Top Things to Do in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland

Ballycastle Beach in County Mayo, Republic of Ireland, sits on the wild Atlantic coastline of northwest Connacht, near the small village of Ballycastle on the Céide Fields coast. The coordinates 55.20500, -6.25800 place this beach firmly in County Antrim, Northern Ireland — however, the entry specifies Republic of Ireland, and there is a Ballycastle in County Mayo that deserves careful identification. After cross-referencing, the coordinates 55.205, -6.258 fall very close to Ballycastle, County Antrim, which is actually in Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdom), not the Republic of Ireland. I want to be transparent about this geographic discrepancy: the coordinates point to the Antrim coast settlement, not the Mayo one. I will write about the beach at those precise coordinates, which corresponds to Ballycastle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, and note this distinction clearly. Ballycastle Beach in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, is one of the most scenically magnificent strands on the entire north coast of Ireland. Nestled within the embrace of Ballycastle Bay, it lies just east of the town of Ballycastle itself, framed by the imposing bulk of Fair Head to the northeast and the softer green hills rolling back from the shoreline. The beach sits at the foot of a town that has served as a gateway to the Causeway Coastal Route, one of the most celebrated scenic drives in the British Isles, and it benefits enormously from this position — both in terms of the visitors it draws and the extraordinary natural theatre that surrounds it. The strand is widely regarded as one of the hidden gems of the Antrim coast, less commercialised than some of its neighbours to the west such as Portrush or Portstewart, and offering a quality of solitude and raw natural beauty that those busier resorts cannot always match. The beach itself is a broad, gently curving arc of fine golden-grey sand that stretches for roughly a kilometre along the bay. At low tide the strand widens considerably, revealing a generous flat expanse ideal for walking, and the sand has a firm, slightly coarse character underfoot that is typical of Atlantic-exposed north Irish beaches. The colour ranges from pale gold in dry summer light to a deep, saturated amber when wet, and the strand is generally clean and well-maintained. To the western end the beach transitions toward the outflow of the River Margy, which drains into the bay here and creates a shifting channel that walkers should be mindful of. The backdrop to the beach includes dune grass and low marram-covered hillocks, giving the landward edge a natural, unspoiled character, while the sea views extend north toward Rathlin Island, which sits prominently just a few kilometres offshore and dominates the horizon in a way that few island features manage to do anywhere in Ireland. The sea at Ballycastle is quintessentially North Channel Atlantic — cold, clear, and energetic. Water temperatures even in midsummer rarely exceed 14 to 16 degrees Celsius, and outside of June through August the sea is bracingly cold by any standard. The bay offers a modest degree of shelter compared with fully exposed Atlantic headlands, but swells can still build significantly during westerly and northwesterly storms, and the tidal range along this coast is considerable, with differences of three to four metres between low and high water on spring tides. Currents in the bay are generally manageable for confident swimmers during calm periods, but the proximity of the River Margy outflow introduces localised rip-type currents near the western end of the beach, particularly after heavy rainfall when river flow is stronger. Swimming is popular in summer but the beach does not always have lifeguard cover throughout the season, and visitors should check current arrangements with the local council before assuming supervised swimming is available. In terms of facilities, Ballycastle Beach benefits from its proximity to the town centre. Car parking is available close to the seafront, and the town itself — a short walk from the sand — provides a full range of amenities including shops, cafes, pubs, and restaurants. Public toilets are available in the town and near the seafront area. The beach itself is accessible on foot from the town and is relatively flat, making it reasonably approachable for those with mobility considerations, though the sandy surface naturally presents some challenge for wheelchairs. There is no significant beach hire operation for watersports equipment at the beach itself, but the town supports a general tourism infrastructure and there are operators in the wider Causeway Coast area offering various activities. The ferry to Rathlin Island departs from Ballycastle Harbour, which is adjacent to the beach area, adding a significant practical and touristic dimension to any visit. The best time to visit Ballycastle Beach is from late May through early September, when days are longest and the weather, while never guaranteed, is most likely to offer the sunshine and mild temperatures that make a beach visit rewarding. July and August bring the most visitors, particularly on weekends and during the Auld Lammas Fair — a famous traditional market fair held in Ballycastle every August Bank Holiday weekend that has been running for centuries and draws large crowds to the town. Those seeking quiet should aim for weekday visits in June or early September. Winter visits have their own austere appeal: storms rolling in from the North Channel can produce dramatic wave action and skies of extraordinary drama, making the beach a destination for photographers and those who simply love the experience of a wild Irish coast in full Atlantic mood. Spring and autumn offer a middle ground of manageable weather and very low crowds. Activities at Ballycastle Beach span a pleasingly wide range. Swimming is the most traditional draw in summer, and the relatively sheltered bay makes this safer than many exposed north coast beaches during calm periods. The long flat strand at low tide is excellent for walking and running, and the views across to Rathlin Island provide constant visual interest. Surfing is possible here, though the bay's partial shelter means that Ballycastle is not the premier surf destination that spots like Portrush or Lahinch can be — it suits beginners and improvers better than serious wave riders seeking large swells. Sea kayaking and paddleboarding have grown in popularity along the Causeway Coast and Ballycastle Bay offers accessible flat-water paddling with spectacular coastal scenery. Birdwatching is rewarding, particularly in the estuary area near the River Margy and with views toward the seabird colonies of Rathlin. The beach is also a natural starting or ending point for coastal walking, with paths connecting to the broader network of the Causeway Coast Way. The landscape surrounding Ballycastle Beach is one of the most dramatic on the Irish coastline. To the northeast, Fair Head — a basalt cliff formation rising to around 190 metres — creates one of the most spectacular coastal profiles anywhere in Ireland or Britain, its sheer dark columns dropping almost vertically to the sea below. This headland is geologically related to the more famous Giant's Causeway to the west, both being products of the same ancient Paleogene volcanic activity that shaped so much of this coastline. Behind the town the hills of the Glens of Antrim begin to unfold, offering green, pastoral contrast to the hard drama of the cliffs and sea. Rathlin Island, visible from the beach on any clear day, adds further geographical weight to the setting, its distinctive L-shaped profile sitting on the horizon like a natural sentinel between Ireland and Scotland, whose Mull of Kintyre is itself sometimes visible in exceptionally clear conditions from this coastline. The history of Ballycastle and its beach is deeply layered. The town takes its name from the ruins of Bunamargy Friary nearby, founded around 1500 by the MacDonnell clan, who were the dominant Gaelic lords of this area and whose connection to the western Scottish isles gave the Antrim coast much of its cultural character during the medieval and early modern periods. The Auld Lammas Fair, held annually since at least the seventeenth century, is one of the oldest fairs in Ireland and remains a genuine community institution rather than

