Located in the northernmost corner of Northern Ireland near
Ballintoy in County Antrim is the unique Carrick-a-Rede
Rope Bridge that spans a narrow 98-foot deep chasm allowing access to a beautiful island. The 65-foot long bridge connects the mainland to tiny Carrick-a-Rede Island and, although it has been rebuilt several times over the years, a bridge has spanned this rocky area for almost four centuries.
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| Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge |
From here you can actually see Rathlin Island and the Scottish isles! The Mull of Kintyre is the most visible part of Scotland just beyond Rathlin.
An earlier bridge was just a single rope handrail and widely spaced slats used by fishermen to check their nets on the island, which provided great salmon fishing grounds until 2002. In fact, the name is Irish for “rock of the casting.” The current two-handrailed bridge was erected in 2008 by the National Trust for an easier and safer crossing.
The views
from the bridge and the island are spectacular, but warning
signs also urge visitors to be careful.
There are few guards and railings on the island cliffs, so be sure to
watch your step while exploring on marked paths. Click here
for a 360-degree view of the area.
There’s a 30- to 45-minute coastal walk
up to Carrick-a-Rede, and there are some steep steps and stairs. No one has been injured falling from the
bridge, but some have feared the crossing back to the mainland. What happens to them? Click here
to find out.
Afraid of heights? Not to worry. The views from the mainland are just as
beautiful as from the island. Taking the
rope
bridge challenge just provides an adrenaline rush and another notch on your
“I did it” belt!
As a reward for crossing the bridge, enjoy tea and cake
and the lovely view at the WeighbridgeTearoom located on Carrick-a-Rede Island.
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| Rope Bridge to Carrick-a-Rede Island |
The area around the bridge is also rich in geology, flora,
and fauna diversity
and is designated an Area
of Specific Scientific Interest. The
island is one of the best examples of a volcanic plug in Northern
Ireland. Marine
erosion has exposed an area of this geological wonder.
Noisy
seabird colonies of fulmars, kittywakes, guillemots, and razorbills breed
on the islands close to the rope bridge.
Sheep and cattle also graze in nearby meadows. Porpoises, dolphins, and sea
lions have been spotted in the waters below, as well as a basking shark!
Wild thyme can carpet the area in pink and at least three
different types of orchids can be found around the sites as well as other
wildflowers. Even the Facebook page of the
National Trust shows that the Northern Lights were visible from the nearby
town of Ballintoy!
Other sites in the area include Larry Bane,once a chalk quarry in the mid-1970’s, but now an access point for a walk
to the rope bridge and a 400-year-old restored fisherman’s
cottage to show the connection between the bridge and a once thriving
industry.
Locations around Larry Bane and Ballintoy have been used as sets for episodes of the highly popular HBO series Game ofThrones, such as Renly’s Warcamp.
Click here for
a handy pdf map of the Carrick-a-Rede walking trail and bridge. You’ll see that the walking
path to the bridge is much longer than the walk over the bridge.
Join this visitor in his walk across Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge video to get a feel for life on the edge!
2 comments:
After watching all the video footage and 360 clips, I'm not afraid! Great way to prepare if you have a fear of heights. My problem will be stopping midway to take too many photos. I'll probably drop my camera.
After watching all the video footage and 360 clips, I'm not afraid! Great way to prepare if you have a fear of heights. My problem will be stopping midway to take too many photos. I'll probably drop my camera.
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