Rathlin Island Antrim
Rathlin Island is the only inhabited offshore island in Northern Ireland, a L-shaped basalt island approximately eight kilometres long lying six miles off the Antrim coast near Ballycastle that supports a permanent population of around 150 people and is accessible by ferry from Ballycastle in approximately forty-five minutes. The island combines spectacular coastal scenery of basalt cliffs and sea stacks, one of the most important seabird colonies on the east coast of Ireland, a rich history of Viking raids, medieval ownership disputes and more recent agrarian history, and the distinction of being the location where Robert the Bruce took shelter in the famous cave before his return to Scotland to resume his struggle for Scottish independence. The RSPB West Lighthouse reserve at the western tip of the island is the principal wildlife attraction, its cliff faces supporting one of the most important seabird colonies in the British Isles. Puffins, razorbills, guillemots, kittiwakes and fulmars breed in enormous numbers on the basalt stacks and cliff ledges during the spring and early summer, and the RSPB viewpoint at the lighthouse provides some of the most accessible close-range seabird watching available anywhere on the island coasts of Britain and Ireland. The puffins in particular, which nest in burrows in the turf above the cliff edge, can be observed at very close range. The cave in which Robert the Bruce is said to have sheltered between his defeats and his decisive victory at Bannockburn in 1314, observing the spider that repeatedly attempted to spin its web as an inspiration for his own persistence, is accessible on the island. The cave story is one of the most celebrated in Scottish tradition and Rathlin's claim to the location has the credibility of historical accounts that support his presence in the area.