Portballintrae is a small and attractive coastal village on the north Antrim coast of Northern Ireland, a sheltered bay of considerable charm near Bushmills that provides a quieter and more residential alternative to the busier tourist destinations of the Giant's Causeway coast immediately to the east. The village sits on a rounded bay of golden sand backed by low cliffs, its stone cottages and the small pier giving it the character of an unspoiled seaside community that has developed organically rather than for the tourist trade. The village's position on the north Antrim coast places it within easy reach of the major attractions of this section of coastline. The Giant's Causeway, one of the natural wonders of the world, is less than two miles to the east along the cliff path, and the walk between Portballintrae and the Causeway along the coastal path is one of the finest short coastal walks in Northern Ireland, passing above the columnar basalt cliffs and providing views along the entire north Antrim coast toward Rathlin Island and the Scottish mainland beyond. The Bushmills Distillery, the oldest licensed whisky distillery in the world, is a short distance inland from Portballintrae and provides one of the most visited and most rewarding industrial heritage experiences in Ireland. The combination of the distillery visit, the Giant's Causeway and the coastal walking makes this small corner of north Antrim one of the most concentrated areas of visitor interest in Northern Ireland. The beach at Portballintrae provides safe bathing and the sheltered bay is popular with families who find the combination of the small village character and the beach facilities more relaxed than the major tourist centres nearby.

Altinaghree Castle is a derelict castle situated on private farmland outside Donemana, south of Londonderry in County Tyrone. The castle is also known as Altnacree Castle, Liscloon House, and is known locally as Ogilby's Castle. It was once a large elegant building with magnificent banquet room, but is now in ruins. The building is constructed from cut stone. Facilities The castle is on private land and is not open to the public, but can be seen and photographed from the main Dunamanagh - Claudy Road (B49). The castle is believed to have been built by William Ogilby around 1860. James Douglas Ogilby, who later became a famous ichthyologist in Australia was the son of William Ogilby. James fell in love with a factory seamstress, Mary Jane Jamieson, and was denied permission to marry her. He ended up eloping and marrying her in 1884. He moved to Australia where he was appointed to the Australian Museum in 1885. The castle was abandoned by the end of the century and fell into disrepair.

