northern Ireland actually is.

Mill Strand

Before heading onward we of course had to spend a proper amount of time on the beach and we were far from alone, with lots of young families, surfers and other watersports enthusiasts all enjoying the warm sunshine and calm conditions.  Sadly this was not to last very long as away in the distance was a very large black cloud headed our way and that hastened our ongoing journey into the town of Portstewart itself.  From the start the path hugs the coast before heading into town via what is known as the Cliff Walk, which was built in the mid 1800s as relief work for families hit by the famine.  Above the cliffs is the huge presence of Portstewart Castle, which was built as a house in 1834 and then sold to a Dominican Order in 1917, being used as an educational establishment ever since.

Portrush Harbour

By the time we got to the top of the cliff path the much expected rain came and wiped out the rest of that day, much to our chagrin.  We did sample one of the local cafes though which had much to recommend it, especially the sea views out of the window.  The weather also relented enough for us to take a look around the shops, which were largely geared towards tourists but not in the same oppressive way that you find in seaside resorts elsewhere.

Portrush Dereliction

When we resumed our walk the following day it was on to Portrush along the cliff path.  In many respects this stretch of path resembles the North Cornish Coast in that the cliffs are the backdrop to wonderful sandy coves and there are plenty of rocky islets offshore.  We spotted plenty of wildflowers including knapweed in all its delightful purpleness, plenty of thistles, clover and scabious.  The bees and moths loved it and especially burnet moths, which seemed to be everywhere.

Lunch View

As we got closer to Portrush we could see what a special location it has.  Neatly perched on a peninsula between two sandy beaches we approached the harbour side first.  The path continued along a promenade at the back of a sweeping arc of sand before finally reaching the small harbour and lifeboat station.  As we rounded the bay a train chugged out of Portrush Station for the short journey to Coleraine.  Clearly when most of the railways in Northern Ireland were closed down this short branch line did enough business in holiday traffic that it was reprieved.  Most of the services though are just shuttle trains to Coleraine rather than on to anywhere further afield.

Testing the Water

Portrush Harbour was built in 1827 and for much of the 19^th Century small boats would leave Portrush with passengers destined for large ocean liners that would take immigrants to the New World.  More local traffic was also popular including steamers to Ardrossan in south west Scotland and Donegal.  Most of this traffic didn’t survive past the First World War.  Now it is mostly leisure craft in the harbour although the lifeboat really stood out from the crowd with its bright orange and dark blue livery.

Curran Strand

Just beyond the harbour the path takes in the small headland of Ramore Head and this offered wonderful views all along the coast back beyond Portstewart and on to Donegal further afield.  I cursed the fact that I didn’t have my binoculars as it would have been good to focus a little on some of the detail along the coast, especially to pick out distant landmarks such as Mussenden Temple, one of Northern Ireland’s most famous landmarks.  As we rounded Ramore Head the view changed very quickly to look east and onwards to Dunluce Castle and the Giants Causeway beyond.  To the north though was a surprising sight – the Island of Jura, the Hebridean island famous for whisky.  I never expected to be able to see that from this vantage point.

Dunluce Castle

As we rounded the headland and proceeded along the eastern side we could see that there were a lot of grand looking buildings that I imagine would have been bed and breakfasts and guest houses.  Sadly many were derelict and boarded up which seemed a crying shame.  Some looked like they had been this way for some time as the windows weren’t just boarded up but breeze blocked in.  We wandered further around the coast to the other main beach, which was a lot more crowded.  Just above the beach we came across a rather pleasant looking café and so stopped by to have some lunch which was both delicious and reasonably cheap.

Tame Stonechat

Our onward journey took us along Curran Strand where my kids were anxious to get their feet wet once again.  Behind the dunes was the Royal Portrush golf course, the venue for the British Open in 1951 (and the only time it has been held outside mainland Britain).  With the interest in Northern Irish golf in the last few years there is every chance that the Open might return here one day and that would certainly be a fillip for the local economy.

Causeway Rainbow

Beyond the beach we didn’t walk as the route from here to Dunluce Castle is along the road and none of us much fancied that even though the road is scenic.  Close inspection of much of the coast of Northern Ireland is that it is followed quite closely by the A2 coastal road, which makes for excellent motoring but less agreeable walking.

Causeway Railway Station

Nevertheless we did stop at Dunluce Castle, one of the great sights of Northern Ireland, perched high up on the cliffs above the boiling sea.  Some of the castle has obviously been lost to erosion over the years although the story behind the castle’s abandonment isn’t quite as it is billed.  Dunluce Castle was built in the 13^th Century and abandoned in the 17^th Century.  Apparently during a particularly heavy storm the kitchen is said to have collapsed in the sea while a big party was going on, taking all the kitchen staff with it and leaving only a kitchen boy who survived because of where he was standing.  Although this rather gruesome story has carried down through the ages it is pretty certain to be untrue as there is evidence that the part of the kitchen said to have collapsed was still in place some decades after the storm.  Stories like this only add to the mystery of the place though and it was certainly a very interesting place to look around.

