Rathlin Island

Rathlin Island sits 9 km off the north Antrim coast, a 25-minute ferry crossing from Ballycastle. It is L-shaped, about 6 km at its longest, and home to around 150 permanent residents — farmers, fishermen and a small tourism industry concentrated around the ferry pier at Church Bay. There is one pub (McCuaig's Bar), one hotel and one community shop. The island operates at its own pace.

The western tip is the reason most visitors come. The West Light Seabird Centre sits at the base of the lighthouse cliffs — upside-down by design, with the lantern at the bottom of the tower rather than the top, because the critical shipping hazard is the base of the cliffs rather than their summit. Between May and July, an estimated 250,000 seabirds nest on the basalt ledges and in the cliff-face crevices: Atlantic puffins, razorbills, guillemots, kittiwakes and fulmars. The puffin colony at Rathlin is one of the largest in Ireland. Access to the West Light is by minibus from the pier — the road is too narrow for regular cars.

Robert the Bruce is said to have sheltered in a cave on Rathlin in 1306, demoralised after defeats in Scotland, and watched a spider persistently rebuild its web until it succeeded — an observation that inspired him to return to Scotland and ultimately win at Bannockburn in 1314. The cave (Bruce's Cave) is on the eastern shore and accessible on foot. The historical basis for the story is uncertain, but Rathlin's connection with Scotland is genuine — on a clear day the Mull of Kintyre is visible from the island's north coast, 22 km away.

The Rathlin Island ferry from Ballycastle must be booked in advance in puffin season — it fills up on good-weather weekends in May, June and July. The guided Viator walking tour meets on the island after the crossing and adds historical and natural history context that the island's limited infrastructure doesn't otherwise provide.