Rathlin Island

Chiscos
Chris & Helen King
Fri 25 Jun 2021 17:37

55:17.499N  6:11.649W

Thursday 24th June

Still in Ballycastle with heavy rain promised for the afternoon. We wanted to go and see the Giants Causeway - only a few miles up the coast, so decided to get the first bus in that direction at 7.30am to give us the whole morning to explore the world heritage site. The bus dropped us off right by the visitors centre and it was only about a mile walk to the Giants Causeway from there. We had the whole place to ourselves and it was spectacular. We got the bus back to Ballycastle just before the heavens opened! We bought some fresh crab from the fishmongers for dinner and took refuge below deck while it rained. 

Friday 25th June

Today we decided to move on to Rathlin Island 5 miles north of Ballycastle. Some decent wind but directly from the north so we didn't sail but motored the hour or so it took us to get to the island. The Harbour Master at Church Bay said she would meet us on the pontoon when we arrived to help us berth, and so she was. Her name is Charlie and she was extremely helpful. We arrived at about 12.15pm, had a bit of lunch and went for a walk to the southern tip of the island, on the 'Roonivoolin Trail'. We saw many seals sunbathing on the rocks at the far end of the trail; we also saw a buzzard, a hare, and many skylarks, oystercatchers and gulls.

(Mull of Kintyre in the background - no mist rolling in from the sea)