Author Topic: Antrim Coast  (Read 4761 times)

muymalestado

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Antrim Coast
« on: 21:20:35, 12/05/08 »
Any suggestions for July, please.  From Belfast City Airport headed toward Letterkenny, Donegal by bus; hope to include 3 or 4 days walking, up Antrim direction.
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muymalestado

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Re: Antrim Coast - the result & some pics
« Reply #1 on: 10:43:31, 29/07/08 »
So; what was the result?  This one day walk along the Causeway Coast Way.

Here is the tourist office link:  http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/product.aspx?ProductID=2606.  Or, on this site - http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,1702.0.html.

The whole CCW route runs from Port Stewart to Ballycastle along the cliffs and beaches on the north coast of County Antrim.  Family involvements left us with one available day so the target was to walk from Port Ballantrae to Ballintoy.  My guess: this is the finest sector of the CCW - it is a damn fine walk. 

The sector from Portstewart to Portballintrae seemed to be past golf courses, on beaches or on the road where cliffs are dangerous.  From Ballintoy the route is not agreed with landowners and is along a busy road to Ballycastle.  At Ballycastle the route continues on toward Larne and is called the Moyle Way.

The BIG! draw is the Giants Causeway which now has international status, but don't forget golf.  I have never seen so many golf courses as along this coast, and all seemed very well patronised.

Logistics were to B&B at Portballintrae and again at Ballintoy at the end of the day before returning to Scotland.  We expected plenty of people on the route, but only in the 1/2 mile before and after Giants Causeway were there more than the occasional walkers.  You know they were walkers as they were headed in to, or out from, miles of empty pathway.

The degree of difficulty was easy, waymarking was minimal, footstep erosion occasional, mud unseen, stairs were encountered mostly to inhibit erosion, on-road walking avoidable by some pleasant beach bouldering at low tide.

The day turned out to be about 17 miles and we added 4 more by walking out to Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, and back.  You cannot get this close to C-a-R and not see it.

Such good weather wasn't expected; we saw nearly to Malin Head, did see Islay, Rathlin Island, Kintyre, Arran (Goatfell), and someone claimed Ailsa Craig was out there as well, and a local expert thought Tiree was visible too.

The walk is along cliff tops, or at Whitepark Bay / Port Braddon along 2km of sandy beach.  The cliffs call for explanation (why does the Giants Causeway exist?) so geology is inescapable. 

These are large, nearly flat, basaltic lava flows which stick way up in the air at this coast and slope gently down inland to underlie Lough Neagh and the flat central part of Northern Ireland. 

The cool part is that occasionally white limestone sticks out beneath the lava layers; and the limestone surface upon which the lava lies is undulating.  Apparently there was a landscape here 60 million years ago not dissimilar to the downs in southern England and this is plainly visible at several points. 

Then about 60Ma fissures poured out the lavas prior to the Atlantic ocean opening and this area (along with most of Scotland) started to move away from east Greenland / Newfoundland.  The crack which separates northern Britain from the far side of the Atlantic now runs through the centre of Iceland.

It doesn't stop there.  As I understand it - not thoroughly - these lavas are only slightly younger than the extinct volcanoes in the Lake District, Glencoe, Skye, Rum, Ardnamurchan and so on.  These areas are all connected by 60Ma, or so, old events and while walking along the basalt cliffs it is hard not to feel this.

So, here are a few pics of the day's walk. 
http://pfoalbums.jalbum.net/Walking%20in%20Ireland/2008%20Antrim%20CCW/

edit: change of URL
« Last Edit: 11:45:26, 15/02/09 by muymalestado »
I think this next one will be the top ...

Irish Rover

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Re: Antrim Coast
« Reply #2 on: 13:27:32, 05/01/09 »
We have a guided tour in Donegal on the 18 July - see www.govisitireland.com [nofollow]. If a guided trip doesn't suit it gives you an idea of the highlights of this untouched part of Ireland. Happy Walking. Irish Rover

 

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