Giant's Causeway Reviews (County Antrim, Northern Ireland)

Giant's Causeway

Manchester, England, United Kingdom

August 19, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo This is often called the 8th Wonder of the World - if you go there, you will see why. It is the most amazing place - one of my favourite places in the world!The Giant's Causeway really is a one of a kind place - natural rock formations, it is one ...Read more This is often called the 8th Wonder of the World - if you go there, you will see why. It is the most amazing place - one of my favourite places in the world!

The Giant's Causeway really is a one of a kind place - natural rock formations, it is one of Britain's most impressive natural wonders and Northern Ireland's most popular tourist attractions. UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Site (the only one in Northern Ireland) and National Nature Reserve. It is owned by the National Trust, but the council runs the car park and the visitors centre on the cliff top. Parking costs £6 in the car park, but access to the causeway is free. If you are a National Trust member, parking is also free and you get to park in the closest place to the causeway.

The Giant's Causeway is actually 40,000 tightly pakced basalt columns that go for 3 miles along the North Antrim coast. The tops are a layer of stepping stones that go from the cliffs and disappear under the sea. Some are 40 feet tall, most are about 12 inches in diameter. The Causeway looks just like a huge honeycomb as all the columns are hexagons.

The columns were formed 60-70 million years ago by a series of volcanic eruptions and cooling lava. This is the view of the scientists and probably what happened. I prefer however the local legend regarding how the Giants Causeway came about. This involves Finn MacCool, a giant and an Ulster warrior. According to the legend, he made the causeway as a walkway to Scotland where he was going to fight his Scottish counterpart.

Park in the car park, then walk down from the parking area, along a very steep path for about a mile. You will see amphitheatres of stone columns and formations along the way. If you do not want to walk, there is a free, regular shuttle bus which goes up and down to the stones.

The Giant's Causeway is never closed, you can always walk down the path to the stones. There was a time, a number of years ago, when tourists were forbidden to walk on the stones. Today however, they are open to the public. We had a great half an hour clambering overr the hexagons and exploring. You need to watch your step - they are very uneven, and be sure to wear sturdy shoes. If you pose for photos on the stones (you have to!!) be aware the waves may splash you and you might get wet. Look out for all the delicate flowers and mosses which grow in the crevices.

Away from the hexagons themselves, there are lots of other interesting formations. You can take a seat in a huge stone called the Wishing Chair, look out for the Devil's Boot, the Harp and the Giant's Organ Pipes. These are truly enormous and so unusual.

Be sure to climb up the wooden staircase to Benbane Head. There are a lot of steps, but the view at the top is worth it. You can then walk along the cliff top path and get spectacular view of the Antrim coast. You also get an unusual birds eye view of the hexagonal stones from the top.

Unfortunately, at the moment, there is no Visitors Centre. It was destroyed by fire and the new one is scheduled to open in 2012.

In peak summer months, the Giant's Causeway gets really busy. Get there either early in the morning or a bit later in the afternoon to beat the crowds. Bring a waterproof coat - and do not forget a pair of sturdy walking shoes.

This is a truly wonderful place - a must see if you are a visitor to Northern Ireland. Close

From journal 3 Days on the Causeway Coast

One Giant's Step for Mankind

by fizzytom

Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom

June 28, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo One can only imagine the reaction of the Bishop of Derry on discovering in, 1692, what we now call the Giant's Causeway. It was some years later that it was identified that this strange landscape on Northern Ireland's (today, not then) Antrim Coast ...Read more One can only imagine the reaction of the Bishop of Derry on discovering in, 1692, what we now call the Giant's Causeway. It was some years later that it was identified that this strange landscape on Northern Ireland's (today, not then) Antrim Coast was the result of volcanic activity millions of years ago but at the time seeing these bizarre basalt columns rising from the sea must have been like finding oneself at the edge of a new world.

Before long the Giant's Causeway was a tourist attraction; in the nineteenth century a tramway was built to bring in the many thousands of visitors who wanted to see this breathtaking and in some ways mind-boggling sight. The local area prospered with the tourist trade but in the 1960s when the National Trust took over the management of the Giant's Causeway and a less blatantly commercial and environmentally unfriendly strategy was pursued. Today there are some concessions to tourism but the Giant's Causeway is largely unspoilt, leaving this dramatically beautifully and mysterious phenomenon to speak for itself. It has been a World Heritage Site since 1986.

There are several ways to access the site. We were staying in Ballintoy and took the Bushmills/Portrush bus, getting off at the Causeway Hotel. From the hotel it's about half a mile to the Giant's Causeway; we walked but you can jump on the little shuttle bus that ferries visitors back and forth between the hotel (which now also holds the visitor centre) and the stones. There's also a dedicated bus service between Bushmills and the Giant's Causeway which drops off at the hotel.