Ballycastle is a small market town and seaside resort on the Antrim coast of Northern Ireland, its beach and harbour providing the principal visitor focus in a town that serves as the main gateway for the Rathlin Island ferry and as the central settlement of the Causeway Coast and Glens area. The beach at Ballycastle stretches for approximately one kilometre along the bay below the town, a mix of sand and shingle that is sheltered from the prevailing Atlantic swell by the headlands on either side and overlooks the distinctive flat-topped outline of Rathlin Island two kilometres offshore. The town and beach have a character that is distinctly different from the more heavily developed resorts of the Antrim coast further south. Ballycastle retains the feel of a working Irish market town with a functioning harbour, a weekly market and a local economy that extends beyond tourism alone. The Ould Lammas Fair, held annually in late August since at least the seventeenth century, is one of the oldest fairs in Ireland and draws visitors from across Northern Ireland and beyond, combining a traditional horse and cattle fair with amusements, traders and the distinctive dulse and yellowman confectionery for which Ballycastle is particularly known. The harbour below the town is the departure point for the Rathlin Island ferry, which makes the twenty-minute crossing to one of Northern Ireland's most rewarding day trip destinations several times daily in summer. Rathlin is a small, shaped island with a permanent farming and fishing community, dramatic seabird cliffs at its western end, and the cave beneath the lighthouse where Robert the Bruce is traditionally said to have sheltered and drawn inspiration from the famous spider. The puffin colony at the West Light is one of the largest and most accessible in Ireland. The surrounding Causeway Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty provides extensive walking and coastal scenery, with the Fair Head cliffs immediately east of Ballycastle offering some of the most dramatic headland scenery on the north Antrim coast.

The Old Bushmills Distillery in the village of Bushmills in County Antrim is the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world, a claim supported by a grant of distilling rights issued in 1608 by King James I that makes the Bushmills operation the earliest formally documented whiskey distillery in recorded history. The distillery produces a range of single malt and blended Irish whiskies that are sold internationally, and the visitor experience it offers is one of the finest distillery tours in Ireland, combining the historic credentials of the site with a thorough and accessible explanation of the whiskey-making process. The distillery stands on the bank of the St Columb's Rill, a small stream whose waters contribute to the character of Bushmills whiskey, in the centre of the village that takes its name from the mill on the bush river nearby. The current buildings date primarily from the nineteenth century, the original distillery having been destroyed by fire and rebuilt on several occasions, but the overall impression of a working Victorian distillery with its brick warehouses, malting floors and copper pot stills has been carefully maintained. The distinctive smell of fermenting mash and the distinctive sweetness of maturing spirit in the bonded warehouses are among the sensory experiences that make distillery visits so compelling. The tour covers the full whiskey-making process from malting the barley through to the triple distillation in copper pot stills that gives Irish whiskey its characteristic smoothness, the maturation in bourbon and sherry casks and the blending that produces the finished product. The tasting at the end of the tour provides an opportunity to compare different expressions of the Bushmills range in the appropriate context. The distillery's location near the Giant's Causeway, one of Ireland's most visited natural sites, makes it a natural stopping point on a Causeway Coast itinerary, and the village of Bushmills itself has several good restaurants and the Bushmills Inn hotel.

Mountjoy Castle has a commanding elevated position overlooking Lough Neagh in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, built by Lord Mountjoy, the Lord Deputy of Ireland who brought the Nine Years' War to a conclusion with his decisive campaign against Hugh O'Neill in 1601-02. The castle was constructed as a strategic fortification to control the western approach to Lough Neagh, the largest freshwater lake in Ireland and Britain, and to consolidate English military control over this part of central Ulster following the defeat of the great Gaelic Ulster chieftains. The brick and stone construction of the four-square castle with circular angle towers is unusual in an Irish context and reflects English military building practice of the early seventeenth century. The castle is now a substantial ruin overlooking the lough and is accessible to visitors.

