Last night was rough… with crashing waves, thunder, lightening and a power cut (and lots of house alarms). Luckily by 1am it had all calmed down, and we were finally able to get some sleep. Today was all about the Causeway Coastal Drive, and we woke up to drizzly to start the morning. We had a lovely refreshing walk along Portstewart Strand – a two-mile stretch of golden sand, with views of Inishowen headland and Mussenden Temple perched on the cliffs above. Bearing in mind we were in thick coats, we were very surprised to see the amount of people in swimming costumes, frolicking about in the ocean! I just had to look at it as was borderline hypothermic!
The next stop was Whiterocks beach, with its stunning limestone cliffs stretching from Curran Strand to Dunluce Castle. The cliffs here are unusual as they are made of chalk; whereas most of the causeway coast is made of basalt. There are so many interesting geological landforms here, from cliffs, shore platforms, caves, arches, and sea stacks.
The great thing about the coastal drive is its many viewpoints, and Magheracross did not disappoint. Here, there is a purpose built viewing platform offering panoramic views of the coastal headlands. Another plus point is the coffee and ice cream van! We were incredibly thirsty by this point, so it would be silly not to pay them a visit. Santa enjoyed an ice cream snack, and Momma and I shared a very delicious brownie.
Back onto the official coastal route and a few minutes drive later, we arrived at Dunluce Castle. We were expecting something small, but the site is actually huge, and very reasonably priced. The castle played its part in Northern Ireland’s dramatic history before falling into its current state of ruin. Today, the remains stand out on the dramatic cliffs, but remain in danger of crumbling into the sea below. It’s also the filming location for House Greyjoy in Game of Thrones.
Whilst walking round, I (thought I had) spotted Santa and wondered why he had changed his shirt. Turns out there are actually 2 Santa’s 🎅🏻
We then headed for the one we had all been looking forward to – Giants Causeway. Clearly being very thick, I assumed the ‘giant’ part of the name meant ‘big’ and not a legend that a giant was the one who had built the causeway. I was therefore expecting the actual hexagonal stepping stones to be much larger than they actually were 🤣 Don’t get me wrong, it’s still an incredible sight to see, but it was incredibly busy, and it didn’t help that we chose to visit on a weekend when the weather was actually decent. It’s Northern Ireland’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site and is thought to be almost 60 million years in the making. If you plan on visiting here, don’t come on a weekend and try to come out of season. Also, leave enough time to explore some of the walks in the surrounding area.
We continued the trail to Dunseverick, starting at the ‘castle’ and following the coastal path to the waterfall. Standing on the edge of the promontory are the crumbling ruins of the castle. Therefore, using your imagination is key. King’s gazing out to sea, watching potential invaders circling the rugged cliff below. By this point, it was really hot, and so we were able to enjoy the walk in just t-shirts – a stark contrast to this morning. Unfortunately I haven’t packed any suncream as the forecast suggested otherwise. An error I don’t usually make! We continued along the path to the waterfall, and I think this can be classed as a hidden gem, as it’s where a narrow river finalises its journey free falling down to the sea. The waterfall’s volume is obviously dependent upon rainfall.. but no need to worry about that because we’re in Ireland! The water cascading down is so calming and peaceful, so we took a perch on a nearby rock to sit and relax.
What do you think of when you hear the word beach. Is it the sea? The sand? I’m sure it isn’t cows… but that’s what you’ll find at White Park Bay, and they are said to be the most photographed cows in N.I. The bay itself is a huge stretch of golden sand, and is backed by ancient sand dunes that provide a range of rich habitats for bird and animal life. Swimming here is not permitted due to rip currents.
As the day was closing in, we decided that we would only have time for a few more activities. Stopping at Ballintoy Harbour meant we could get a few things ticked off in one go – the harbour itself and Elephant Rock. The walk to the rock is another beautiful one as you are surrounded by all sorts of rock formations, but MY GOD the initial part of it absolutely stunk of rotten fish and poo… however all was well when Elephant Rock came into view. Local folklore says this rock was the result of a woolly mammoth which had the misfortune of being caught as it tried to flee from an erupting volcano! The harbour here is very small, but also plays a part in GoT – where Theon Greyjoy arrives back to the Iron Islands and where he first meets his sister, Yara.
Feeling very tired and ready for our final stop, we headed for Dark Hedges (such a GoT filled day.. and Momma and Santa have never seen it!!) When I was last here, people we abandoning cars all over the place. Now, it is access only (although some bellend decided to ignore this and park their car right in the middle…) and you have to park in a car park just a short walk away. Although it’s hard to properly appreciate with the amount of people that choose to visit, it’s still worth it for a quick swing by.
The ocean was incredibly rough when we eventually got back to our apartment, and whilst taking the last few photos, we spotted dolphins 🐬 There was so many of them, jumping in the waves and having the absolute best time. Unfortunately they were incredible hard to photograph.. but here is some of my poor attempts…We had a lovely picky tea and drinks whilst looking out our window. We have been so so lucky with the weather today, but my crispy ginger face certainly knows about it 😭
The Travelling Ginger 