The Giant's Causeway is the most famous natural site in Northern Ireland: around 40,000 basalt columns, almost all of them hexagonal, fitted together like the tiles of a floor, stepping down from the cliff and into the Atlantic Ocean. It lies on the north coast of County Antrim and is the only place in Northern Ireland recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Legend has it that it was built by a giant.
The geology
Around 50 to 60 million years ago this area saw intense volcanic activity. Rivers of basalt lava poured over the land and, cooling slowly, contracted and cracked into regular columns, just as mud does when it dries in the sun. Most of the columns have six sides, but there are also some with four, five, seven and eight. The tallest reach about 12 metres. The same phenomenon created, on the other side of the sea, Fingal's Cave on the Scottish island of Staffa.
The legend
According to Irish legend, the giant Finn McCool built the causeway to cross the sea and challenge the Scottish giant Benandonner. But when he saw how enormous his rival was, he ran home in fright. His clever wife Oonagh disguised him as a baby and put him in a cradle. When Benandonner arrived and saw the size of the "baby", he thought the father must be gigantic and fled back to Scotland, tearing up the causeway behind him. Only the two ends remained: here and on Staffa.
- 60-50 million years agoLava flows form the basalt columns
- 1693The Royal Society in London brings the site to scientists' attention
- 1739The painter Susanna Drury depicts it in famous watercolours
- 1961The site passes to the National Trust
- 1986The Giant's Causeway becomes a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- 2012The new visitor centre opens
What to see
The columns
From the visitor centre a path leads down in about 15 minutes to the Grand Causeway, the main expanse of columns, where you can walk and clamber over the stones. You can pick out some formations with curious names: the Wishing Chair, a natural seat formed by the columns, the Giant's Boot, a large boulder shaped like a shoe, and the Organ, a wall of tall vertical columns resembling organ pipes. A shuttle bus runs for those who prefer not to walk.
The clifftop trails
From the top of the cliff, the red trail and the blue trail offer spectacular views over the bays and the basalt amphitheatres. A long staircase, the Shepherd's Steps, links the cliff to the shore. The Causeway Coast Way coastal path continues for miles along bays and headlands.
The visitor centre
The visitor centre, a modern building half-buried in the ground with a façade of basalt-like columns, tells the story of the geology, legends and history of the site through an interactive exhibition. Access to the columns is free, while the visitor centre ticket includes parking, the exhibition and an audio guide.
Getting there
- By train: from Belfast or Derry to Coleraine or Portrush, then bus (in summer the Causeway Rambler).
- By car: about an hour and a quarter from Belfast and an hour from Derry, along the scenic Causeway Coastal Route.
- By air: Belfast International Airport and City of Derry Airport are about an hour away.
Nearby
- The Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, suspended between the coast and a small island.
- The ruins of Dunluce Castle, perched above the sea, and the Bushmills distillery.
- The Dark Hedges, an avenue of beech trees made famous by Game of Thrones. See also Northern Ireland and the UNESCO sites of the United Kingdom.
Tips
- How long: two to three hours for the columns and the trails; a full day with the coast.
- When to go: all year round; early in the morning or at sunset there are fewer people and the light is better.
- A tip: wear shoes with a good grip, because the wet stones are slippery, and keep away from the water's edge when the sea is rough.