Tour Three: The Giants Causeway & North Antrim Coast 9-Hour Tour

Itinerary


Starting at the magnificent Carrickfergus castle and along the coast to Larne harbour it's from here we are on the giants causeway coastal road.
We travel along this beautiful scenic coastal road through towns and villages with photo stops along the way.
Stop 1 - Carrickfergus Castle photo stop and short walk. This magnificent castle build in the 1100s is one of Irelands best preserved castles and one that plays in a lot of the history of the country we now live in.
Whitehead drive past. Just on the coast we can see the lighthouse in the distance.
Larne drive past. This large town on the coast is also where P&O sail from if you wish to travel to Scotland on its passenger ferry.
Ballygally village - Ballygally Castle, reputed to be the oldest occupied building in Ireland, has a reputation for being haunted, Built in 1625.
Every castle has to have at least one ghost of some kind, and the Ballygally has been recently reported to have as many as three! The one we know most about, The Ghost of Ballygally Castle has been around for the best part of 400 years. The popular theory is that the ghost is that of Lady Isabella Shaw, wife of Lord James Shaw.
Legend has it that Lord Shaw wanted a son, and when his wife delivered his heir, he snatched the baby from his wife and locked her in a room at the top of the castle. While trying to escape to search for her beloved child, Lady Isabella fell to her death from the tower window! Another theory is that she was actually thrown from the window by the cruel Lord Shaw or one of his henchmen!
Lady Isabella's ghost is reputed to be a "friendly" spirit who walks the corridors of the old castle. Over the years many guests have reported strange experiences and have felt a presence in their rooms! There are also endless stories of unexplained noises in the night and an eerie green mist over the castle!
Stop 2 - Glenarm village & castle walls photo stop. This castle built in the 1750s is home to Randale McDonald the 10th Earl Of Antrim.
Stop 3 - Carnlough harbour & refreshments. This beautiful little fishing village is home to the Londonderry Arms Hotel which has great history and was also home to Paddy the pigeon and was also a Game Of Thrones film location.
Waterfoot village drive through. This beautiful little village lies at the foot of Glenariff one of the Glens Of Antrim.
Cushendall village drive through. Sitting at the foot of Glenaan, Glenballyemon and Glencorp 3 Glens of Antrim. And also home to the The Curfew Tower in the centre of the village which was built in 1817 to confine riotous prisoners by Francis Turnley.
Ballycastle town drive through. Sits beside the most northern Glen Of Antrim Glentaisie and is home to the ferry that takes you across to Rathlin Island.
Stop 4 - Carrick-A-Reed Rope Bridge viewing point. Overlook one of our most famous landmarks as this bridge spans over 60ft to Carrick-A-Reed Island and hangs nearly 100ft above the rocks and water. The bridge was first built in the 1600s. Please note we do not usually cross the bridge and if this is something you would like to do then we would need to alter the tour and maybe add more time to the tour at an extra cost & the cost of tickets. (Booking tickets needs to be done in advance).
Stop 5 - Ballintoy harbour. This beautiful harbour with its sandy beach and rugged coastline is stunning in any weather and was also used in the Game Of Thrones TV series.
Stop 6 - Dunseverick castle ruins. Built in 500bc this very old castle ruins might not have much left to see as it hangs on the cliffs of the Atlantic Ocean but is still beautiful.
Stop 7 - The Giants Causeway (Northern Irelands only UNESCO world heritage site also known as the 8th wonder of the world. These hexagonal rocks cover our spectacular coast line and is a must see tickets must also be booked in advance to enter the visitors centre but the centre is not compulsory to enter).
Stop 8 - Lunch at the Causeway Hotel. This place has amazing teas and coffees and freshly baked scones. Also a great lunch menu that is not over priced. And if your thirsty then they have some great beers and spirts. A must try is there Baileys Hot Chocolate or Baileys Coffee.
Bushmills town drive through. This little town sits on the bank of the river bush and has some great little shops.
Stop 9 - Dunluce Castle Viewing Point (This castle hanging on the cliffs of the North Coast was built in the 1500s and has been empty since the 1600s. Tickets need to be booked in advance to enter the ruins and more time would be have to be added on to this tour to enter. Although we do show you the best viewing point.
Stop 10 - Bushmills Distillery Stop & Shop (The worlds oldest licensed distillery started making whiskey in 1608. You will have a just a little time to walk around and shop. If you wish to whiskey taste we would need to see what time we have left and if you would like to do the distillery tour then tickets need to be purchased in advance and more time added to the tour).
Stop 11 - The Dark Hedges tree tunnel (These 300 year old beech trees make a fantastic tree tunnel and were also used on HBO's Game Of Thrones). Back home via the motorway.
Please note this tour is aprox 9 hours long from pickup to drop off and depending of weather / queuing / meal times if we can fit everything in. These tours can be adjusted to suit you if possible, so please ask us if there is something not on my list you would like to do!