The Dark Hedges near Stranocum in County Antrim is one of the most photographed natural features in Ireland, a beech avenue of approximately 150 years old whose intertwining canopy and atmospheric quality have made it one of the iconic images of the Northern Irish countryside and, since its appearance as the King's Road in the television series Game of Thrones, one of the most visited locations in Northern Ireland. The trees were planted in the eighteenth century by the Stuart family of Gracehill House as an impressive entrance avenue to their property and the century and a half of growth has produced the extraordinary interlocking canopy that creates the tunnel effect in both summer and winter. The Game of Thrones connection, though now the primary driver of the tourism that has made the Dark Hedges a National Tourism destination, is secondary to the genuine natural quality of the avenue itself. The beech trees, planted in pairs on either side of the road, have grown toward each other across the carriageway as mature beeches inevitably do and the resulting canopy creates a natural tunnel of considerable atmospheric power regardless of any television association. The trees are now protected and managed by the local authority and the volume of visitor traffic has required the introduction of managed access arrangements to protect both the trees and the narrow country lane that runs beneath them. The most atmospheric photographs of the Dark Hedges are made in early morning or evening light when mist is present, conditions that occur with some regularity in the north Antrim countryside.

Cushendall is the principal village of the Glens of Antrim, a settlement at the confluence of three of the nine Antrim glens whose combination of the colourful painted shopfronts, the remarkable Curfew Tower that serves as the principal visual landmark of the village and the access it provides to the surrounding glens and the Antrim coast makes it the most rewarding base for exploring this section of the northeast Irish coast. The village is the centre of the Red Bay area and the nearby Red Bay castle ruins provide the medieval dimension to a village whose character is primarily Georgian and Victorian. The Curfew Tower, an unusual circular red sandstone tower built in 1817 by Francis Turnly as a place of confinement for idlers and rioters, is the most distinctive building in the village and provides a visual focal point quite unlike any other structure on the Antrim coast. Its original function as a lock-up for disturbers of the peace was apparently taken seriously by its builder, who was sufficiently exercised by the idleness of the local population to build a dedicated facility for their correction. The surrounding Glens of Antrim, in particular Glenariff to the south with its series of waterfalls and the Forest Park, Glenaan and Glenballyeamon to the north, provide excellent walking and scenery in a landscape that is among the most beautiful and most traditionally Irish in the northeast. The Irish language has been spoken in the Glens for centuries and the Gaelic culture of this section of Antrim is among the most authentic surviving in Ulster.

Kinbane Castle is a dramatically situated ruined sixteenth-century tower house on Kenbane Head on the North Antrim coast, its white limestone walls rising from the narrow headland that gives the castle its name, kenbane meaning white headland in Irish. The castle was built by Colla MacDonnell, brother of the Scots-Irish lord Sorley Boy MacDonnell, one of the most significant figures in the turbulent history of sixteenth-century Ulster. The castle was twice attacked and damaged by the English Crown during the wars against the MacDonnells, and was eventually abandoned. The headland position above the Atlantic provides outstanding views along the North Antrim coast and is accessible from a steep path descending from the clifftop car park. The surrounding coastal landscape, including the Giant's Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge nearby, is one of the most celebrated in Ireland.

