Located around 8 miles from the Giant’s Causeway, along the causeway coast, close to Ballintoy in Northern Ireland, Carrick a Rede Rope Bridge is a suspension bridge originally made from rope that links Carrick Island to the mainland.

This site is on the world-famous Causeway Coast Route County Antrim, Northern Ireland and is maintained and owned by the conservation charity The National Trust. Nowadays, the bridge is open as a tourist attraction, with nearly half a million people crossing the rope bridge in 2019. The rope bridge remains closed since the pandemic of 2020, with it hoping to be open fully again in summer 2022.

To enjoy an exciting clifftop experience visit the rope bridge to Carrick, a Rede island on the Causeway Coast. This 20-metre vast and 30-metre deep chasm above the Atlantic ocean is crossed by the rope bridge, which salmon fishermen initially built. Individuals brave enough to walk across the bridge to the rocky island are rewarded with amazing views.

History

The name Carrick-a-rede means ‘rock in the road’, and it is believed the salmon fishermen in the area have been building the bridges to the island for more than 350 years. Over the years, the bridge has had many forms. It had significant gaps between the slats and only one handrail in the 1970s.

In 2000, local climbers built a version of the bridge tested to hold ten tonnes. In 2004 a new design was implemented, offering fishermen and visitors a safer passage to the island. The current wire rope bridge with the Douglas fir walkway was built early in 2008 by Belfast’s Heyn Construction and was created at the cost of more than £16,000. Although there is no record of anyone falling off the bridge, there have been many cases where visitors could not walk back to the mainland across the bridge and were transported off the island by boat.

Fishing

The island is no longer used during the salmon season from June until September by fishermen, as there are very few salmon left. About 300 fish were caught each day in the 1960s, but in 2002, only 300 were caught during the whole season. The salmon come back every year to spawn in the River Bush, near Bushmills, and the River Bann at Portstewart.

Features

The area boasts exceptional natural beauty with amazing views of Scotland and Rathlin Island. The surrounding area has been declared an Area of Special Scientific Interest, with unique fauna, flora, and geology. Huge caves are visible underneath, and these once served as shelter during stormy weather and as homes for boat builders.

Legend and Life

A car park at Larrybane Head’s base, which once had its peninsula fort more than 1,000 years old. It has however been quarried away over the years, and only a stark quarry face, filled with fossils and flint, is left. There are big caves under the quarry, and one of these was once a boat builder’s yard for a while, while others were used for winter shelter. The walk along the cliff’s top is exhilarating, even without the excitement of the bridge at the end.

The sea below turns every shade of blue and green in summer, while several Mediterranean lagoons make the walk to the bridge seem so much shorter. The bridge was originally built by fishermen working at a salmon fishing station during the summer. Their whitewashed cottage, complete with a wooden stairway to the path and its winch still nestles in the only shelter on the island.

The bridge is one of the most amazing experiences on Northern Ireland’s causeway coast.

Every single step seems to move the bridge slightly, even on the calmest day, and its 20 metres length seem like it belongs in an adventure movie. Although the bridge was initially built with rope and only had a single handrail, the fishermen did an excellent job of it, and nobody was ever injured crossing the bridge.

On the modern bridge, ropes are only used for the netting beside the bridge, the lashings that hold the Douglas fir boards in place and the latticework sides. The bridge’s strength comes from the upper steel handrails which have been designed to carry 10 tons.

Nearly 500,000 visitors come to the bridge every year.

The terror the bridge holds for many lies in the thought that a mere one-inch thick board stands between you and the waves and rocks below, 30 metres down. Once you have made it safely to the island, it is an experience like no other. The island has a unique, undisturbed and isolated quality, even though the same fantastic views over the Atlantic ocean of the Scottish Isles and Rathlin can be enjoyed from many other places on the north coast.

Although the rocks are the typical mix of limestone and basalt commonly found in this area, the basalt takes on its unique forms. Some of it is smooth like it’s been made from plasticine, while other pieces stand in tall precariously crumbling columns.

The permanent residents of nesting razorbills, guillemots and fulmars are worth seeing.

Geology

Carrick a rede island is one of the best examples of a volcanic plug in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Erosion by the Sea of Moyle/Irish Sea has exposed this old volcano’s neck.

