Blog 22 Causeway Coast Adventure

25h April 2021

So, having completed a 251.9 mile round trip on Northern Irelands Stunning North Causeway Coast I am now back in the Red Hand county of Tyrone. What an adventure it has been with Tracey and our longest Roadtrip YET.

Having planned out the route we set out at 7.30 am on Sunday 25h April 2021 from Omagh and headed for Cookstown the most important stop on any road trip…Breakfast and where better to stop than Tim Hortons. The weather was Amazing from the get-go and We were feeling great and ready to explore. Once we got breakfast and drinks we set off for our first stop on the way, The Dark Hedges.

The Dark Hedges a beautiful road with beech trees the entire way up, used in Game of Thrones as the location for The Kingsroad has become somewhat of a famous stop on the road to the North Coast for many photo opportunities. Thankfully the road is closed off to cars and if like me you get there really early then, you have very few people and can take in the fantastic spot and get the perfect shot without anyone in your way Or, lie in the middle of the road as I did.

This section of the journey was our longest part of the journey, running in at 1hr & 34mins from Cookstown to the Hedges. From there we set off toward our second stop, Ballycastle which was just 14mins away.

Ballycastle is another one of those little towns with a lot to offer such as the Marina & Beach with a great playpark for the kids & post covid you have several little souvenir shops for all your gifts, postcard etc. Famous for the Dalriada festival Ballycastle is always going to be a must on your North coast Roadtrip. We realised we were ahead of schedule on our road so took our time and enjoyed the views here before heading back to the car and making our way to stop number four. Carric-A-Rede Rope Bridge.

Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge, is a National Trust registered conservation charity site that cares for and maintains hundreds of sites across the country. At almost 100ft above sea level, it was made by fishermen over 300 years ago and is now one of the most Highly rated Tourist Attractions in Northern Ireland & for good reason. Despite the Rope bridge itself being closed due to Covid Restrictions, you can still make use of the walk and get right up to the gate which leads onto the bridge and the views are Super worth it.

For the Roadtrip, we made sure to get a Joint National Trust Membership which gave us access to many of the sites for free and it is something I highly recommend for anyone who like me loves to explore and travel. not to mention it is for a good cause.

From Carric-A-Rede we made our way to Ballintoy Harbour briefly and then to Dunsevrick Castle, Not much of a castle left but still Breathtaking views of the North Coast and a lovely walk around. You can walk the Causeway coastal path from here toward the giant's Causeway, A walk which is popular with locals and tourists.

We decided to have lunch here at the picnic site before we travelled anywhere else which was a good decision as I was feeling peckish. Once finished we packed our bag and travelled a bit down the road to the Famous Dunluce Castle, one of the most picturesque Castles in the north. Built around the 16th and 17th centuries Dunluce has been home to a brilliant and rough history from Feuds to parts of the castle falling from the edge of the cliff into the sea it is a sight to behold and explore. Normally you can visit the Mermaids cave which is below the castle but due to Covid, it is closed currently. Admission charges are as follows for Dunluce. £5.00 for Adults, £3.00 for Children/Seniors: & Free Children under 5.

with Dunluce Castle crossed off the list, we set off for Portstewart to meet up with our other sister and brother-in-law Nicki & Nige for Nicki’s birthday and have a break from travelling. I first met up with my friend from Uni and her family for a catch up before making my way along the Convent walk from Portstewart strand to the promenade & meet up with my family.

It was a fun walk around Portstewart as there were plenty of bikers gathered and it felt like the North West 200 weekend. I got chatting to a few of the bikers and got some shots of their bikes. Once I got back to the Apartment we decided to order dinner from Amici Ristorante Portstewart and I enjoyed the Pizza I ordered.

We sat relaxing for a few hours before making our way to the Giants Causeway for Sunset which was breathtaking. The walk down wasn’t lovely long and rather enjoyable. We were greeted by other photographers and people who were also there for sunset but like them, we just went and found our spot to sit, capture photos and enjoy our time there.

The Visitor centre of course is closed due to Covid but you can still access the Causeway itself. I highly recommend it for a sunset or sunrise depending on conditions and sun positions.

Monday morning arrived and at 5.30 am we headed for Portrush to capture sunrise but as it was more cloudy it wasn’t captured, unfortunately. The weather dealt us a blow but didn’t stop us from anything. We went and had another two hours sleep before walking down to the promenade in search of breakfast and after trying several places I ended up just going for Bob & Berts Spud Stack which was delicious.

Once we got fully sorted myself & Tracey headed back to the promenade for a Coffee and Hot Chocolate & I must say Warke’s Deli defiantly gets 5 stars for us. Their Staff & Service were Super friendly & made the best Hot Choc & Coffee we have tasted & the products they offered were all locally made and sourced and reasonably priced. Check them out opposite the Marina in Portstewart if you are going.

Having filled up and woke up with Sea air we decided to make our way to Mussenden Temple in Castle Rock, another National Trust site and popular on the Adventurer/ Tourist hitlist. With stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean, there are plenty of photos ops including the Railway which travels under the temple. There are plenty of walks/trail routes to choose from at Mussenden long or short flat or high, it has something for everyone.

Don’t forget to follow my Instagram a.mcphotography1 and my Facebook @A.McPhotography2 for all the latest with myself, future trips and other projects to come. you are more than welcome & if you want to message me about anything at all then feel free.

Until next time my friends Please, stay safe, healthy and keep exploring.