Waterfoot Beach, situated at the mouth of the Glenariff River where it meets the waters of Red Bay on the Antrim Coast, presents an immediate geographical puzzle worth addressing: the coordinates 55.06040, -6.06110 place this location firmly within County Antrim, which is part of Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom, not the Republic of Ireland as listed. Waterfoot is a small village in the Glens of Antrim, and the beach here sits at the base of Glenariff, often called the Queen of the Glens. This is one of the most scenically dramatic coastal settings on the entire northeastern Irish coastline, where a glacially carved glen meets a sheltered bay backed by red sandstone and basalt cliffs. The village itself is small and unhurried, and the beach reflects that character entirely — it is not a resort destination but rather a genuinely local and largely unspoiled stretch of coastline that rewards those who seek it out. The beach at Waterfoot is a mixed-composition strand, combining coarser sand with gravel and pebble deposits, shaped by the outflow of the Glenariff River and the tidal dynamics of Red Bay. The bay is semi-enclosed, which gives it a calmer aspect than more exposed Atlantic-facing beaches, and the shoreline curves in a gentle arc. The beach is not particularly wide at high tide but opens up considerably as the tide retreats, revealing flatter expanses of wet sand and river-deposited sediment near the river mouth. The predominant coloration is grey-brown, with pebbles worn smooth by generations of wave action, and the overall character is rugged and natural rather than the fine white sand of more celebrated Irish beaches. There is a raw, working quality to the landscape here that many visitors find more compelling than manicured resort beaches. Water conditions in Red Bay are comparatively sheltered given the bay's orientation and the protection offered by the surrounding headlands. The Irish Sea at this latitude runs cold throughout the year, with summer surface temperatures rarely exceeding 14 to 16 degrees Celsius even in the warmest months of July and August. Swimming is possible during summer, and the sheltered bay means wave heights are generally modest compared to western Atlantic-facing coastlines, though conditions can deteriorate quickly in autumn and winter when northerly and northeasterly winds funnel into the bay. Tidal range along this part of the Antrim coast is moderate, and swimmers and paddlers should be aware of currents near the river mouth where freshwater outflow from the Glenariff interacts with tidal movement, particularly after heavy rainfall in the glen. Facilities at Waterfoot Beach are modest and in keeping with the village's small scale. There is roadside and informal parking available near the beach, and the village has a small number of local businesses including a pub. The beach does not have seasonal lifeguard cover in the manner of larger designated bathing beaches, and visitors should treat it accordingly, swimming with appropriate caution and awareness of conditions. There are no surf hire shops or watersports centres directly at the beach, and the amenities that exist are those of a quiet rural coastal village rather than a tourist infrastructure. Visitors should come prepared with everything they need, as the nearest larger towns with fuller services are Cushendall, only a short distance to the north, and Larne further south. The best time to visit Waterfoot Beach is during the late spring and summer months, roughly May through September, when weather and water temperatures are at their most amenable. The beach is never crowded in the manner of popular seaside resorts, and even on warm summer weekends it retains a quiet, local atmosphere. Autumn brings spectacular light and dramatic skies that make the red sandstone cliffs particularly photogenic, and the beach can be wonderfully atmospheric in winter storms, though swimming would be inadvisable. Low tide is the most rewarding time for walking the full extent of the beach and exploring the river mouth area, and consulting local tide tables before visiting will help plan the experience accordingly. Activities at Waterfoot are oriented around gentle enjoyment of the natural environment rather than organised watersports. Sea kayaking is possible in calm conditions given the sheltered nature of Red Bay, and the bay can be explored by paddlers launching from the beach. Walking is perhaps the primary draw, both along the shoreline itself and as a gateway to the Glenariff Forest Park and its celebrated waterfall trails, which begin a short distance inland and represent some of the finest walking in the Glens of Antrim. Photography is rewarding throughout the year, with the combination of red and black cliffs, the river mouth, the bay and the changing Atlantic light offering compelling subjects. Fishing from the shore is also practiced locally. The surrounding landscape is extraordinary and forms the principal reason to visit this part of the Antrim coast. The red sandstone cliffs that give Red Bay its name rise dramatically behind and around the village, streaked with iron oxides that glow orange and red in evening light. The entrance to Glenariff Glen is marked by these same formations, and the landscape transitions rapidly from coastal strand to the deep wooded valley of one of Ireland's most famous glens. A ruined castle, Red Bay Castle, stands on a promontory near the village and adds a historical vertical element to the already dramatic scenery. The Antrim Coast Road, one of the first mountain roads built in Ireland and a remarkable feat of early nineteenth century engineering, runs directly through Waterfoot, connecting the glens to one another. Red Bay Castle, the fragmentary ruin visible on the cliffs above the village, dates to the medieval period and was associated with the MacDonnell clan, who dominated this part of Ulster from the fourteenth century onwards. The area sits within the broader cultural landscape of the Glens of Antrim, which retained a Gaelic Irish and later Scottish Gaelic character long after other parts of Ulster underwent plantation. The Glenariff valley and the coastal settlements around Red Bay were home to communities that maintained strong links with Argyll and the Western Isles of Scotland across the narrow channel, and this cross-channel culture left its marks in language, music and place names throughout the area. The beach and village occupy ground that has been continuously inhabited and used for fishing, trade and agriculture for many centuries, and that layered human history is quietly present in the landscape for those who look for it. Waterfoot Beach is reached directly from the A2 Antrim Coast Road, which passes through the village and offers roadside stopping points. The beach is freely accessible with no entry fee. Visitors arriving by car will find informal parking in the village, and the beach is a short walk from the road. Public transport connections along the Antrim coast exist but are limited, and a car is the most practical way to visit. For those combining the beach with a walk in Glenariff Forest Park, the park entrance and car park are a short drive inland up the glen. The beach is suitable for visitors of most mobility levels at low tide on the flatter sand areas near the river mouth, though the pebble sections are uneven underfoot.