If you've come by car there's a car-park near the hotel and another near the cliff top path. If you park there, though, it's a steep path and a number of steep steps down to the Giant's Causeway. The walk from the visitor centre site is much easier to negotiate.

Although this is a National Trust run attraction there's no admission charge. The visitor centre has been housed in part of the hotel since a fire destroyed the previous centre in 2006. A new one is under construction. We didn't stop at the visitor centre but, if you do, there's an exhibition that explains how the "causeway" (it's not a causeway at all) was created. Alternatively there are a few information boards with good illustrations down by the causeway and beside the path: I'm by no means a geologist but these boards explain in easy to understand terms why the landscape here looks like it does.

Maybe because there were lots of cagouled tourists sitting on the basalt columns I was a little underwhelmed by my first view of the Giant's Causeway and I felt I should really be more overcome by it all. After a while, once I'd blocked out what was going on around me, and found a sheltered place to sit, and a lovely slightly concave column end to perch on, I was able to look out at the (mainly) hexagonal tiles of the basalt carpet in front of me, disappearing into the sea.

There are numerous legends attached to the Giant's Causeway and most revolve around Finn MacCool, an Irish warrior. One of the stories claims that Finn built the causeway to enable him to walk to Scotland to defeat his Scottish counterpart, Benandonner. On the west coast of Scotland the stories around Fingal's Cave echo this idea and there is some basalt there too. When you stand on the stones looking out with the columns tapering away in front of you, it does feel like the path is leading out towards Scotland.

The different textures of the top of the columns are fascinating. Some are slightly concave, just having a gentle hollow worn away by the tides; others are slightly curved the other way like a plump stone cushion and some are slightly pitted with hundreds of tiny pockmarks. Here and there tiny plants were growing between the columns, their delicate little flowers a stark contrast to the charcoal coloured stone.

The section furthest away from the water rises up higher than the rest forming an outer wall if you like; this section is the best palce to see exactly how the causeway is formed from these individual columns and looks like the pipes of an enormous church organ (further along the cliff path there's actually a smaller formation of columns known as the organ pipes, or something similar). In all there are around 40,000 columns, the tallest measuring about 12 metres high.

Rock pools form at the lowest part of the causeway and this is where the younger visitors were having the most fun, splashing around and peering into the pools looking for signs of sealife. While some parts of the stones are easy to access, the differing heights of the columns means that some steps are higher than others so very young children need to be watched at all times. A column can appear low on one side but have a deep drop on the other. People with mobility problems could perhaps use the minibus (which is wheelchair accesssible) to get to the stones and still be able to appreciate the causeway from the outer path.

As well as being such an important geological site, the Giant's Causeway is a stop on what is a really wonderful walking route. We returned to Ballintoy on foot, taking most of the day to cover the ten or so miles (you do need to be quite fit for this walk as there are loads of stiles, some steeps hills and uneven ground and, in some parts, a lot of clambering on rocks) , stopping all the time to take in the stunning views. It's a great place for bird watchers as a number of varieties of seabirds can be seen.

I feel a little ashamed that it's taken me almost to the age of 40 to see the Giant's Causeway, especially when I've travelled quite extensively outside the UK and I can fly to Northern Ireland in thirty minutes. The Giant's Causeway is an unforgettable site, situated on a breathtaking and hauntingly beautiful coast. Who needs Disneyland when you have this free of charge on the doorstep? Close

From journal Three Days on the North Antrim Coast

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants...

by helencbradshaw

Nottingham, United Kingdom

May 3, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo The Giant’s Causeway, on the Antrim Coast, probably needs very little introduction. It is one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites, and is one of the premier attractions in Northern Ireland. It has also been one of the main reasons that I have wanted to ...Read more The Giant’s Causeway, on the Antrim Coast, probably needs very little introduction. It is one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites, and is one of the premier attractions in Northern Ireland. It has also been one of the main reasons that I have wanted to visit this area for some time now. The Giant’s Causeway is currently under the care of the National Trust (NT), as is Carrick-a-Rede Bridge, and so if you take out membership you are already starting to recoup some of the costs in visiting this region. Thankfully this wonderful site has free entry, although you do need to pay for car parking, which is £6 – but free to members.

Entry to the Giant’s Causeway is via the main ticket office. At the moment there is some building works going on, as a new visitor centre is being constructed, said to cost in the region of £18m. We did not find there was any significant disruption during our visit however. The usual National trust gift shop is located here, and adjoins the hotel next door, which houses a smaller shop.
Car parking is worth further explanation – if you visit during the busier periods of the year, then you may need to plan this in advance. It is most likely the site car park will be full, so you will need to make use of the park’n’ride options to the site, including the one at Bushmills, and this one is recommended during the period of the visitor centre works. There is a third car park nearer the attraction, which involves a steeper descent/ascent. We opted to go first thing and arrived before the attraction was technically "open" and so were able to park without problem. You have to pay for the park and ride services, again free for NT members however. The added bonus about going early was that there were very few people around initially we appeared to have the place to ourselves - we picked a Tuesday morning rather than a weekend to avoid the crowds.

