After some much needed rest, we started our day with a traditional Irish Breakfast at Kilmail Country Chalet. Again our hosts were beyond anything I could have wished for. I hope to one day make it back to this lovely establishment. We had a couple days to explore in this area so we decided to travel the Causeway Coastal Route to see what we could find. It was not a disappointment!
The Causeway Coastal Route between the cities of Belfast and Derry~Londonderry is a kaleidoscope of natural landscapes, imposing cliffs, bubbling mountain streams and gushing waterfalls. The route starts in Belfast and will take you through the gorgeous Glens of Antrim towards the famous Giant’s Causeway. The highlight is the odyssey that is the Giant’s Causeway, 40,000 basalt columns jutting out into the ocean.
~www.ireland.com
We turned down roads not really knowing where we were or where the road would take us… It was GLORIOUS! On this day, we came across the ruins of Dunluce Castle and Dunseverick Castle.
Dunluce Castle is a now-ruined medieval castle in Northern Ireland. It is located on the edge of a basalt outcropping in County Antrim (between Portballintrae and Portrush), and is accessible via a bridge connecting it to the mainland. The castle is surrounded by extremely steep drops on either side, which may have been an important factor to the early Christians and Vikings who were drawn to this place where an early Irish fort once stood.
Dunseverick Castle Ruin is situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, near the small village of Dunseverick and the Giant’s Causeway. The Castle and the peninsula on which it stands were given to the National Trust in 1962 by local farmer Jack McCurdy. The Causeway Cliff Path also runs past on its way to Dunseverick Harbour to the east and to the Giant’s Causeway to the west.
Here is a view of Ballintoy Church from the coastal highway.
Link to Dan’s Blog: http://traun-photo.com/dan/causeway-coast-county-antrim
Enjoy the scenery of Northern Ireland!