This time we're in Belfast, behind me is Stormont the Parliament building, right
here in the capital of Northern Ireland. We're going to be seeing the Giant's
Causeway and touring around a bit of the country.
Belfast and the surrounding area has lots to offer, and we wanted to get the
most out of our weekend. So we hired a car. It was an early 8 a.m. start to make
the hour and a half journey up to the Giant's Causeway, we decided to make a
pit stop on route at the Dark Hedges a famous filming location for the game of
Thrones. Unfortunately the weather wasn't on our
side but nevertheless it was a fairly scenic drive.
The tree formations are stunning and if you arrive early enough you can have the
road to yourselves. For short period we were lucky it was just us and the cows!
Parking at either end is limited although apparently a nearby hotel does offer
parking for two euros. My advice get here before 9:00 a.m as the coaches come
past on their way to the causeway and sure enough as we were leaving a coach
of fifty people started strolling down the lane.
The Giant's Causeway is owned and managed by the National Trust and is
open 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Entrance is £12.50 for
adults and £6.50 for children, this gives you access to the Visitor
Center, volcanic stones and a bus service to reach them if needed. Apparently you
can walk the causeway for free without entering via the National Trust Visitor
Center but as we were already members we chose to use this route.
It is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland and in
1986 UNESCO declared the rock formation a world heritage site the only one in
Northern Ireland.
40,000 black basalt columns some more than 35 feet tall were formed 60 million
years ago when volcanic lava cooled quickly in the cold ocean. However legend
would have you believe that it's the remains of the causeway built by a giant.
The story goes that the mythical Irish giant Finn McCool was challenged to a
fight by a Scottish giant Benandonner. The causeway stretched from Ireland to
Scotland so the two could meet.
In addition to the stone steps there are walking trails of various lengths
you can take. The clifftop trail offer spectacular views of the causeway coast
and northern channel.
Weather conditions can change quickly so even on a sunny day, do bring warm
waterproof clothes. As you can see the low cloud started to obscure the views
so we headed back to the car and on to our next destination.
Driving east along the causeway coastal route for approximately nine miles we
arrive at Carrick-A-Rede a famous rope bridge near Ballintoy in
County Antrim. This is another National Trust managed area.
The hike to the bridge is about one kilometer, which you can do for free
unless you actually want to cross the bridge in which case a steep £9
charge is made. You will need to buy your ticket before starting the walk.
Depending on when you arrive you will be spending significant time waiting in
line this is to allow people to cross both ways which is done in a timed
manner with only one or two allowed on the bridge at a time.
Once on the island there are some spectacular views to be had, so take some
time to soak it all in and take some great photos.
Heading further east we took a detour off the coastal road to Torr head
The roads around Torr Head are arrow and followed the Irish Sea,
so the views are constantly impressive.
As you approach the viewing point you can see on top of the hill the remains
of a Coast Guard Station which you can walk up to if you wish too.
On a clear day you can see across the water to Scotland and the Mull of Kintyre
just 15 miles away, sadly today the weather stop that.
As it was getting late into the afternoon we made our way back to Belfast hugging the coastline
all the way and we'll put the route map in the video description.
For a good night out head to the Cathedral Quarter of the city centre,
It's one of the oldest and most historic. The Dirty Onion provides excellent entertainment with
live music seven nights a week and we stopped here for a few drinks.
A few streets away on a cobbled stone entry, complete with fairy lights
the atmospheric Duke of York is one of Belfast most famous traditional pubs.
Busy but with a great vibe the old-school decor here reflects its links
to old Belfast. If you can't find a seat inside then pull up a chair or
stand in the courtyard.
What better way to start the day than with an Ulster Fry. Maggie May's is well
known in Belfast and has two locations. We picked the full fry, potato pancakes,
soda bread, fried egg, bacon, sausage, tomato and mushrooms. The only thing
missing from making it a true fry was black pudding. One thing to note is that
they don't take credit cards so make sure you have some cash to hand.
The decor is cute in very old school with me mural's of Belfast past including
one large wall dedicated to the Titanic disaster. You'll see this a lot in
Belfast and you'll find out why later.
Mural's have become a symbol of Northern Ireland depicting the region's
past and present political and religious divisions. Driving around the
Shankill Road you can spot many on sides of buildings and walls. We'll put some map
links in the description for you.
Heading out of town east hugging the Stranford Lough, we made our way to
Mount Stewart. Another National Trust gem this neoclassical house and gardens are
listed as a favorite attraction on TripAdvisor
it's a pity it was overcast again.
Open seven days a week entry is £10.45 for adults and
£5.22 for children, worth noting the house doesn't open until 11 a.m.
Many of the displays and current landscapes of the gardens were planned
and planted by Edith Lady Londonderry when she took ownership in 1921.
We were surprised at how extensive the gardens are and have shown you only what we
could see in an hour. We missed the lake with walking trails,
a walled rose garden that is under renovation and one of the oldest
grapevines in the UK a white Syrian planted in 1769. You could easily spend
the whole day here it's ideal for picnics. We managed to get passes for the
guided tour which run every 30 minutes from 11:00 a.m At 1:00 p.m. the house
will be open for free flow tours and the last entry is at 4:30
The house plays host to many items of family memorabilia including paintings, ceramics
furniture and porcelain bought back from the family's travels. The guide was very
knowledgeable and gave interesting background into the workings of a house.
Tours lasts for approximately 45 minutes.
As we drive back into Belfast you can see in the distance Scrabo Tower.
The tower commemorates the 3rd Marquess of Londonderry who was
born Charles William Stewart in 1788 and lived in Mount Stewart. He later changed
his surname to Vane to match his wife's. You can visit the tower and see wide
panoramic views including that of the Mount Stewart estate.
We all know the story of the Titanic but did you know that it was built right
here in Belfast. The museum opened only a few years ago and is a top tourist
attraction commanding at £19 entrance fee but there is so much to see
and do. You will need to allow a few hours to visit the artifacts and White
Star Line exhibits and on this occasion we didn't feel we had enough time to do
it properly so just walked around the free open areas.
We are walking right across the slipways where Titanic was built. At night they illuminate the area
drawing the outline of Titanic.As you reach the end looking out over the docks
the deck has been designed to look like the back of the ship. Turning back you
can imagine the scale and length of this White Star liner, whose bow would have
been touching the museum building.
One White Star Line ship still exists, the SS nomadic was the tender ship to
ferry passengers aboard Titanic. A separate exhibit next to the museum you
can climb aboard for £7.
Decked out in similar style to Titanic, it's the only place you can get a real feel
of what it was like onboard.
For more information on all the attractions here at the titanic museum
visit TitanicBelfast.com
The most famous pub in Belfast is The Crown formerly known as the Liquor
Saloon oozing Victoriana you won't find another place like it. This was our final
stop of the weekend and our last chance to grab the Guinness.
From the wood carvings the yellow red and gold ceiling and a floor laid with
mosaic tiles it's a feast for the eyes and another step back in time.
Next time we're in Southern Ireland touring the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula
in a weekend. Make sure you like and subscribe and hit that
notification button to be kept up to date on our latest videos. As ever from
the MemorySeekers happy travels!
you