A short ferry trip will take you to Rathlin Island, seven miles from Ballycastle. This is the only inhabited island off the north coast of Ireland . An unusually shaped isle - eight miles long and less than a mile wide, it has a history, which is peppered with legend. It is supposed to owe its existence to the mother of that great giant Fionn MacCool. Evidently, the giant drained Ireland of its whisky and so his mother traveled to Scotland to find some. Taking a mountain with her to use as a stepping-stone, she tripped and fell, dropping this mountain into the sea and so it became the island we see today. The daily ferries make this lovely island accessible to visitors. It has become extremely popular with divers as over forty shipwrecks occurred in these waters. Ornithologists also visit the island from all over the world to study the impressive selection of puffins, guillemots, kittiwakes and razorbills on the island. Rathlin Island has a bird sanctuary and a colony of seals, which can be visited by taking the bus trip around the island.
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Local Area
Giants Causeway
Rathlin Island
Glenarriffe Waterfalls