The bent arm of Rathlin Island lies off Ballycastle in North Antrim, not far from the Giant’s Causeway promontory of 37,000 hexagonal columns.
First published in: The Times Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window
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It’s the Causeway that gets the tourist crowds; Rathlin Island, rising five miles offshore beyond the lively tide rip of Sloch na Marra (‘Valley of the Sea’), retains a sense of dreamy loneliness that calls to any walker with an ounce of poetry in the soul.
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We set out from the island jetty in company with Sean Mullan whose walking tour company is named, with Ronseal simplicity, ‘Walking & Talking In Ireland’. That’s exactly what we did all day – chatted and pontificated as we strolled the flowery island road between reed-fringed loughs, heading east and south through Rathlin, joking and speculating on any and every subject from Richard Branson (he was once rescued by the Rathlin boatman from a ditched balloon) to the mating habits of fulmars.
It was one of those dove-grey Irish days, softly and subtly lit under steamy clouds. Big spotted orchids lined the verges, meadow pipits swooped from post to post beside us, and Irish hares with short ears and long racehorse legs bounced gracefully across the small stone-walled fields. A strong breeze rippled the barred feathers on the backs of greylag geese foraging in a patch of bog. We followed the winding road south until it dipped to the remote little harbour of Ushet Port, nowadays sheltering no more than the roofless ruin of a kelp factory where seaweed was once processed. What a view those workers had as they toiled, out across the sound to the dramatic dark Antrim cliffs, round east to where the Mull of Kintyre runs a spine of hills along the sea horizon.
We sat among pink candytuft bursts of thrift, watching a fleet of stout-billed eider ducks sailing the inlet where seals lolled like fat boys about to burst out of their romper suits. There was no sound except the soft cooing of the eider drakes and a constant lap-lap of water against the orange lichen stains of the rocks.
At last we tore ourselves loose from the soporific spell of Ushet Port, and turned for the village along clifftops feathery with thrift and canary-yellow kidney vetch. There could hardly be a more peaceful island than Rathlin on a still summer’s afternoon such as this. Better go there sooner rather than later, though – 530 million barrels of oil have just been discovered under Rathlin Sound, and the jury is out on what’s going to happen next.
Start & finish: The Harbour, Rathlin Island, BT54 6RT (OSNI ref D146510)
Getting there: Bus – Service 172 (translink.co.uk) Coleraine-Ballycastle
Road – A2 to Ballycastle, then Rathlin Island ferry (booking essential; check timetable – 028-2076-9299; rathlinballycastleferry.com).
Walk (6 miles, easy/moderate, OS of Ireland Discoverer 5. NB Online map, more walks at christophersomerville.co.uk): Right along harbour past Boathouse Visitor Centre. Fork right past Kelp House ruin along shore road. At T-junction, right along main island road for 1¾ miles) to end of road at Ushet Port. Returning, in 200m left through gate into RSPB Roonivoolin reserve. Left along fence (‘Roonivoolin Walk,’ ‘Coastal Walk’, black/orange arrows). Where fence ends at cliff, right inland along fence (arrows). Descend into valley between telegraph poles, aiming for waymark post on saddle of ground. Follow waymarks and grassy track, keeping Ushet Lough on right, to reach road. Left to harbour.
Lunch: McCuaíg’s Bar (028-2076-0011), or picnic
Guided walks: Sean Mullan, Walking & Talking Ireland (074-745-9366; WalkTalkIreland.com). Other walking info: walkni.com
Rathlin Island info: rathlin-island.co.uk
Ballycastle TIC: 028-2076-2024; www.ireland.com