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!
