It was September and I was standing on one of the 40,000 basalt rocks. The wind was blowing, the…read moresea was rough, the sky was over cast and there was a light drizzle of rain. Somehow it all felt like a peaceful, rugged, romantic moment that I will forever remember. I came for the geology and found more. Driving from Dublin took over 2 hours. Belfast is a shorter drive. On approaching the Causeway you have a choice of 3 parking lots. Lot 3 is by far the furthest away. It has been a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE since 1986 and is maintained by the National Trust. There is a tourist info center( audio-visual presentation), bathrooms, gift shop, currency exchange (British Pound), and coffee shop. To get down to the basalt monoliths is about a 15 minute walk along a well kept asphalt road and walkway that takes you down to the hexagon stones. It is steep on the way back up and many people take the shuttle, some both ways. The basalt rocks run from the cliff into the sea. Some areas are difficult to very slippery and difficult to navigate. The spray from the ocean and unpredictable wave heights crashing against the monoliths require your constant attention.. There are paths on the side that allow stunning vistas and photographic opportunities especially on clear sunny days. Unfortunately I was not lucky enough to be there under those conditions.. Bushmills Whiskey Distillery, the oldest distillery in Northern Ireland, is three miles away and Dunluce castle is about the same distance. Combining the three in one day is possible and if your coming from a distance probably a good idea. There is a very quaint pub called the Nook within walking from the visitor's center.

Loved this natural stone formations. A must see if you visit Northern Ireland. Visited the first…read moreday at 5 pm and stayed until 7:30 pm exploring the ocean pathway. The next morning, got up at dawn and hiked the upper trails for another 2 1/2 hours. Totally different perspectives and got amazing photos.

When driving along the coast in the very North here you will pass this stunning beach…read more We stayed in nearby Thurso and been here before - but that's 10 years ago. So this time we came back to spend a late afternoon here. Best to park at the Caravan & Motorhome Campsite at the northern end. It's a public carpark with fair parking fees and just steps away from the beach. Also free public toilets here. It was a picture perfect sunny day and we didn't have any problems finding a spot. The beach itself is very wide and over two miles long! It's a very pretty, very clean beach with wonderful soft sand. There were maybe around 20-30 visitors on the beach that day - and that was suprising. We thought - after 10 years - that it got a lot more popular. But nice to still have to beach almost to yourself! Since it's that long and wide, it really feels like you're on your own here. People sunbathing, playing, running, walking. And having fun with their dogs (free to roam). The space is so big, nobody is bothered and it feel really free here. It was nice to just stroll up and down the beach, enjoying the sun and the ocean views. The peace and quiet up here in the north. There is a pretty high number of stranded jellyfish though in summer. So if you're here with your small kids or dog, keep your eyes open. It's really a picture-perfect beach here. And not to be missed when around the area.

After the impressive Sinclair Castle we've had some time left and came here for a quick visit…read more There were only a handful of other visitors that day. We knew there isn't much to see or left of the castle. But the short walk along the coast with its wonderful rock formations and the views were really worth our time. The official carpark is an easy and short walk away only and leads along the coast. The date of the castles origins are a not exactly known, but it was somewhen around the later 14th century it is assumed. The ruin sits on a spine of rock. There used to be drawbridge, which is long gone and lots of the four-storey tower has collapsed. It's currently fenced of and access denied. But you can still get nice views of the ruins - and it must have been quite the sight back then when it was still standing. Here on the coast, looking over the sea. It's not the longest thing to visit, but worth a quick look. And the scenery is just really pretty.