The Giant's Causeway

Woke to fine, sunny morning. Daylight Saving doesn’t start until the end of October here so still dark in the morning! Lovely hot full Irish breakfast at the B&B!

Great to Skype with Megan, Scott Joshua & Ellie-Rose!

We set off at 9am through Portrush - where the main road goes through the Royal Golf Course! We passed the ruins of (14^th then) 17^th century Dunluce Castle, quite spectacularly sitting on headland overlooking water – it centre of McDonnell Clan.

Soon arrived – cold & wet!!! -  at new Visitor Centre of Giant’s Causeway – shiny black, angular – built of local stone. You get an audio Guide which was wonderful to listen to as we walked down to the Causeway. Quite spectacularly surrounded by high volcanic cliffs to incredible hexagonal stone columns (big & small height wise but all same size around – if you know what I mean?!) out into the water. Lots of stones smooth now & slippery.  Lots of myths & legends about the area - made by Giant Finn McCool to get to Scotland to defeat an adversary. Cold wind, rain, fine – the lot while there!

The drive along the rest of the north coast beautiful – the sea always in view. Many small villages/towns, most with white small, tall houses, shops, hotels ‘in line’ at foot of hills/cliffs beside the water. Some designed to be like Cornish houses. On the other side – lots of little farms – green fields surrounded by STONE walls; often the old stone cottage & barn left & near the new house, barns & sheds. We saw one built into the hillside with road passing at the front wall/door!!!

We stopped (unplanned) at Ballintoy – drive down steep, narrow, hairpin bends road to the harbour. Surprised to see guy in blue jacket on one bend & piles of ‘barrels, big (like sand) bags, rounded iron ‘spikes’ on poles’ around another bend. The cliffs around the harbour are high, greyish, two big cave entrances in them & big chunks of rock/s around headland. There were 2 guys wheelbarrowing dark rocks & putting them in piles in front of 3 tall ‘poles’ & other guys making a steel ‘table/platform’ in another area. We found out site is used for the ‘Game of Thrones’ TV series. On way out passed tractors, big machines, Security Guards, taxi bringing people – it all happening!

Warren walked down to the Carrick-on-Reed rope bridge – 20m wide, 30 m deep chasm where salmon fishermen built the bridge to cross. We continued on the coast road right around to Larne (just north of Belfast) where ferried go to Scotland in summer. On a good day you can see Scotland!

Inland from here is Slemish Mtn where (St) Patrick brought as a slave & lived for 6 yrs as a shepherd in about 400. Area now covered in pine forests – popular with walkers as many glens & woodlands.

About 6pm we found the Ballymac Hotel to stay the night, near Lisburn (inland from Belfast)