The violence of molten rock punched through the soft limestone 60 million years ago can be observed via geological evidence such as Explosion breccias, Tuff, grey volcanic ash, and explosion bobs in the layers of the Island’s rock and its surroundings.

The characteristic Ulster Chalk, topped by basalt cliffs can be found along the North Antrim coast, which forms much of the Antrim plateau. The ancient volcanic pipe has deposited dolerite, a rock more robust than basalt, at Carrickarede, and this erodes much more slowly. To the south and behind the dolerite, the vent has been filled with pyroclastic rocks that deteriorate much easier to form a coarse tuff agglomerate. This small island was the eventual product of the combination of the softer rock behind and the hard rock out front that were eroded by the waves over time.

The island has big caves that are most visible during low tide. It is believed that the caves originally provided shelter for fishing vessels during stormy weather and were also used as homes for boat builders.

The ocean around the area has a natural blue colour that sometimes turns green, making the area very interesting. Unique fauna and flora cover the island and there are many bird colonies that play a crucial role in the ecology of the area. Razorbills for example live on the island and only come back to nest and mate. The island’s cliffs are covered by thrifts and birdsfoot trefoil, giving the island a paradise-like feel.

Getting To Carrick A Rede

There are various routes that can be used to get to the Carrick a rede rope bridge. The bridge is opened at 9:30 am, and normally closes at 6:00 pm, although ticket sales stop at 5:15 pm. The closing time is however sometimes extended due to heavy tourist traffic. In the summer the closing time is set at 7:00 pm while the winter closing time can be as early as 3:00 pm. This can be due to a lack of tourists wanting to go on the bridge or severe weather conditions.

Carrick a rede is located around 20 minutes (15 miles) from Portrush and an hour (60 miles) from Belfast.

The Giants Causeway and Bushmills Railway departs from outside Bushmills town centre on a 2-mile journey lasting 20 minutes from and to the Giants Causeway, along a trackbed of the former Giants Causeway Tram on the Causeway Coast. The diesel locomotive operates four times daily

between 11 am and 2.30 pm on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Children especially love riding on the train. The Bushmills platform is located a short walk from Bushmills town centre, around 50m from the diamond heading along the Causeway Coast road towards Portrush. The old Bushmills Terminus can still be seen, now a private home. There is a free car park for the causeway and Bushmills railway users. The diesel-driven train provides a traditional mode of transportation near the Bushmills’ historic town, at the Bushmills Terminus and the beloved Giant’s Causeway station. The giant’s causeway and Bushmills railway journey along the stunning North Antrim coast in Northern Ireland is 2 miles long and offers fantastic views as it makes its way slowly over the magnificent coastal stretch past Portballintrea and Bushfoot Golf Course spectacular beach forms. This is a different and picturesque way to travel to the Giant’s Causeway. The Giant’s Causeway Journey The tram-type carriages, powered by three diesel engines, travel along the same route along the golden sandy beach as the original Bushmills Hydro Electric Tram and Giant’s Causeway track. This irish narrow gauge track was initially operated by the Portrush, Giant’s Causeway and Bush Valley Railway Tramway Company Ltd. The original tramway was built in 1883 and is the first long electric tramway globally! It ran until 1949 and had a history of more than 65 years. Facilities Car parking is available at the Bushmills platform, where the train to the Giant’s Causeway can be boarded. The Station has a picnic area and serves refreshments. Check the timetable and make sure you are at the station 10 minutes before the scheduled departure. The station has,, unfortunately,

lately been neglected. Although the hedges and grass in the area are overgrown and the Station could do with a revamp, the trip is still worth the experience.

As the service is operated by volunteers,, make sure your first call to check before arriving: (028) 20732844

You can use your train ticket at the Visitors Centre to get a discounted entrance fee when you arrive at Giants Causeway station.

Parking Address: Giant’s Causeway Station, Runkerry Road, BT57 8SZ

Bushmills Railway Giant’s Causeway History

The Causeway Tramway was re-opened in the spring of 2002. The rolling stock and locomotives which were used on the track were used initially at Shane’s Castle and included a Simplex’ T’class diesel locomotive named Rory, a Barclay 0-4-0WT “hane” named Larne and originally built in 1949 for Bord na Mona and a Peckett 0-4-0 WT named Tyrone made for the British Aluminium Company in 1904.