Downhill Strand is a magnificent sweeping beach located on the north coast of Northern Ireland, in County Londonderry (also known as County Derry), stretching along the base of the dramatic Binevenagh escarpment. I should clarify an important point: the coordinates 55.16781, -6.87234 place this beach firmly within Northern Ireland, not the Republic of Ireland, sitting just west of the town of Castlerock and east of the village of Downhill. The beach lies within the Causeway Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a designation that reflects the extraordinary scenery surrounding it. It is one of the longest and most spectacular beaches on the island of Ireland, running for approximately eleven kilometres in an almost unbroken arc of sand from Castlerock westward toward Magilligan Point, where Lough Foyle meets the open Atlantic. The wider area is managed in part by the National Trust, particularly in connection with the clifftop Mussenden Temple ruins that tower above the strand and have become one of the most photographed landmarks in Ireland. The beach itself is composed almost entirely of fine, pale golden sand, firm and flat at low tide and immensely wide when the sea retreats. The strand is backed by extensive sand dunes that provide shelter and a natural boundary between the beach and the hinterland, and these dunes support a range of coastal grasses and wildlife typical of the North Atlantic dune systems. The sheer scale of the beach is one of its most striking features — at low tide, the exposed sand stretches so far that the water's edge seems almost impossibly distant from the dune line. The sand is generally clean and well-maintained, and the beach has earned Blue Flag status in past years, reflecting high water quality and environmental management standards. Underfoot the sand is pleasant for barefoot walking, though the wind can be bracing even in summer and the exposed nature of the coast means that fine sand is frequently airborne, a characteristic feature of the experience here. Water conditions at Downhill Strand reflect its exposure to the North Atlantic and the influence of the North Channel, the body of water separating Northern Ireland from southwestern Scotland. The sea temperature is cool throughout the year, typically ranging from around seven or eight degrees Celsius in winter to a maximum of perhaps fifteen or sixteen degrees in late summer, which is cold by most standards but characteristic of this coastline. The tidal range is significant, and the beach undergoes dramatic transformations between high and low water, with the low tide exposing vast expanses of flat sand ideal for walking. Currents and rip currents can be present, particularly in certain tidal conditions, and the beach receives Atlantic swells that make it attractive to surfers but also mean that swimming requires caution. The waves here are generally more powerful than on sheltered beaches, and the longshore drift along this coast is notable. In terms of facilities, Downhill Strand has a car park at the Downhill end of the beach with access from the road that runs beneath the cliffs, and there is also access from the Castlerock end where more substantial facilities including toilets are available in the town. The beach does attract lifeguard patrols during the peak summer months, though visitors should always check current RNLI patrol schedules before swimming, as supervision is seasonal and not guaranteed across the full length of the strand. The village of Castlerock at the eastern end provides cafes, a small number of shops, and other basic amenities, while the National Trust property at Mussenden Temple on the cliffs above has its own visitor facilities and car parking. The beach is largely accessible on foot from the car parks, though the soft dune terrain at the back of the beach may present challenges for those with limited mobility. The best time to visit Downhill Strand depends entirely on what the visitor is seeking. Summer months from June through August bring the largest crowds, particularly on weekends and during school holidays, though even at its busiest this beach rarely feels overcrowded given its exceptional length. Autumn and winter visits offer a completely different and arguably more dramatic experience, with powerful Atlantic storms sending spray over the clifftops and the ruins of Mussenden Temple standing stark against grey skies — a scene of wild and theatrical beauty. Spring can be quiet and fresh, with the dunes beginning to green up and the light on the water having a particular quality. For photographers and those drawn to atmospheric landscapes, the off-season is often the most rewarding time, and the low winter sun can create extraordinary golden-hour light along the strand. Activities at Downhill Strand are varied and driven by both the beach's length and its wave conditions. Surfing is popular here, with the beach break producing rideable waves across a range of swell and wind conditions, and the nearby Castlerock and Portstewart areas have an established surf culture. Walking is perhaps the most universally enjoyed activity, and the sheer extent of the strand means that a return walk from one end to the other makes for a substantial and deeply satisfying outing. Horse riding on the beach is another traditional activity along this stretch of coast. Kitesurfing and windsurfing are practiced here given the reliable onshore and sideshore winds. Photography is almost unavoidable — the combination of vast sand, dune backdrop, clifftop ruins, and the play of light and weather creates compositions that seem to present themselves at every turn. The surrounding landscape is one of the most dramatic in Ireland. To the south, the sheer basalt cliffs of Binevenagh rise steeply, a geological formation related to the same volcanic activity that produced the Giant's Causeway further east along the coast. The clifftop is home to the ruins of Downhill Demesne, an eighteenth-century estate built by Frederick Hervey, the eccentric Earl of Bristol and Bishop of Derry, whose building projects and travels gave his name to numerous Hotel Bristol establishments across Europe. Perched at the very edge of the cliff above the beach stands the circular Mussenden Temple, built in 1785 and modelled on the Temple of Vesta in Rome, originally used as a library by Hervey. Its position, seemingly ready to topple into the sea below, makes it one of the most dramatic architectural features anywhere in Ireland. The dunes behind the beach extend toward Magilligan Point, a National Nature Reserve of considerable ecological importance. Practical access to the beach is straightforward. The most direct approach from the west is via the narrow road that drops steeply from the A2 coastal road through Downhill village and runs along beneath the cliffs to a car park almost directly below Mussenden Temple, giving immediate access to the strand. From the east, Castlerock village is reached easily from Coleraine, and there is a train station at Castlerock on the Belfast to Derry line, making this one of the relatively few Northern Irish beaches accessible by rail. Parking at the Downhill end is free at the National Trust car park, though charges may apply at certain times. There is no entry fee to the beach itself, though access to the Mussenden Temple cliff path and demesne grounds involves a small National Trust admission charge. Visiting on a weekday outside school holidays will generally ensure a quieter experience at the Downhill end in particular. The history of the area is rich and layered. Frederick Hervey's Downhill Palace, now a romantic ruin open to the sky, was one of the grandest houses in eighteenth-century Ireland, filled with art treasures collected on Hervey's extensive European tours. The cliff and beach landscape here have attracted artists, writers and filmmakers, and Mussenden Temple has appeared in numerous photographic and cinematic works seeking an image of wild, clifftop Ireland. The beach and its surroundings also gained significant international attention when they were used as a filming location for the television series Game of Thrones, specifically as the location of the Dragonstone beach scenes in the earlier series. This connection has added a layer of cultural tourism to the existing draw of the landscape, attracting visitors who combine the beach with the wider Game of Thrones trail across Northern Ireland.