There are two ways to get down to the actual causeway itself – either walk along the path for around 15 minutes or so, or take the NT passenger bus, for a nominal amount. Obviously walking is much better and gives you the opportunity to take in the overall view and take some photographs.
The causeway consists of around 40000 stone columns, many in a hexagonal form but this is not uniform as there are also plenty of columns with 5/7/8 sides. Legend has it that these were part of a stone path to Scotland, which was ripped up by the Scottish Giant Fingal to prevent Finn MacCool from reaching him. The great Finn MacCool was also thought to have created the Isle of Man and Lough Neagh by ripping out a great clump of earth and throwing it at his enemy.

Geologists however, confirm that the columns are part of an ancient lava flow, and were created by contracting of the lava and rapid cooling – think about the patterns formed when some mud dries and it starts to make more sense. The same formations are also visible at Staffa in Scotland – also under the care of the NT and the site there is known as Fingal’s Cave (where he fled to – of course)
It’s possible to spend a couple of hours or more down at the site, simply wandering across the many stones, or finding your own spot and simply observing them, listening and watching the waves crash along the shore. Although in places, the columns are several metres high, it is generally easy to walk over them, although care will be needed in the more uneven areas, and you do need to think of your route back. The stones which are most washed by the sea appear black and visitors are advised not to walk along these, as there is an obvious slip risk. There are several stones to look out for, including the rather bizarre Fingal’s boot, the Organ, the Camel and the Wishing Seat. My picture of the boot does not show its true size, as it’s easy for an adult to lie on the top of the boot.

Surprisingly, for a site which is so unusual, it was not documents until the late 17th century and it was designated a UNESCO site in 1986. Its protected status is crucial when you consider the diversity of the area – the cliffs, shores and marshlands surrounding are home to 200 species of plants and 50 different bird species.
If you can hold off on your visit until the new visitor centre is open, then you can look forward to enhanced trails, a well design visitor centre which will be sunken into the ground with grass roof and will display more information e.g. on erosion challenges, wildlife, and archive information from the site. Visit www.agiantcause.com for information, or if you want to sponsor a stone.

A magical place and one of the many highlights that make a trip to Northern Ireland very special indeed. The Causeway Coastal route has also been designated one of the world’s great road journeys and is an extremely popular walking destination.

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From journal 10 day Holiday in Northern Ireland

Myth or science...its still amazing

by rufusni

Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

April 20, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo The Giant's Causeway is located just a few short miles away from the village of Bushmills, which is also famed for its whiskey! There are a few options for transport to the Giant's Causeway - there is a park and ride option from Bushmills, a short ...Read more The Giant's Causeway is located just a few short miles away from the village of Bushmills, which is also famed for its whiskey! There are a few options for transport to the Giant's Causeway - there is a park and ride option from Bushmills, a short restored train track, the Ulsterbus public bus route along this part of the coast - but to be honest if you are going to see this part of the coastline - its best with a combination of foot and car - though cycling is also to be recommended because you wouldn't want to rush it.

There is a car park at the entrance to the Giant's Causeway - and it does cost a reasonable amount to park. There is also major construction work ongoing in trying to build a new visitor's centre at the moment - and so the carparking was more limited and the facilities are not the most exciting - but adequate!

You arrive at the entrance which is some distance from the actual causeway - and you have a choice - they do run a shuttle bus up and down to the causeway - the walk is not that far- so we walked down but decided on this occasion to take the bus back up, and you must buy a ticket on the bus. There is no timetable on the shuttle - it just runs up and down every so often depending on how busy things are. The walk down is on a smooth tarmac footpath.

The Giant's Causeway is made up of hexagonal columns. While the scientific explanations for this unusual phenomenon deal with lava and so on - and there are noticeboards explaining this - as well as some of the park rangers on the shuttle bus, the myth is much more interesting in good Irish storytelling style. It focuses on the giant Finn McCool who had a rival Scottish giant, and in having flung things at one another, they build a bridge to fight in person. But the Scottish giant sneaks over the bridge the night before the fight - Finn on finding this out had the help of his wife, who disguised him as a baby. The Scottish giant coming to check out his opponent sees what is supposed to be Finn's baby and is scared with the thought of what size Finn must be then - so he flees back to Scotland and breaks up the bridge as he goes - and all that remains is the small portion of columns that make up the Giant's Causeway. Which makes quite the story.

