Rathlin Island

If you haven’t been to Rathlin Island put it at the top of your list! It is fabulous! The island is the most northern island off the coast of Ireland and you access it by ferry from the pretty seaside town of Ballycastle on the North Coast.

After a short ferry ride we were on the island. We were lucky to be blessed with lovely weather. Once off the ferry you are in a tiny village. There is a pub and shop and little playground. We boarded a bus for a tour of the island, including a stop at the upsidedown lighthouse where there is also bird centre. Upon arrival at the bird centre and lighthouse we disembarked and headed inside. You can explore the lighthouse (where the ‘house’ part is located at the top and the light is at the bottom) and find out information about the birds found on the island. There are binoculars you can use to look more closely at the sea birds nesting on the cliffs, flying around or even bobbing in the sea. If you go in early summer you will more than likely see puffins. We were there in July and saw some but I am informed that the best time to see them is in May or June.

After some time at the lighthouse we headed back on the bus to the village. The kids had a paddle in the sea and we spotted seals on the rocks. We popped into the gift shop and had a little food at the pub. There was even time for a quick play in the playground before the ferry headed back to Ballycastle. A perfect family day out!