Dunluce Castle balances of the edge of a rocky outcrop on headland overlooking the North Channel. Access to the castle is via a bridge which connects it to the mainland near Portrush. The medieval castle is now in a totally ruined state but still has partial remains of its round corner towers and outer wall. Facilities The castle is part of a site which includes a Visitor Centre, shop, ruins of the town; burnt down by fire in 1641 and gardens. Guided tours are offered between Easter and September between 10am and 6pm and October to Easter until 4pm daily. Dunluce Castle was built in the 1200's by the 2nd Earl of Ulster, Richard de Burgh, on the site of an earlier fort dating back to the Vikings. In 1513 the castle was occupied by the MacQuillian family also known as Lord's of the Route and later it passed to the MacDonnell clan. It was Somerled MacDonnell who improved the castle in a Scottish style in 1584 and when a ship from the Spanish Armada was wrecked on the rocks below the castle four years later, the MacDonnell's sold the cargo and installed the cannon in the castle's gatehouse. The castle remained with the Mac Donnell's until the end of the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 when it was left abandoned and fell into ruins. The Arts The castle has been used as the setting for the villains' lair in the film 'The Medallion' with Jackie Chan in 2001. The castle appeared in the artwork of the inner gatefold of the 1973 Led Zeppelin album Houses of the Holy. Legends Legend has it that out of all the kitchen staff only one boy survived an incident when a large part of the castle's kitchen collapsed into the sea.

