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Giant’s Causeway – UNESCO Heritage Site

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The Giant’s Causeway is just a 20 minute drive from Forestside House and Cottage – is this world heritage site all it’s meant to be?

Forestside House giants-causeway-1011x1024 Giant's Causeway - UNESCO Heritage Site Ballycastle Forestside House and Cottage Uncategorised  tourism staycation NITB giant's causeway causeway coast

Yes!

Not only is it the jewel in the crown of such incredible scenery, but catch this site at the right time and it will be one of your favourite places to go back to, it is ours. In short, it’s an outcrop of strange interlocking stones that look out of place yet part of the history of the coastline for thousands of years. People say that it’s worth a visit to Northern Ireland just to enjoy the Giant’s Causeway – and the coast takes much of it’s identity from the fable of two Giant’s who met between Scotland and Northern Ireland hundreds of years ago to settle a quarrel.

The Giant’s Causeway forms the heart of the North Coast of Northern Ireland.

When to visit

A typical visit will put you in amongst hundreds and hundreds of visitors, but if you choose wisely then you can avoid the crowds.

Sunrise Quiet and peaceful, we recommend this is a start to anyone’s day. If you’re an early bird that doesn’t mind being up before the rest of your group then this one is a must. For budding photographers, this is a great time to avoid the crowds and get that perfect shot that you’ve always envisaged. If you’re lucky, then early morning fog will add to the scenery and make for that perfect picture moment.

Sunset definitely our favourite time. We often head down with a camera and a bottle of wine to relax amongst the sparse crowds; snap some great memories and take the bus back to Ballycastle.

The visitors centre is open at varying hours through the season, and is well worth going to and immersing yourself in the legends in the area. Tickets are needed for the visitors centre. Please don’t think that you have to buy tickets for the Causeway itself, just park for free in the car park and head down the right hand side of the visitors centre, and keep walking down. For visitors with access issues, there is a minibus that will take you down to the Coast’s edge.

Be sure to take a look inside the visitors centre for the work of one of our favourite landscape photographers – Conor Edgell (conoredgell.com)

Alternatively, you could park further away and enjoy a coastal hike from either East or West; or after parking at the visitors centre and enjoying the Causeway, walk past is and up the cliff steps to get an aerial view on the way back. It’s our definite recommendation.

There are 3 official routes:

Blue Trail. This is the main wide road leading down to the causeway. It is the quickest and easiest way to get to the causeway by foot. It is a ½ mile downhill walk from the car park to the causeway. Allow 10 to 15 minutes walking time one way.

Red Trail. The red trail snakes along the upper cliffs, giving you a view down onto the coastline. It is a 2 mile hike, one way. At the end, you can join up with the blue trail to explore the causeway and then walk up to the car park.

Yellow Trail. This hiking trail follows the entire causeway coastline. It takes hikers from Runkerry House to Hamilton’s Seat, so expect this hike to take several hours.

For more information visit the National Trust website: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/giants-causeway

Want to know more about our family self-catering accommodation in Ballycastle? Just contact us for more information, or book now to secure your dates.

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