The Antrim Coast and Glens Walking

Arrive in Ballycastle where your trip starts. You will stay here for the first 4 nights of your holiday.

You stay at a selection of B&B, Guest Houses and Hotels.

hotel details

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a selection of B&B, Guest Houses and Hotels, Northern Ireland

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You will stay in a selection of Bed and Breakfast, Guest Houses and Hotel. Most of the accommodation have a restaurant or a pub or they can be found in the close proximity, where you can sample local food, craft drinks and local whiskey.

Eating & Drinking

All breakfasts are included.

In addition to breakfast at your accommodation, the region’s pubs are renowned for serving wholesome, satisfying meals. Classic dishes like Irish stew, fish and chips, and pies made with locally sourced beef or lamb are staples on many pub menus. Fresh seafood, especially oysters and mussels, also features prominently. Northern Irish pubs are the perfect place to enjoy hearty, home-cooked food, often accompanied by a pint of local craft beer or a dram of Bushmills whiskey.

After a transfer to Orra Beg you head north for Ballycastle along the Moyle Way. Passing through forest tracks and along the banks of the Glenshesk River through the Breen Oakwood Nature Reserve. Continuing onward by country road with views of the Glenshesk River, Knocklayd Mountain and Coolaveely Wood before following a good forest path through Ballycastle Forest and into Ballycastle itself.

Embark on a scenic hike along the breathtaking coastal trail through Murlough Bay and Fair Head. The route closely traces the rugged shoreline, revealing spectacular cliffside panoramas. As you journey around this beautiful headland, take in sweeping views of the Antrim Coast, Rathlin Island, and even the distant shores of Scotland on a clear day. Should the weather be misty with low visibility, there are several looped walks starting from the Fair Head Farm car park that offer equally enjoyable alternatives.

Rathlin is described as a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered and is just six miles across the Sea of Moyle (return ticket included). It's an L-shaped island, six miles long and nowhere is more than a mile across. The island is a naturalist's delight and you can choose between three walks varying from 1.5 miles to 4 miles. Visit the RSPB West Light viewpoint to see the puffins, guillemots and razorbills along with kittiwakes and fulmars, which together make up the largest seabird colony in Europe.

Today a taxi transfer will take you to Larrybane visitor centre and the famous Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. The bridge first built in 1755 by salmon fishermen spans an 80 foot deep chasm that renders Carrick-a-Rede an island. Continue along the coastal path to Ballintoy, a fantastic little harbour at the foot of the cliffs before reaching the beautiful White Park Bay. Stroll onwards to the village of Portbraddan and the ruins of Dunseverick Castle and on to the Giant's Causeway. More than 40,000 hexagonal interlocking, basalt columns formed over 60 million years ago by volcanic eruptions or as local legend suggests, built by the giant Fionn as a path to Scotland to challenge his rival there. From here you take the public bus (payable locally) for the last few miles into Bushmills, your destination for the evening and where you can find the famous Bushmills whiskey distillery.

Continuing along the Antrim coastal path, you will walk the beautiful coastal road to Portrush passing the beautiful Magheracross viewpoint and medieval Dunluce Castle, perched precariously high on a promontory overlooking the sea. Onwards to Whiterocks beach with its limestone white cliffs, the coastal path leads you up around Ramore Head before reaching pretty Portrush harbour. Its then just a few miles along the beach and causeway markers before reaching the promenade in Portstewart where you spend your final evening.

After a final breakfast, you say goodbye to Portstewart and commence your journey home.