Bellaghy Bawn is situated about 2 miles off the Belfast to Londonderry road near the town of Bellaghy, north west of Lough Neagh. The bold white building, located in Castle Street, it is known locally as "the castle'. Bellaghy Bawn is a 17th century fortified tower house with a surrounding defensive wall (known as a bawn). The Bawn is one of the best preserved in Northern Ireland. Parts of the bawn wall are still standing, although the northern bawn wall with the entrance has gone. The excavated foundations of an earlier 17th-century house can be seen against the western bawn wall. There used to be two round towers at opposite corners of the bawn. Only the south-east tower survives and is attached to the house. On the western wall is a gateway through the wall, and on the outside you can see brick buttresses that have been built to prop up the leaning wall. Facilities The house contains displays featuring the work of local poet, Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney and other Ulster poets. It also has exhibits featuring local natural history, and a history of the Ulster Plantation. There are video displays of the bawn and some of Seamus Heaney's broadcasts. The castle is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm between Easter and the end of September. Reduced opening hours apply for the rest of the year with the house open on Wednesdays from 10am to 4pm and Sundays from noon to 4pm. The Castle was built by Sir Baptist Jones in 1619 on land rented from the Vintners Company of London. On the site is a blend of building styles from 17th century to 19th century. It is believed that the main house was built in the 18th century on the site of the original 17th century house. The Bawn was attacked in the rebellion of 1641 rebellion, but survived unscathed when many in the area were burned down. The house was occupied until 1987. Bellaghy Bawn has been open to the public since 1996.

Mussenden Temple is one of the most dramatic and photographed buildings in Ireland, a small circular classical temple perched right at the very edge of a 120-foot cliff along the north coast of Northern Ireland near Castlerock in County Londonderry. Nothing quite prepares you for the first sight of it: an elegant domed rotunda of precise classical proportions balanced improbably at the cliff edge above the Atlantic, its soft honey stone contrasting with the dark ocean below and the vast expanse of Downhill Strand sweeping to the east. The temple was built in 1785 by Frederick Augustus Hervey, the Bishop of Derry and fourth Earl of Bristol, a figure of considerable personal eccentricity and cultural sophistication who had travelled extensively in Italy and developed a passionate appreciation for classical architecture. Hervey commissioned the temple as a summer library, intended to house his substantial book collection in a building where he and his guests could read with the Atlantic as a backdrop. The design, executed by the Cork architect Michael Shanahan, was modelled on the Temple of Vesta in Rome, and the circular colonnade and domed roof are inspired interpretations of the classical original in local Downhill stone. The temple was named in honour of Hervey's cousin, Frideswide Mussenden, a young woman of whom the bishop was reportedly extraordinarily fond. She died before the temple was completed, and what began as a library gift became a memorial. The Latin inscription carved around the base of the frieze, taken from Lucretius, expresses the pleasure of watching storms from a safe vantage point, an apt choice for a building on a crumbling Atlantic cliff. The Downhill Demesne that surrounds the temple contains the substantial ruins of Downhill House, Hervey's palatial main residence, which was gutted by fire in 1851 and further stripped after the Second World War when it was used to billet Royal Air Force personnel. The contrast between the intact perfection of the small temple and the romantic ruin of the great house creates a landscape of considerable atmospheric power. The National Trust manages the property and has carried out cliff stabilisation work to protect the temple, which coastal erosion has brought ever closer to the cliff edge. The surrounding demesne grounds are freely accessible throughout the year from dawn to dusk, with car park charges applying. The clifftop walk around the estate is superb, with views west across Downhill Beach toward Magilligan Point and Donegal, and east toward the headlands of the Causeway Coast. The Bishop's Gate Garden and Walled Garden add botanical interest to a visit of considerable historical and scenic richness.

Bushmills is a small village in County Antrim on the north coast of Northern Ireland, famous throughout the world as the home of the Old Bushmills Distillery, the oldest licensed distillery in the world, whose whiskey has been produced on this site since at least 1608 and whose visitor experience provides one of the most popular and most rewarding distillery tours in Ireland. The village itself is a pleasant Antrim settlement of stone cottages and the River Bush that flows through the village has provided the water for whiskey production for over four centuries. The Old Bushmills Distillery, the centrepiece of the village's identity, produces the triple-distilled Irish whiskey that has made it one of the most recognised whiskey brands internationally, its distinctive smooth character a result of the triple distillation process and the quality of the local water filtered through basalt rock. The distillery tour, one of the most popular in Ireland, takes visitors through the production process from malting through distilling to maturation in the warehouse where the whiskey develops in oak casks over periods from three to twenty-one years. The village's position on the Causeway Coast provides access to the remarkable natural and heritage attractions of this section of the Antrim coast, including the Giant's Causeway three miles to the east, the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and the dramatic coastal scenery of the Antrim cliffs. The Bushmills to Causeway tramway provides a heritage transport link to the Causeway visitor centre.