Giant’s Causeway

Sierra
Sierra
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Have a Blast at the Giant's Causeway

Have a Blast at the Giant's Causeway

The Giant's Causeway is a section of spectacular coastline which contains a peculiar geological formation which gives it its name. The "causeway" is formed by hexagonal crystal pillars of volcanic rock. (They aren't shiny transparent crystals, but black basalt.)

We had a blast clambering around the rock formations which make up the causeway itself and really loved exploring the high and low sections of the columns. To really see it as the start of a causeway (bridge), go out to the end of the formation and look back towards the cliffs.

From the causeway, there is a great hiking trail that leads along the cliff's side and then comes back along the tops of the cliffs. Irish legend says the causeway was built by Irish giant Finn McCool and so some of the other rock formation are given names like "Giant's Pipe Organ" or "Giant's Boot". It was well worth the hike to go to the point beyond the organ formation.

It's about a half mile walk from the visitor's center and entrance to the causeway itself. The park does have shuttle tram if you need it.

It gets very crowded during peak tourist season. Try to arrive early. There's a pretty big visitors center with description, shops, cafe, video presentation, and restrooms.

We've been to both the Giant's Causeway and the famous Cliffs of Moher in Co. Clare. If you are planning a trip and have to choose one direction or the other, I would say the Giant's Causeway is the better place to visit. The Cliffs of Moher are stunning and very high but they seem to invite more of a "OK, we've seen them, back in the car/bus and onto the next sight" kind of attitude. The cliffs at the Causeway are also beautiful, but the Causeway invites you to interact, climb around, hike along the cliffs for a distance, and really appreciate the beauty.

From journal Ireland's North Coast

Editor Pick

Giants Causeway

  • November 21, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by hagnel2 from Hamilton, Ontario
Giants Causeway

Well this is the Giants Causeway so as we explore lets think about this fellow. The Giants name was Fionn MacCumhail aka Finn McCool he had a sweetheart giant who lived on the island of Staffa off the Scottish coast and he built the causeway in order to visit her. As time passed he decided to challenge the Giant Fingal who resided in nearby Scotland, however, Fingal turned out to be too big a challenge and Finn retreated. In order to halt Fingals pursuit our Irish giant tore up the pathway that he had built along the way. Hence we have the amazing Giants Causeway. Remember this is Ireland the land of fairy’s and legends.

In 1693 the Royal Geographic Society declared the causeway a natural wonder of the world and I have to agree, the natural grandeur of these basalt rock formations set against the wild sea creates truly stunning views. These extraordinary formations were said to have been formed some 60 million years ago following volcanic eruptions (no legend) cooled molten basalt solidified resulting in over forty thousand hexagonal columns that have been attracting visitors of all ages for years.

The entrance to the causeway is free for walkers, cars are charged £2.50 per person. The car park is large and located beside the visitor center on the cliff top. Prior to exploring we had a light lunch in the Causeway hotel adjacent to the car park. The hotel owned by the National Trust was very well maintained and had a warm atmosphere, gleaming woods, soft armchairs and cozy fires. Our cheese sandwich served with tomatoes and light greens hit the spot, I would have liked to have spent the night just to re visit the causeway early morning.

The walk to the causeway from the visitor center was about half a mile and all down hill, as we strolled we oohed and ahhed over the wild sea views then around the last bend we spied the Black beauties of the causeway. The sheer magnitude of the area indeed causes one to gasp; truly the stones seem to have been sculpted by humans.
We spent time as millions of visitors before us have scrambling and posing on the uneven rocks. Take care and wear sensible shoes the area is uneven and slippery.

We then continued along the coastal path, stopping to admire the “Organ” the rock formation that is similar to organ pipes. We walked for around an hour pausing at a cliff top viewing platform that overlooked splendid bays. We walked back but mini buses do run to and fro from the center. The enormous cliffs and bays along this coast path are mind-boggling. We concluded our visit with a cliff top walk of around 40 minutes; that route also provides unsurpassed views. There are many hiking paths from the causeway I wish we had spent more time there.

The visitor center houses a coffee shop, craft and souvenir shops, toilet facilities and audiovisual displays.

From journal Out and Around the Antrim Coast

Editor Pick

The Giant’s Causeway

  • October 9, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Drever from Ayr
The Giant’s Causeway

Majestic cliffs and inaccessible bays adjacent to the causeway combine with myth and legend to inspire. Dotted around the coast you'll find small sheltered harbours and slipways, fishermen's cottages. The area is a haven for sea birds such as fulmar, petrel, cormorant, shag, redshank guillemot, and razorbill, while the weathered rock formations host a number of rare and usual plants, including sea spleenwort, hare's foot trefoil, vernal squill, sea fescue, and frog orchid. The area became a National Nature Reserve in 1987.

