Our first attraction along the Giant's Causeway was Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge; we visited in the morning after staying the night in Ballycastle (with an evening visit to the Dark Hedges). We were actually not quite sure what to expect from the rope bridge as some visitors found the heights and swaying of the bridge to be too frightening. I'm not the best with heights, but I wanted to see if it was really that bad. There is a small entrance fee, but the walk to the rope bridge is about a fifteen or twenty minute walk along an attractive coastal pathway. There are some steps a slight hill climb along the coastal slopes, but it is an easy walk.
Carrick-a-rede rope bridge
Our morning was overcast, but fortunately the rain was not pouring down. We arrived a little before the rope bridge was opened for the morning, so our first stop was a car park on the hillside above. We had views over the rope bridge and gave us a glimpse of we were about to get ourselves into. Unfortunately, a large tour bus turned up in the same car park not long after we did and they all piled out to get a glimpse, so we got back in the car and hurried down to the attraction's entrance.
View of the rope bridge from neighbouring hillside
When the Carrick-a-Rede ticket office opened up, we were the first in queue. The tourist group had turned up, but they were milling around the gift shop and cafe. As a result, we had the pleasant walk to ourselves, though we did walk it quickly so that we could be on the bridge without anyone else in our way. The weather was overcast, but it was a pleasant walk with views over the sea.
Cliffs on Giant's Causeway coast during the walk to the rope bridge
There were various information boards on the walk to the rope bridge, and some of these informed us about plants and birds and other wildlife that could be discovered. Lucky visitors can see basking sharks or seals.
Carrick-a-Rede island comes into view
The island of Carrick-a-Rede soon came into our view. Notice the colour of the rocks in the photograph above. The island and area around was an ancient volcano that errupted 60 million years ago. The mouth of the volcano is the chasm that visitors cross when they walk over the rope bridge.
Approaching the rope bridge
This attraction started its life as a working place. The area was popular with salmon, so fishermen used a bridge to check on salmon nets, which could catch approximately 300 fish a day. In those days, the rope bridge was much less secure. In fact, it only had one hand rail, and the wooden slats were further apart. Fishermen would have to walk across the bridge with only one hand rail, carrying all of their fishing equipment. Some did fall to their deaths here.
The rope bridge was removed and stored away in the winter months as the fishing did not operate all year around. Since 2002, salmon fishing is banned here as they are endangered, but at one time, approximately 100 people were employed in the fishing trade here.
The rope bridge
We finally arrived at the rope bridge, and there are a few steps to descend to get to the bridge. The cliff drop has railing around it, so there's no chance of falling as long as visitors do not cross the safety railings in place. We walked down the steps to the rope bridge. The rope bridge is 100 feet above the sea, but it was not too frightening at all.
Crossing the rope bridge to Carrick-a-Rede
We made our way across the rope bridge. It did sway a little bit, but it was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Once we put our feet on the solid ground of the island of Carrick-a-Rede, we admired the views. By then, a light rain had arrived, but we enjoyed looking over the sea cliffs and Sheep Island in the distance. A small part of the island is not accessible, and it was popular with seagulls. The stone here is the volcanic rock and has formed in columns similar to the famous rock along the Giant's Causeway coast.
Carrick-a-Rede and Sheep Island in the distance
We saw some beautiful flowers on Carrick-a-Rede. The photograph below shows Sea Pinks.
Sea Pinks
After admiring the views (and getting a little wet), we decided to go back across the rope bridge. By then, the large tour group that we saw on the hill had come across the bridge to the island. Aftering exiting the bridge, we walked up to a different trail on the coastal slopes above to see views over the rope bridge.
Carrick-a-Rede
We re-joined the main coastal trail and had to rush back to the car as the rain got a little harder. Overall, it was a nice visit and one of the highlights of our trip to Ireland.
Coastal path - Giant's Causeway coast walk
Our next stop would be Giant's Causeway, which is located just up the road from the rope bridge. On the way, we made a stop at Dunseverick Castle, which are striking ruins on the side of sea cliffs. This old fort had royal Irish connections and dated from 500 B.C. and the Kingdom of Dalriada ruled here. An ancient road from Tara (where the kings of Ireland ruled) went directly to this castle. St. Patrick visited the castle in the 5th century. It was attacked and captured by the Vikings in 871, and they later destroyed it in 926.
Dunseverick Castle
Leave a comment