{"id":654,"date":"2013-06-29T09:10:29","date_gmt":"2013-06-29T08:10:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=654"},"modified":"2013-07-10T19:23:49","modified_gmt":"2013-07-10T18:23:49","slug":"rathlin-island-co-antrim-northern-ireland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=654","title":{"rendered":"Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The bent arm of Rathlin Island lies off Ballycastle in North Antrim, not far from the Giant\u2019s Causeway promontory of 37,000 hexagonal columns. <script type=\"text\/javascript\">window.onload = setupZoom; function popwalk(walk) {var url = \"\/Walks\/amap.php?f=\"+walk; varwalkwindow=window.open(url,\"walkwin\",\"height=720,width=820,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes\"); if (window.focus) {walkwindow.focus()}}<\/script><br \/>\nFirst published in: The Times <a href=\"javascript:popwalk('RathlinIsland.jpg');\" rel=\"nozoom\" title=\"Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window\">Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7140\/7597779036_57179be68c.jpg\" title='kelp house, Rathlin Harbour'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7140\/7597779036_57179be68c_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7119\/7597781926_ae7a908609.jpg\" title='kelp house 2'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7119\/7597781926_ae7a908609_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7265\/7597784014_590824fd1d.jpg\" title='panorama, Craigmacagan Lough  1'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7265\/7597784014_590824fd1d_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8025\/7597790348_4b1f01f139.jpg\" title='donkey on the cliff'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8025\/7597790348_4b1f01f139_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7115\/7597792504_1a7fdb8c6c.jpg\" title='Kinkeel Lough'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7115\/7597792504_1a7fdb8c6c_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7107\/7597793876_74081f6149.jpg\" title='meadow pipit'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7107\/7597793876_74081f6149_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7253\/7597795276_4fdc8804ac.jpg\" title='greylag geese'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7253\/7597795276_4fdc8804ac_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8014\/7597797588_1884503fc3.jpg\" title='Ushet Lough'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8014\/7597797588_1884503fc3_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8013\/7597798482_f395ee362a.jpg\" title='stonechat'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8013\/7597798482_f395ee362a_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7279\/7597800830_47e87eba74.jpg\" title='Ushet Port with Fair Head beyond'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7279\/7597800830_47e87eba74_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8281\/7597803018_c5a6c15f3d.jpg\" title='seal'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8281\/7597803018_c5a6c15f3d_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8163\/7597806184_14634ac8bb.jpg\" title='winged cow'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8163\/7597806184_14634ac8bb_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7127\/7597808102_edc2025fc2.jpg\" title='Christopher and Sean Mullan'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7127\/7597808102_edc2025fc2_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8426\/7597810238_8d8b59435b.jpg\" title='Rue Point'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8426\/7597810238_8d8b59435b_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7123\/7597812282_4db7056804.jpg\" title='bird&#039;s foot trefoil'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7123\/7597812282_4db7056804_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7251\/7597814922_92504a4b41.jpg\" title='Portantonnish'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7251\/7597814922_92504a4b41_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nFacebook Link: <script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/wordpress\/?p=654\" layout=\"button_count\" show_faces=\"true\" width=\"200\" colorscheme=\"dark\"><\/fb:like><br \/>\nIt\u2019s the Causeway that gets the tourist crowds; Rathlin Island, rising five miles offshore beyond the lively tide rip of Sloch na Marra (\u2018Valley of the Sea\u2019), retains a sense of dreamy loneliness that calls to any walker with an ounce of poetry in the soul. <\/p>\n<p>We set out from the island jetty in company with Sean Mullan whose walking tour company is named, with Ronseal simplicity, \u2018Walking &#038; Talking In Ireland\u2019. That\u2019s exactly what we did all day \u2013 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. <\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>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. <\/p>\n<p>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\u2019s afternoon such as this. Better go there sooner rather than later, though \u2013 530 million barrels of oil have just been discovered under Rathlin Sound, and the jury is out on what\u2019s going to happen next. <\/p>\n<p>Start &#038; finish: The Harbour, Rathlin Island, BT54 6RT (OSNI ref D146510)<br \/>\nGetting there: Bus \u2013 Service 172 (translink.co.uk) Coleraine-Ballycastle<br \/>\nRoad &#8211; A2 to Ballycastle, then Rathlin Island ferry (booking essential; check timetable \u2013 028-2076-9299; rathlinballycastleferry.com).<br \/>\nWalk (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 1\u00be miles) to end of road at Ushet Port. Returning, in 200m left through gate into RSPB Roonivoolin reserve. Left along fence (\u2018Roonivoolin Walk,\u2019 \u2018Coastal Walk\u2019, 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.<br \/>\nLunch: McCua\u00edg\u2019s Bar (028-2076-0011), or picnic<br \/>\nGuided walks: Sean Mullan, Walking &#038; Talking Ireland (074-745-9366; WalkTalkIreland.com). Other walking info: walkni.com<br \/>\nRathlin Island info: rathlin-island.co.uk<br \/>\nBallycastle TIC: 028-2076-2024; www.ireland.com<\/p>\n<p><A HREF=\"http:\/\/www.ramblers.org.uk\/\">www.ramblers.org.uk<\/A> <A HREF=\"http:\/\/www.satmap.com\/\">www.satmap.com<\/A> <A HREF=\"http:\/\/www.LogMyTrip.co.uk\/\">www.LogMyTrip.co.uk<\/A><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The bent arm of Rathlin Island lies off Ballycastle in North Antrim, not far from the Giant\u2019s Causeway promontory of 37,000 hexagonal columns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-walks","category-3-id","post-seq-1","post-parity-odd","meta-position-corners","fix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=654"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}