There are several different rock formations that have been named - from the granny climbing up the hill, the organ made up of long columns in the hillside. But this year was the first time we actually found the fairy chair - it did take a bit of hunting to find the columns that matched the picture - but that's part of the fun! You can easily climb up and down the rocks - as they act like steps even if a little uneven.

The setting is fabulous beside the sea - and the rocks take on very different lives depending on the weather whether in bright sunshine, stormy days with crashing waves, to a completely calm sea in mist. It is beautiful - and interesting both in science and myth.

There are a few walks about the place - but to be honest you'll not spend more than a couple of hours - in fact many visitors take less than an hour to visit the Causeway. But it is definitely worth visiting! Close

From journal Antrim Antics

Not to be missed!

by karis75

Chicago, Illinois

January 12, 2011

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Giant's Causeway was breathtaking, and the drive there and surrounding coastline just as much so. My friend and I drove from Belfast and did the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge as well. This area is the most beautiful place I've ever been in the world. ...Read more

Do not miss

by AJM54

Coleraine, Minnesota

November 25, 2010

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The Giant's Causeway is located in the North West of Ireland and close to the world famous Old Bushmills Distillery.Currently a new visitors centre will shortly be contructed to replace the temporary buildings. The plans have enjoyed wide respect ...Read more

Northern Irelands number one attraction

by alanmack37

Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

October 10, 2010

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Best of IgoUgo If youre coming to Northern Ireland this is our main attraction and is said to be the 8th wonder of the world. It is situated in the Causeway Park on the North Antrim Coast. The causeway is a spectacular stretch of stilt shaped rocks which are ...Read more If youre coming to Northern Ireland this is our main attraction and is said to be the 8th wonder of the world. It is situated in the Causeway Park on the North Antrim Coast. The causeway is a spectacular stretch of stilt shaped rocks which are naturally shaped, but have the appearance that someone has carved them. The area is mystical and beautiful with the atlantic waves crashing against the stones and as legend would have it, the giant Finn McCool, a much popular giant in Irish folklore has had a great impact in the ownership of this place. The stones are quite amazing, it is imagined that they were formed by volcanic eruptions several millions of years ago.

The walk to the causeway to the stones is quite pleasant, but also a good long 20 minute stroll. Nowadays the causeway Park have laid on a small bus to transport people from the park to the stones but the majority of people choose to take the walk. The area is surrounded by large grassy cliffs which envelope the atlantic ocean waves. The path to and from the area is stony and steep. For elderly tourists and people with health problems it may be advisable to get the bus back on the return journey because the return journey quite steep.

The National trust own this property and regardless of what time of year you decide to come there is a steady stream of tourists. There is a 15 km walk path for enthusiastic walkers which will lead you to Carrick-a rede ropebridge, another of Northern Ireland's main attractions, although the main majority of people choose the walk to the cliff edge where the stones are.

The best way to get to the area is by car. The simple matter of fact is that there are lots of other things to see in the area; Carrick a rede ropebridge, Bushmills distillery, the beautiful beaches of Portrush and Portstewart and therefore a car would be the best way to transport you. Entrance is free as a pedestrian, but there is a £6 charge for cars and a £1 charge for audio guide for the tour. Ulsterbus often do tour buses going to the area, check www.translink.com for further information, or one of the tour companies if youre in belfast.

Allens tours in Belfast do a great day trip which also takes in Dunluce castle, carrick a rede, Glenarm and Dunluce castle as well as a beautiful drive down the north antrim coast, containing some of the most stunning views in Ireland. The day trip costs £20 and can be booked at www.allenstours.co.uk.

There is also a nice coffee shop at the Causeway Park which provides some great snacks and fantastic hot choclate on a cold day.

I thoroughly recommend a visit to this, you will be blown away by it all.

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From journal Northern Ireland attractions

The Giant’s Causeway – The Stepping Stones of Legend

by BawBaw

West Virginia, West Virginia

July 13, 2010

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Best of IgoUgo Ireland thrives on legends that blend myth and reality in an unknowable measure. It is a land of saints and dragons, warrior-kings and gods, fairies and giants. It is a land of mystery and music. And at the northernmost edge of this green and ...Read more

From journal Irish Roving

Have a Blast at the Giant's Causeway

by travelswithkids

chicago, Illinois

October 4, 2009

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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 ...Read more

From journal Ireland's North Coast

Giants Causeway

by hagnel2

Hamilton, Ontario

November 21, 2006

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Best of IgoUgo 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 ...Read more 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. Close

From journal Out and Around the Antrim Coast

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Giant's Causeway

One Giant's Step for Mankind

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants...

Myth or science...its still amazing

Not to be missed!

Do not miss

Northern Irelands number one attraction

The Giant’s Causeway – The Stepping Stones of Legend

Have a Blast at the Giant's Causeway

Giants Causeway