Portrush to Ballycastle - Northern Ireland

The north coast arguably offers the best paddling in N. Ireland. With stunning cliffs, the Giants Causeway, castles, caves and a rope bridge, it has it all. Although this paddle from Portrush to Ballycastle could be done in a single day it can be spilt into a more relaxed two-day trip with a camp thrown in.

Portrush is easily accessible from Belfast by two routes. The shorter and more direct route is along the M2 motorway and A26 to Ballymena then on to Coleraine, finishing with the A29 to Portrush. The second is by the coastal road of the east and eventually north coast, which passes through a host of small towns and offers some of the most spectacular scenery Ulster has to offer.

Portrush is a busy seaside town and local holiday spot. With countless B&B's and several campsites in the locality, accommodation isn't hard to find. This trip was made during midweek, towards the end of the summer and still the place was packed with locals and tourist alike.

The first task is to do the shuttle and leave one car in Ballycastle. It's a 32k drive along the coast road, which takes you through the town of Bushmills, famous for having the world's oldest legal distillery, which produces the best whiskey in the world. If you have only one car with you, then an alternative is to use the Ulster bus service, which has a daily service but limited on Sundays.

You can leave your car in the car park above the slip at the harbour Grid 121-414 were there is plenty of space.

Back in Portrush you can park the car at the harbour above the slip at Grid 856-407, just make sure it's not hindering any of the local fishermen's access or you could return to find it the sea.

Shortly after leaving Portrush you start to paddle between the Skerries, a small group of islands NE of Ramore Head and the sandy beach of Curran Strand. There are strong tides that flow around the Skerries especially to the northern side but in the right sea conditions are certainly worth a look.

From the largest island, it's just less than 3k SE to Dunluce castle Grid 905-415.

Believed to have been built by Richard de Burgh, Earl of Ulster in the 13th Century, it is a great local tourist attraction. In 1584 Sorley Boy MacDonnell captured it from the English and it remained in his family until the late 1600's when it was abandoned by it's last occupier, Randall McDonnell. Perched high above you, on the edge of the cliff, the view from the water certainly makes it an imposing piece of Irish history.

There are a few caves along this section; with one being directly below the castle. Time should be taken to explore the caves, but watch out for the swell.

Portballintrae harbour, Grid 926-421, lies about 9k from Portrush. It has a slip and access to toilets. Next is Bushfoot Strand, which along with The White Rocks, are two of the local surfing beaches. Passing the impressive Runkerry house, Grid 935-435, which was built in the early 1600's by Edward MacNaghten. In more recent years it has been a retirement home and later an activity centre. It's now been converted into apartments, non-the less it's still an attractive building, with a great location.

The coastline here is truly magnificent, dotted with caves, which are well worth taking the time to explore, but it's only a prelude to the Giants Causeway, which if legend is to be believed, was built by Finn McCool and his Scottish counter-part Bennendonner. The hexagonal shaped rocks have been a tourist attraction for many years. Time should be taken to explore all the rocky bays the Causeway has to offer. The Giant's Chair, the Amphitheatre and the Organ are easily identified from the sea.

At Port na Spaniagh, Grid 952-455, lies the wreck of the Girona, a ship from the Spanish Armada sank off the causeway in 1588. Only five of the thirteen hundred men, she had picked up survivors from two other wrecks, made it to land. Incidentally, two of the ships guns were retrieved and placed on the walls of Dunluce castle for its protection. The wreck was dived on in 1967/68 and an amazing amount of treasure was retrieved, the most famous piece being a small golden salamander, which I can remember seeing as a boy when it was first displayed in Ulster museum. There's nothing to be seen at the site now and diving on the wreck is forbidden.

Continuing past Bendane, Bengore and Contham and leaving the causeway behind you, make your way to Port Moon. It's worth getting out and having a look around the old fishing hut that has easy access from the sea but quite a steep track down from the road.

Dunseverick Castle, Grid 987-446, sits high up on the cliff. Wrecked by a Scottish army in 1642, only part of the tower still remains today. The take out point for this part of the trip is Dunseverick harbour at Grid 999-446. Although not an official campsite, it is widely used and comes complete with toilet block.

If you're feeling brave, there are a couple of rock pools close to the Dunseverick harbour that the locals use for swimming. If you walk east from the campsite along the NT path for about 500m you'll come upon St. Gobban's, reported to be the smallest church in Ireland. I have to confess I've never been there myself, but it may be worth a look.

     Back on the water you enter WhitePark Bay. Portbradden lies to the east side of the bay. The bay is another favourite with surfers. From Long Gilbert, Grid 027- 450 to Ballintoy harbour, Grid  037-455 is a maze of outcrops, which make spectacular paddling through and one of my favourite places on the coast. Depending on sea conditions you could be playing in surf or watching fish swimming below you.

Ballintoy Harbour, Grid 038-455, once used in the nineteenth century for the shipping of stone to such places as Cork and Glasgow, is still a working harbour for local fishermen. This picturesque harbour is a large tourist attraction and during the summer months will be a hive of activity with visitors to the coffee shop and the small beach. It's also home to the North East Sea Kayakers.

Sheep island, Grid 048-458, lies less than 1km NE of Ballintoy. It's a NT island and home to a variety of birds. With craggy inlets on the north side and squawking birds above your head, make it a wonderful place to visit. Beware of the flow that runs between here and Larry Ban bay. On the east side of the bay lies one of the coast's main tourist attractions, Carrick-a-rede Island.

Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge, Grid 061-449, sees thousands of visitors during the summer months. The views from the island are spectacular but non-better than those given to the sea kayaker paddling below it. At low tide, it's possible to walk across the sand bar between the cliff and the island. During high tide, it's a great place to surf through on the swell. There's a fantastic cave just on the east side of the bridge. This section has a few caves worth exploring and along with the Giants Cut, Grid 068-442, an impressive slice in the coastline makes for interesting paddling.

Rounding Kinbane head, and with a good swell, fun can be had surfing through an open cave in the cliff face. There's also the ruins of Kinbane castle, Grid 087-438, that was built in 1547 by none other than a MacDonald. It had a short life however, and was almost destroyed by English canon in 1555. Landing is possible, if a little tricky, but it's worth getting out and climbing up to have a look at the views from the castle.

There's a great view from Kinbane, which means, "white head", out towards Rathlin Island. The island has a great history that dates back to Mesolithic times. Massacres, famine and ancient burial sites make it an interesting place to visit. However for the sea kayaker, it's a committed paddle and one to be researched before embarking on. The tides around Rathlin are well known, and strong currents keep many kayakers from making the trip.

The rest of the trip to Ballycastle has the odd cave and some wonderful scenery. Marked on the map on the edge of the cliff is Dunineny castle, but I must confess to never actually seeing it from the water.

The take out in Ballycastle is beside the pier at grid 121-414, giving easy access to the car park. In Ballycastle, best know for hosting the "Ould Lammas Fair" which takes place on the last Monday and Tuesday in August, you'll find a variety of pubs, cafes and restaurants, that caters for everyone.

This trip along the north coast of Ireland is a favourite with local paddlers and I'm sure would make a great weekend trip for those travelling from the main land. This particular trip was taken in perfect sea conditions, although on day one we had a thunder and lightning storm with heavy rain. On day two we were rewarded with clear skies and warm sun.