Bushmills- 30th September till 2nd October

Our drive from Knock to Bushmills, on the northern coast of Ireland, was through some very beautiful countryside.  Unfortunately it rained the entire way so we had to use our imagination for some bits!  In Bushmills we stayed in a fabulous campground- right in town, great showers and – oh my god- a bath!!!  Bliss.

There are three major attractions in the area; Bushmills Distillery, the Giants Causeway and the Carrick-a-rede bridge.  We ran out of time to see the Distillery but seeing as we’re on our way to Scotland, we didn’t mind too much. 

The Giants Causeway is an area of interlocking basalt columns (thanks wiki!) which create a pathway of hexagonal stepping stones.  The scientific explanation is that it resulted from a volcanic eruption a really long time ago, but I prefer the Irish folklore which says that a giant built the causeway to span the gap to Scotland where he planned to fight another giant.  It really does look like a path, sinking into the sea.

Battler of the week.  To put this photo into context- I was wearing a t-shirt, jumper, two jackets, hat, scarf and gloves!

We also visited the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge.  This is touted as the other "big attraction" in these parts and while the scenery was incredible the actual bridge itself was a bit of a disappointment.  Sure it was 30 meters off the ground but it was only about 20 meters long.  It was probably a bit more of a feat to cross it back in the 1970s when it only had a single handrail and large gaps between the railings.  It used to be used to salmon fisherman to reach the tiny Carrick Island.

The Rope Bridge

The water was insanely clear.

The Carrick-a-rede rope bridge

We’ve mentioned before that our travel activities seem to most resemble those of a slightly older age group and now it’s official.  Not only have I read two newspaper articles about “delayed gap years” in the retired population, recently our satnav, whilst trying to direct us to a campsite, proudly announced “you have reached your destination”…..as we pulled into a retirement home!!

Anyway, that concludes our Irish jaunt.  The highlight had to be the people- so incredibly friendly and helpful.  It's such a beautiful country too and we'd definitely like to visit again sometime, hopefully with some better weather!  Now though, back off to Scotland!