WORDS & PICTURES: Abi Prowse
The sky is an unexpected blue as we wend our way down Harbour Road towards the Causeway Coast, the sun reaching eagerly through the windshield. The scene before us is poster-esque, the weather too pleasant and the scenery too dramatic to possibly be real.
And whilst it’s true that the sunshine helps in doing well-deserved justice to the beauty of Northern Ireland’s coastline, something tells me there is no less magic in this landscape even on the gloomiest of days. Arriving from Belfast, the road morphs quickly from generic motorway to lush farmland, opening up after just an hour and twenty minutes into a blanket of sea framed by vivid green cliffs and hills.
Discover Ireland | Smithfield, Dublin: A Photo Journal
Our first port of call is Ballintoy, a village famed for its position along the 636-mile Ulster Way coastal path, and the ideal starting point for a day spent languidly exploring the Causeway Coast. Our first (admittedly brief) hike begins in the town’s eponymous harbour, where the route splits into two options: the dark dampness of a cave or a gravel path which hugs the shoreline. Opting for the latter, we’re not disappointed. If I were to ask you to picture Ireland, it would be exactly this: bulging green hills along a rocky seafront peppered with friendly sheep. At each turn, with every stye, we seem to stop in awe: dark fingers of stone protrude from the waves, grassy banks melting into wispy dunes. Venturing as far as the pebbled beach by Skull Rock, we turn back in search of lunch.
Ballycastle is only a 15-minute drive from Ballintoy, and is as quaint as the name suggests. It’s a bright Saturday, and locals are out enjoying the late spring sunshine along the seafront, Maud’s Ice Cream cones dripping onto their hands. The Shorebird Coffee Hut is our chosen pit stop, with a wraparound terrace acting as something of a suntrap as we greedily tuck into toasted sandwiches and fresh coffees. A quick stroll onto the white sandy strip of the Ballycastle Strand and it’s back to the car for the final leg of our day trip: the celebrated (and somewhat terrifying) Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.
Natural beauty in the UK | The Peak District: A Photo Journal
Visitors travel from far and wide to cross this bridge, and for good reason. Erected by salmon fishermen in the late 1700s, Carrick-a-Rede has stood the test of time, connecting this tiny island to the mainland at a stomach-dropping 20 metres above the water. Now owned by the National Trust (and therefore, in my anxious eyes, considerably better-maintained and more trustworthy than your average 300-year-old structure) the bridge is preceded by a 15-minute hike along the cliff edge, regaling surreal, sweeping views. Tickets to access the hiking path and bridge are £15.50 per person.
Perhaps it’s the sea air, or maybe the overwhelm of the coastline’s incredible spectacle, but tiredness washes over me on the journey home. Although the day has been heartwarming, I’m left yearning for more. This is certainly not the last time I’ll watch the waves of the Irish Sea break against the Causeway Coast.