Portballintrae

We skipped the section of road walking between Dunluce Castle, although once upon a time it would have been possible for us to have completed the next section by tram as the old Giants Causeway and Portrush tram came along here following the line of the road to Bushmills.  Part of the tramway has been opened as a heritage railway from Bushmills to the Causeway visitor centre, although this is a conventional steam railway (3ft gauge) rather than the electric tramway that it once was.

Causeway Sunset

The next stretch that we walked was from the small seaside village of Portballintrae around the bay to the Giants Causeway itself.  As we did this section we walked out in  glorious sunshine but with a dreaded rain cloud ominously heading our way.  This was a beautiful stretch and the bay that we walked around was overseen by the rather impressive looking Runkerry House, once owned by Lord McNaughton but now turned into apartments.  We crossed the small River Bush and headed around the back of the sand dunes where we spotted a friendly stonechat who kept us company for a short time.  Across the way there were plenty of people playing golf; it seems to be more popular an activity in Ireland than any other part of the British Isles I have been to.

Giant's Causeway

We soon came upon the small railway linking Bushmills and the Giants Causeway visitor centre.  The trains were done for the day but it must be quite a memorable way of getting to the Causeway and hats off to the group of people who re-opened the line back in 2002 after a hiatus of 53 years.  Most of the remaining route to the visitor centre took us alongside the railway – more heavy rain precluding the loop around by Runkerry House, which was rather disappointing.  We did however see the most amazing rainbow as a result of the heavy rain and sunshine.

Dunseverick Castle

The Causeway visitor centre is astonishingly big and is designed to cater for the hundreds and thousands of visitors that come to perhaps the most famous natural sight in all of Ireland, let alone Ulster.  Buses ferry the less able tourists down a road for the half a mile or so from the centre to the rock formation.  Being National Trust members we didn’t have to worry about the cost but it is rather steep to get in.  We grabbed the audio guides and headed down for our first visit to the famous formation. 

Ballintoy Harbour

According to legend the columns are the remains of a causeway built by the giant giant Finn MacCool.  He was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant Benandonner. Finn accepted the challenge and built the causeway across the North Channel so that the two giants could meet. The guide told us that Finn hid from Benandonner when he realised that his opponent was much bigger than he. Finn's wife, Oonagh, disguised Finn as a baby and tucked him in a cradle. When Benandonner saw the size of the 'baby', he reckoned that Finn, must be a giant among giants. He fled back to Scotland in fright, destroying the causeway behind him so that Finn could not follow.  Across the sea, there are identical basalt columns (a part of the same ancient lava flow) at Fingal's Cave on the Scottish isle of Staffa, and it is possible that the story was influenced by this.

Ballintoy Harbour Sunset

Although the scientific explanation for the Causeway is a lot less interesting (being formed by basalt cooling after volcanic eruptions in the area) it is still an amazing sight.  We were quite lucky with the lighting – the big black clouds overhead rolled away periodically enabling shafts of sunlight to pick out the main features.  Being there on an unsettled evening also helped from the point of view of fewer tourists and enabling us to enjoy the natural splendour that much more.

Crossing the Bridge

It had been our intention to continue the walk from here another day to our holiday cottage at Ballintoy.  However, we were to be disappointed as the day we selected the weather changed from the forecast and we didn’t think it safe or prudent to walk the cliff top route in driving rain and heavy winds.  By the time the weather relented enough there was insufficient time to walk the estimated five hours it would have taken us.  It was a huge disappointment and made me determined to come back and have another go at some point.

Carrick-a-Rede View

Despite this setback we did explore a few points further along the coast without walking to them.  First on the list was the ruined castle at Dunseverick, now virtually obliterated after a combination of neglect, erosion and partial demolition by Cromwells troops post Civil War.  The castle has been here since the 5^th Century apparently and was once visited by St Patrick.  Now only remains of a gatehouse can be seen.

Carrick-a-Rede Coast

Ballintoy Harbour further along the coast was delightful and we spent a very happy evening there exploring the coast and having a picnic.  The harbour is famously featured in Game of Thrones apparently although it is a TV programme I have never watched and doesn’t appeal to me.  The view north from here is dominated by Rathlin Island and this will be the subject of a future blog entry.  The path from here to Ballycastle follows the main road all the way and did not appeal at all.  We did however, visit Carrick-a-Rede bridge just outside Ballintoy.  This is the rope bridge that was once used by fishermen to reach an island offshore and the little station they had set up to deal with the fish they had caught.  Now the bridge is overrun with tourists and is far safer than it ever was.  Crossing the wibbly wobbly bridge still generates some giggles even it isn’t truly dangerous.

Ballycastle Harbour

We were disappointed not to complete the route and although there are some significant road sections that might detract from the whole experience, the A2 is not a hugely busy road.  The non-road sections more than make up for it anyway and I shall certainly be back in the next few years to do a proper job of walking this route.