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County Antrim
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| Attractions: Carrick-a-Rede Carrickfergus Castle Dunluce Castle Giants Causeway Glenariff Forest Park Old Bushmills Distillery |
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| Co. Antrim Aontroim Prov. Ulster Nortern Ireland (United Kingdom) |
| Major cities: Belfast, Ballymena, Larne, Antrim, Carrickfergus |
| Surface: 2,844 km2 Population: 566,400 |
County Antrim offers a wide variety in scenery and should be on top of everybody's list who's visiting Ireland. The gentle inland slopes and the calm waters of Lough Neagh contrast sharply with the rough coastline in the north-east and north.
Much of the roughed coastline is due to the foothill of the Antrim Mountains in the north-east of the county. The basalt plateau containing the mountains bears witness to a volcanic episode in the creation of Ireland. As usual in relation to Ireland the term mountains is slightly hyperbolic though. The Trostan, the highest peak of the Antrim Mountains, barely reach the 554 metres notch. Liable to erosion the porous and brittle igneous basalt was shaped by advancing and retreating ice caps in the past and the unremitting drainage of water. This ongoing process left us with the Glens of Antrim, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) between Larne and Ballycastle consisting of nine glens, from which Glenariff is considered by many people to be the most beautiful. The volcanic activity that laid the foundations for the Antrim Mountains also brought forth the baffling hexagonal shaped basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway. This remarkable rock formation was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.
Apart from sheer scenic beauty County Antrim is worthwhile for its castles, among which the historical important Carrickfergus Castle, the twelfth century stronghold of John de Courcy who took the Conquest of Ulster very personal, and the romantic ruin of Dunluce Caste near Bushmills. Simply because you're nearby you might as well walk in the world famous Old Bushmills Distillery to stock up on whiskey.
Causeway Coastal Route
The most attractive feature of County Antrim is probably the fact that all major must-sees are located along the Causeway Coastal Route. In fact the Causeway Coastal Route is the touristy designation for the 220 kilometres of the A2 main road that runs Belfast and Derry. Simply by following the Causeway Coastal Route signs you can call in on virtually every major attraction of County Antrim and the north of County Derry.
Speaking of attractions, the Causeway Coastal Route itself holds one. With the United Irishmen Rebellion in mind the military found it advisable to obtain easy access to the Irish-minded Glens of Antrim area and in the early 1830's they constructed a 64 kilometres long road linking the seaport of Larne with Ballycastle. The geology of the Antrim Mountains drove the engineers to extremes and occasionally they literally had to move mountains to complete the Grand Military Way. In time this stretch became known as the Antrim Coast Road and is nowadays one of the most scenic routes of Ireland.
During the recent years the Causeway Coastal Route has evolved into the backbone for the booming Northern Irish tourist industry. Especially during the summer months, when the touring tourists mingle with the British visitors heading towards the popular seaside resorts of Portrush and Portstewart, the road is packed. So although convenient, you might want to swerve from the Causeway Coastal Route every so often to sample Islemagee (not an actual island, but who cares?) or Rathlin Island. Well worth for its views is a short detour over the narrow winding roads of Torr Head and Fair Head.