Irish Adventure - Antrim to Derry

Day 2

Nick describes our hike

Breakfast & then up & on the road. We started our day with a 1k coastal walk along Portaneevey Cliffs,  then a test of our love of heights at the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge! This bridge links the mainland to the tiny island of Carrickarede.  It is 20 meters long and 20 meters above the sea.  It is thought that fishermen have built bridges here for over 350 years, some with only two ropes going across.  The fishermen where fishing for Atlantic salmon and by getting on the island they had access to the best places to catch the migrating salmon.   The bridge that exists today is very stable and easy to cross.  It is totally worth the crossing with beautiful views from the tiny island. I wish we have brought our lunch here for a picnic.  The views were phenomenal!

flowers along our walk

beautiful views 

After a lovely lunch stop, we walked along the Antrim Coastline on the Giants Causeway, a world Heritage site since 1986.  Walking along the amazing green coast you end at volcanic rock formations. There are more than 40,00 hexagon tubes/Columns, that look like a man-made puzzle.  The Causeway provides a glimpse into the Earths past with its 60 million year old formations due to the cooling & shrinking of successive lava flows.  Legend has it the formations were a creation of Finn McCool & his dust up with Scottish giant Benandonner.  Locals believed that between the hexagons, the mythical features carved out in the rocks and the sea, that there is real magic.  This walk was one of my favorites of this trip.  There is a visitors center, cafe & gift shop at one end of the Causeway.  You can get a recorded audio tour to walk with if you wish.  There are also Park Ranger guided tours available that last about an hour.

spectacular views on our walk 

Rock formations the Giants Causeway 

Next stop, the village of Bushmills - yes where they make the whiskey!  There is a tour you can take of the distillery or you can head straight to the bar for a whiskey tasting.  Since we were at the end of our day, we went straight for the whiskey!

Our day ended at the Beech Hill Country House Hotel in Derry.  OMGee, I loved this hotel!! Beautiful rooms & grounds, charming and gracious hosts!  We had our evening meal in the lovely dinning room, which had large windows facing the forested grounds in back of the hotel. 

The Grounds at Beech Hill House 

view from the rear of the hotel 

On behalf of our family and all the team at Beech Hill Country House, we would like to welcome you to this wonderful hotel.

Beech Hill epitomizes Georgian elegance and gracious country living. It is the hotel where your comfort and pleasure always come first and where you are assured of warm and genuine hospitality.

Some of the world’s biggest celebrities stay at Beech Hill, a hotel known internationally for its tranquillity, style and luxurious trappings. Come and join them. We’d love to see you here.

Patsy O’Kane and Seamus Donnelly, Proprietors