It is interesting to note that Shane was one of the three locomotives KKilmarnock’sAndrew Barclay built originally to be used by Bord na Mona at Clonast on the peat bog rail. It was designed specifically to burn peat.

Before the original Giant’s Causeway Tramway was initiated in 1883, costing and engineering surveys were done. Several meetings were held to determine whether it was feasible to construct a railway line along the coast between Ballycastle and Portrush. The idea was to link the commercial bauxite, coal, limestone, iron, basalt, and lignite industries along the north coast with Portrush’scommercial harbour.

The ambitious project was never implemented due to a lack of financial backing and doubts about the investment’s sufficient returns. Eventually, a narrow-gauge railway was constructed to run from Ballymoney to Ballycastle via Dervock and Armoy.

The Giants Causeway tramway came into being due to the enthusiasm and vision of Colonel William Traill of Ballyclough. He was a keen proponent of the railway and was well informed on technological developments.

This enthusiasm, together with the Siemens Company in 1879 revealing the first electric railway system at the Berlin Trade Fair, led to Siemens being appointed to incorporate this technology into the Tramway system at Giants Causeway. Colonel Traill installed water turbines for producing the necessary electrical power for the tram line and built the Walkmill Falls generating station. Although the generating station still exists, the equipment is no longer available.

Sir Macnaghten of Dundarave was strongly opposed to the railway being constructed, so much so that he diverted water from the river Bush above the Falls trying to decrease the flow. Despite this effort, the tramway opened in 1883 and was greeted as the first commercially operated “hydroelectric” powered tram system globally.

Midland Carriage and Wagons electric cars were initially used, and GEC and a Peckham car later replaced these. Although hydroelectric power was used, two Wilkinson steam locomotives were used to haul the carriages most of the time.

Its rail tracks originally stretched between Portrush and Bushmills, with the mile extension route to the Giants Causeway added later. An overhead electric wire replaced the live rail which ran next to the track in 1899. In 1916, steam haulage stopped, and the tramway operated for 65 years before finally being closed down in 1949.

Getting to The Giants Causeway From The Railway

The Giants Causeway is only a short walk to the UNESCO world heritage site from the giant’s causeway station end of the Giants Causeway and Bushmills railway. You will see the signs pointing towards a path leading to the world heritage site famous stone columns and giant’s causeway visitor experience.

Situated on the Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland Bushmills is a small village only 2 miles to the North of the famous Giants Causeway on the north coast. The Centre of the Town is charming and makes you feel like you’ve taken a step back in time, a feeling reinforced by the Old Bushmills Distillery and the ancient shop frontages. In the North East Area in county Antrim, Bushmills has the most historic Listed Buildings of any village or town. It is 12 miles from Ballycastle and 7 miles from Coleraine.

The Mills on the River Bush

In the 17th Century, Bushmills got its name from the River Bush that has its source in the Antrim Hills flowing to Portballintrae where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. The mill was in those days powered by this river.

Main Street is a narrow central road that runs through the village and is lined with historic listed shops and houses.

The street also leads to ‘The Diamond’, which is the Town war memorial in the heart of the village.

The MacNaghten family of ‘Bushmills House’ in the 1820s re-invented Bushmills as a market village, established in 1828 with the Market Square later formed around 1840.

As a market town, Bushmills attracted more attention leading to an influx of people. There are seven active water-powered mills along the river, and the region has become a top-rated tourist destination, especially The Giant’s Causeway.

Old Bushmills Distillery and Bushmills Irish Whiskey

Bushmills had five licensed distilleries in 1788, and the Old Bushmills Distillery Company Limited, where Bushmills Irish whiskey (not whisky – thats Scottish Whisky and not to be confused) is distilled, is still a major tourist attraction to this day.

The first licence to distil whiskey in the area was granted to Bushmills distillery in 1608 by King James I & VI, making the Bushmills Irish whiskey the oldest licence distillery in the world. The old Bushmills distillery company limited was set up by Hugh Anderson in 1784.

The Distillery offers several tours to learn how the world-famous triple distilled malt whiskey and single malt whiskey are made and how malt distilling is done!

The current building dated back to the Victorian era and was built in the late 1800s. It’s worthwhile reading about the whole history on the Old Bushmills Distillery’s website.

