Belfast Castle:

     The Belfast Castle is a beautiful Scottish Baronial castle which is set on the side of Belfast's Cave Hill, 400 feet above sea level. It has beautiful themed gardens, marked walks and a Heritage Center. The Shaftesbury family presented the castle and estate to the City of Belfast in 1934. They were philanthropists, supporting various charities and hosting garden fetes within the castle ground. The interior rooms are opulent and the cellar houses an antique shop selling porcelain, China, jewelry, hand-knitted items and other goods.
     From the end of the 2nd World War until the 1970's the castle became a popular venue for wedding receptions, dances and afternoon teas. In 1978 Belfast City Council instituted a major refurbishment program that was to continue over a period of ten years at a cost of over two million pounds. The building was officially re-opened to the public on 11 November 1988.
The Cave Hill overlooks North Belfast. Its most dominant crag was nick-named Napoleon’s Nose, and was thought to have been the inspiration for Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travel.  The Cave Hill Visitors Centre is divided into four separate rooms. One room tells the story of people on the hill, from Stone Age up to current times; another looks at the natural setting, views both of and from the hill, geology and wildlife. A compact audio visual room shows an 8 minute presentation entitled 'Watching Over Belfast', the story of Belfast Castle and Cave Hill,

     Having learned about the local wildlife at the visitor centre you may wish to view more animals at the nearby Belfast Zoo. Website: HERE  Alternatively you may wish to take a walk in the Cave Hill Country Park. 

     Cave Hill Country Park is the largest area of publicly owned open space in the Belfast area. It came into public ownership through a series of purchases between 1911 and 1988 by what is now Belfast City Council. There are three marked walks around the park; first, the Castle Trail  (about 30 minutes) that takes in both the maze and the castle. Then there is the Estate Trail (about an hour) and, finally, the more challenging Cave Hill Trail that goes up past the caves and old iron mines to McArt’s Fort (about 2 and a half hours).

     If you've a fear of heights or aren't in good health, you might want to skip this trip. The hike out to the bridge location is fairly long and  uphill. There are also many stone steps at the end of the hike that would be slick and treacherous in rain. However, if you like challenges - the views of the sea are phenomenal.  The bridge itself, made of rope and wood planks swings a bit when you cross. Thrilling, but perfectly safe, except in high winds then the bridge is closed.

    The Causeway, 5 miles from Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, is contradictory to colorful local lore and was not fabricated by giants or legendary warriors during some distant mythical period. It is the result of ancient volcanic activity that created tens of thousands of vertical, mostly hexagonal, basalt columns. This astonishing assemblage of geometric pedestals, of varying heights and sizes, arcs into a restless grey and green sea and looks at times like a monstrous pipe organ. This World Heritage site and National Nature Reserve is 12 miles from Ballycastle. The tops of the volcanic columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea.

     The Giant's Causeway is today owned and managed by the National Trust and it is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland.

     The Old Bushmills Distillery was founded in 1608 and is now owned by the major drinks company Diageo. The distillery is nestled in the small village of Bushmills which is about 3.5 miles from the Giant's Causeway.  Bushmills whiskey is produced, matured, and bottled on-site at the Bushmills Distillery in Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The distillery is a tourist attraction, with around 110,000 visitors per year. Getting there is fairly easy, buses leave from Belfast and Derry, and it's well sign-posted on the route to the Giants Causeway.  But go the causeway first!  Cliffs, sheer drops into the sea and climbing don't work too well with multiple shots of malt whiskey.