On our second day in Northern Ireland, we drove east from Belfast, up the Antrim coast on the Great Causeway Coastal Route, to as far as Downhill on the North coast (about 140 km in total). The stunning Causeway Coastal Route is regarded as one of the top scenic drives in the world, with its long beautiful beaches and rugged cliffs. Along the way we saw some beautiful coastal scenery, stopped at some of the sights and passed through some charming towns. We stayed the night at White Park Bay on the North coast, did more sightseeing the next day and then drove back to Belfast, where we returned the rental car and took the train to Dublin.
Unfortunately the weather was not great on the day we drove up the coast, but we made the most of it and still got to see the breathtaking coastlines and spectacular countryside. Fortunately Northern Ireland is a small country with everything being easily accessible, so we were able to see quite a bit in the short time that we had.
Torr Head
Torr Head is a famous vista that has been the sight of many ancient forts. It is also the closest point on the Isle to the Scottish coast, with the Mull of Kintyre only 20km away.
Torr Head is a famous vista that has been the sight of many ancient forts. It is also the closest point on the Isle to the Scottish coast, with the Mull of Kintyre only 20km away.
Dunluce Castle
The Dunluce Castle is a late Medieval 14th century castle that clings to a clifftop, overlooking the North Atlantic. It is situated near the town of Portrush on the North coast. It was the headquarters of the MacDonnell Clan, but was abandoned shortly after 1639 when part of it fell into the sea one stormy night. It is thought to be the most romantic and picturesque castle in Northern Ireland.
Downhill Castle and Mussenden Temple
A last minute decision in the afternoon to visit Downhill Castle and the iconic Mussenden Temple, meant that we had to rush from the town of Portrush on the North coast, further west so we could get to the coastal town of Downhill before sunset. What we had noticed in the short time we were in Northern Ireland, was that it got dark by 5pm. We arrived at the entrance to the temple at around 4:15pm and made our way to the temple. What we didn't realize was just how far the temple was and we ended up taking at least fifteen minutes just to get to a massive field, which is where we found Downhill Castle. This massive field had sheep roaming and in places it had very tall and thick grass. We found out later that we had taken the long route to get to the castle and the temple!
In this massive field, we didn't see the Mussenden Temple at first, that is until we walked very much further into the field, towards the cliff. The scary thing is that it was getting dark very quickly and we didn't have any torches with us (and we were also trying to avoid any sheep droppings!). To make matters worse we had walked a far way into this huge field and were quite a distance from where we had entered the field. Fortunately we were able to take a few quick photos of the temple, before we quickly made our way back across the field and back to the car. When we reached the car it was almost pitch dark, so we were very relieved that we made it back safely without incident.
The Downhill Castle is the 18th century mansion of the eccentric Earl Bishop of Derry, Frederick Hervey that now lies in ruins. The Mussenden Temple was inspired by the Temple of Vesta in Tivoli, near Rome. It was also built by The Earl Bishop of Derry in 1785 as a summer library, and is perched at the edge of a steep cliff overlooking the Benone Strand. Unfortunately we didn't quite get to take the kind of photos that we wanted, but fortunately we did get to see the castle and the temple.
In this massive field, we didn't see the Mussenden Temple at first, that is until we walked very much further into the field, towards the cliff. The scary thing is that it was getting dark very quickly and we didn't have any torches with us (and we were also trying to avoid any sheep droppings!). To make matters worse we had walked a far way into this huge field and were quite a distance from where we had entered the field. Fortunately we were able to take a few quick photos of the temple, before we quickly made our way back across the field and back to the car. When we reached the car it was almost pitch dark, so we were very relieved that we made it back safely without incident.
The Downhill Castle is the 18th century mansion of the eccentric Earl Bishop of Derry, Frederick Hervey that now lies in ruins. The Mussenden Temple was inspired by the Temple of Vesta in Tivoli, near Rome. It was also built by The Earl Bishop of Derry in 1785 as a summer library, and is perched at the edge of a steep cliff overlooking the Benone Strand. Unfortunately we didn't quite get to take the kind of photos that we wanted, but fortunately we did get to see the castle and the temple.
Whitepark House B&B
After our visit to Downhill, we made our way back east along the North Coast to White Park Bay and the Whitepark House B&B. We had read some great things about this Bed and Breakfast and it really did not disappoint. Whitepark House is the best B&B we have ever stayed at, and in some ways it was even more luxurious than The Savoy! We arrived in the evening and were greeted by Bob, the owner of the B&B. We were welcomed with some tea and biscuits before we were shown to our room.
We were given a huge luxurious room with a separate dressing area and large bathroom with bathtub and shower. Bob and his wife travel to Thailand annually on vacation, so their home is filled with wonderful treasures that they have brought back from all their trips. To say that their home is beautifully decorated is an understatement (unfortunately we didn't want to appear forward and take photos of the rest of the house).
For dinner that evening, Bob made a reservation for us at a lovely restaurant called Tartine in the town of Bushmills (close to White Park Bay), where we enjoyed a delicious three course meal. The following morning Bob prepared a scrumptious breakfast for us before we got on the road again. We left fairly early, as we still had to make a stop at the Giant's Causeway, before heading back to Belfast to catch the train to Dublin.
We were given a huge luxurious room with a separate dressing area and large bathroom with bathtub and shower. Bob and his wife travel to Thailand annually on vacation, so their home is filled with wonderful treasures that they have brought back from all their trips. To say that their home is beautifully decorated is an understatement (unfortunately we didn't want to appear forward and take photos of the rest of the house).
For dinner that evening, Bob made a reservation for us at a lovely restaurant called Tartine in the town of Bushmills (close to White Park Bay), where we enjoyed a delicious three course meal. The following morning Bob prepared a scrumptious breakfast for us before we got on the road again. We left fairly early, as we still had to make a stop at the Giant's Causeway, before heading back to Belfast to catch the train to Dublin.
White Park Bay itself is a spectacular sandy beach that forms a white arc between two headlands on the North Atrium Coast. While we didn't get close to the actual beach, we did get a view of it the following morning from Whitepark House.
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
We didn't have time to visit this bridge, but we were able to get a view of it from afar. The Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge crosses a 98 feet deep and 65 feet wide chasm, which gives access to a salmon fishery. Weather permitting, visitors can cross to the rocky island for amazing views of the sea and Scottish coast.
We didn't have time to visit this bridge, but we were able to get a view of it from afar. The Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge crosses a 98 feet deep and 65 feet wide chasm, which gives access to a salmon fishery. Weather permitting, visitors can cross to the rocky island for amazing views of the sea and Scottish coast.
Dunseverick Castle
Dunseverick Castle is situated near the village of Dunserverick and the Giant's Causeway. It can be traced back to the 5th century AD. Today, all that remains of the castle are the ruins of the gatelodge. It is a beautiful setting at the edge of a cliff.
Dunseverick Castle is situated near the village of Dunserverick and the Giant's Causeway. It can be traced back to the 5th century AD. Today, all that remains of the castle are the ruins of the gatelodge. It is a beautiful setting at the edge of a cliff.
Giant's Causeway
The Giant's Causeway is a UNESCO World Heritage site and Northern Ireland's most famous attraction. It is a geographical phenomenon of over 40,000 mostly hexagonal basalt stone columns, formed by volcanic eruptions over 60 million years ago. These columns are packed together from the cliffs right down and into the sea. We arrived early and took a 20 minute walk from the parking lot down to the Giant's Causeway. The Giant's Causeway is impressive and spectacular, and just a wonderful natural phenomenon.
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