Most of all, the area is famed through the strange rock formations of the Giant’s Causeway. Some of the structures resemble objects, such as the Organ and Giant's Boot. Other features include reddish weathered low columns known as Giants Eyes, created by the displacement of basalt boulders; the Shepherd's Steps; the Honeycomb; the Giant's Harp; and the Chimney Stacks. UNESCO declared the Giant’s Causeway a World Heritage Site in 1986. It is owned and managed by the National Trust.

Fast cooling of molten lava coming into contact with water causes cracking and results in the interlocking basalt columns we see today. Most are hexagonal, but there are some with four, five, seven, and eight sides. The tallest are about 12m (36 feet) high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28m thick in places. The tops of columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea – an ancient causeway to Scotland?

In mythology, a Scottish giant called Benandonner, ridiculed the fighting prowess of Finn MacCool, a renowned Irish warrior. Benandonner shouted across the sea that if he could get his hand on Finn, he would make sure that he tear him limb from limb. The enraged Finn tore rocks from the cliffs to make a causeway to Scotland. When finished, he shouted, "Now you'll had no excuse," to come over and fight. Finn, tired after his labours, needed time to recuperate before facing the Scottish giant. Quickly, he made a large cot and disguised himself as a baby...and waited.

Benandonner arrived shouting, "Where is that coward MacCool?" Finn's wife replied, "He’s be back soon, but sit down and have a cup of tea and a cake till he comes back." She placed stones in the cake. Benandonner took a bite and broke a tooth, and thought to himself that this Finn must be tough to eat such cakes. When he noticed the huge baby inside the cot, his eyes widened, thinking the father must be enormous. As he touched the sleeping baby, Finn bit the tip off his finger. Benandonner was shocked by the thought, "If this is what the baby is capable off, what must the father be capable off!" He took to his heels and fled back across the causeway, destroying it as he went. The remnants of the Scottish end can be seen at Fingal's Cave in Scotland.

When you see the Causeway, you may well think that the latter explanation is more creditable.

From journal Four Days Exploring Ulster's North Coast

Editor Pick

Giant's Causeway

  • June 29, 2004
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Sierra from Chicago, Illinois
Giant's Causeway

Close to the village of Bushmill in Northern Ireland (home of the world's oldest legal distillery, opened in 1608) lies an ancient geographical wonder known today as Giant's Causeway. It is the top visitor attraction in Ireland, as well as the only World Heritage site in Ireland, so of course we had it upon our list of must-see's!

The legends state that the national folklore hero, Finn McCool - giant and Ulster warrior - built this causeway for one of two reasons. Either it was to bring his lady love across the sea from Staffa, or it was to resolve a conflict with a rival giant on Staffa. Either way, it is a charming story and a bit more colorful than the geological explanation.

The causeway itself is an oddity in nature, more than 40,000 basalt columns - mostly 6-sided, but some with 4, 5, 7 or 8 sides - packed tightly together that stretch from the shore to under the sea. The lava flows that created these rocks happened approximately 60 million years ago, and it was the rapidly cooling lava and variations in the cooling rate resulted in the hexagonal shapes.

The entire north shore of Ireland is well worth the drive, for the views are spectacular, but you will only see Giant's Causeway by going down to it; it is not visible from the road. From the visitor's center atop the cliffs, you can either walk the half-mile path down or take the shuttle. (If you possibly can, Get there first thing in the morning to beat tour buses.) I would recommend walking down – wear sneakers or other rubber-soled shoes! – and taking the shuttle back up. The walk takes approximately 15 minutes at a leisurely pace. Admission is free; there are guided tours for a very modest fee.

As the road winds down past coastal flora, it turns to the right and you get your first glimpse of the Causeway, waves beating across it and people climbing all over it. (Beware climbing on the rocks at high tide or in inclement weather, as they get quite slippery). Soon the columns begin rising beside the road and then you are at the end of the road with the rocks before you, which are strangely fascinating, and quite beautiful.

As the columns have broken off and become weathered over the years, they seem to have formed "steps", which makes it relatively easy to climb over them. There are two main arms of these columns jutting out into the sea. A variety of particular formations have been given names since the first documented visit in 1692, such as the "the Pipe Organ" and "McCool's chair," where the legendary hero sat, looking out to sea. On a clear day, you can see to Scotland.

I hope to return to Giant’s Causeway one day – it was very wild and beautiful, quite peaceful.

From journal Ireland's Wild Natural Beauty

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