It’s a shore thing
EMMA ROBERTSON experiences the fascinating history and awe-inspired natural beauty of Northern Ireland
D
espite being one of our bucket-list destinations – and a convenient distance from home – we still hadn’t visited Northern Ireland. So after much research, we decided to take the plunge with a weekend-long road trip. With so much to see and do, it was the only way to get around and tick off as much as possible in a few short days, plus it was a great way to see the full beauty of Ireland as a family. Flying into Belfast meant a mere hop across the Irish Ballygally Bay is a breathtaking beauty spot on The Causeway Coastal Route
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Sea, and from there we hired a car. However, there are equally accessible ferries leaving from various locations in England and Scotland, so you do have the option of taking your own car. As we were keen to get out and explore the more adventurous side of Northern Ireland, we didn’t stay in Belfast for long, although the city is definitely somewhere we’d return to. We did, however, make a quick pitstop at Titanic Belfast, which has claimed the title of World’s Leading Tourist Attraction. It was a fabulous ‘indoors day’ option for the family with so many interactive features and exhibitions for all ages. The children especially loved the ride that takes visitors on a journey through the construction of the ill-fated liner. It brought the history alive for them. As we only went for a long weekend – with kids and luggage – we chose to stay in one location for the duration. We opted to make a Hastings Hotel property, Ballygally Castle Hotel, our base. It was perfect for exploring The Causeway Coastal Route and all the adventures to be had along the rugged shores. As the hotel is based right on the coast, there are beautiful views out over Ballygally Bay
Ballygally Castle boasts spacious family rooms
and towards Scotland, as well as a generous garden for the children to enjoy. The hotel is positioned at the start of the scenic Antrim Coast, near the foot of the famous nine Glens of Antrim, and Gobbins Path, a famous and dramatic coastal walk originally built in the early 20th century. It’s one of the area’s leading tourist attractions, comprised of staircases along the cliff edges, dramatic tubular bridges and numerous tunnels. We stayed in one of the six family rooms in Ballygally Castle, which were spacious and comfortable, but the main selling point for the children was the idea of staying in a real castle – especially one with its very own ghost room. Lady Isabella Shaw is the castle’s resident ghost, with numerous