The old Bushmills Distillery also makes lighter Irish grain whiskey. It is also host to the recently famous ‘Bushmills Live’ festival, described as a music festival and triple distilled handcrafted Irish whiskey from the old Bushmills distillery.

Old Bushmills Irish Whiskey

Bushmills now produces a range of Irish Whiskey including

Bushmills Original

The cornerstone of bottles produced by the Old Bushmills Dustillery, Bushmills Original is a smooth and versatile triple distilled blend. A whiskey matured in both bourbon and sherry casks resulting in fresh fruit and vanilla note.

Black Bush

Black Bush Irish whiskey combines an exceptionally high amount of malt married with a sweet, small-batch grain whiskey, and then matured in former Oloroso sherry and bourbon casks. This unique recipe means Black Bush has rich, fruity notes and a deep intense character, balanced by an incredibly unique smoothness. The most seasoned of Irish whiskey drinkers know that you can’t beat Black Bush.

Bushmills Railway and The Giants Causeway

The Bushmills Railway meanders through the dunes high above Runkerry Strand on its 15 minutes journey between The Giant’s Causeway and Bushmills.

This Journey is a real treat for train enthusiasts and a magical experience for individuals of all ages! Whenever possible, we prefer to arrive via train at the Giant’s Causeway when visiting! The line starts at the station located outside Bushmills on Ballaghmore Road that leads to Portballintrae.

The Giants Causeway and Bushmills Railway leaves from Bushmills Village on a 2 mile, 20-minute Journey to and from the Giants Causeway. It runs along the trackbed of what used to be the Giants Causeway Tram. A diesel locomotive runs on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, four times per day, between 11 am and 2.30 pm. Especially children love riding on the train. Visit Giants Causeway and Bushmills Railway for an unforgettable experience.

Places of Interest in Bushmills

Shell Row

These cottages were built by the McNaughten s in the early 1800s for workers on the Dundarave Estate.

The Alphabet Angel

This Bronze sculpture was created in 2004 by artist Ross Wilson and members of the local community. It represents the currency of language and the unique local tongue of the Ulster-Scots dialect. It was the first bronze sculpture anywhere in the world to celebrate the Ulster-Scots dialect.

The Market Square & Clock Tower

The McNaughtons constructed the Market SquareThe McNaughtons constructed the Market Square in around 1840 as the focal point of their new market town. This was also where men, women and children were hired at the twice-yearly hiring fair.

The clock tower is modelled on a classic round tower built in 1874.

The War Memorial

In the middle of the Market Square stands the war memorial, a memorial to those who left Bushmills and never returned in World War 1 & 2. There is also a special plaque to commemorate Sgt Robert Quigg, who won the Victoria Cross at the Battle of the Somme.

The sculpture atop the memorial was created by Charles Hartwell ARA and unveiled in 1921 after a short exhibition in the royal academy in London.

The Courthouse

Built-in 1834 as a centre for local authorities, the building,, had apartments for Police officers and jail cells for crooks. Local Judges used the court for petty sessions and misdemeanours predominantly. The building was used as a courthouse well into the 20th century.

The local Enterprise agency is now developing the buildingThe local Enterprise agency is now developing the building into a hub for creative industries. They received a £5.1 million grant in 2019 to carry out the work. The hub will feature a café, workspace for 14 businesses, event and retail space and deliver activities and workshops in culture, heritage art, crafts, food, tourism,, and creativity.

The Mills

Palmer and Bonner Mills are the only surviving corn mills on the river bush. Both have been carefully restored to their former condition with working water wheels. During its peak, there were seven water wheel driven mills working in Bushmills with the last ceasing in the 1960s

The Salmon Fishery

Since the early 1970s, the Bushmills Salmon Research Station has monitored the salmon population in the River Bush. Today this facility is an internationally recognised research facility providing long term scientific data on salmon stocks.

Bushmills Memorial School

Built in 1927, the Bushmills Memorial School was designed by Architect Clough William-Ellis.

William-Ellis had served in France with the Welsh Gaurds and Royal Tank Regiment during world war 1, where he was awarded the Military Cross. On his return from the front he designed many prominent war memorials of the era and also designed Bushmills Memorial School.

He is possibly most famous for designing Portmerrion in Snowdonia, which was used as the filming location for the 1960 clut drama The Prinsoner starring Patrick magoohan. He also designed the Giants Causeway Memorial School situated over looking the World Heritage same site.