Tuesday May 27th

What a beautiful day it is outside. I have decided I will try to write a few notes several times throughout the day and add photos in the evening. That way I might not miss recording highlights of the day. 

We have an early start today and have to be at the mud room at 7.45am to board the zodiacs. I can see what I imagine is Rathlin Island out the window of my cabin. 

Well the day just kept getting better.  We had a lovely walk on Rathlin with a local guide who explained some of the history as well as identifying birds, mammals and plants for us.  

According to our guide there was once some discussion as to whether the island should be part of Ireland or Scotland. They applied the “snake test”. Ireland has no snakes but Scotland does have them. There are no snakes on Rathlin therefore it is part of Ireland. 

Our afternoon stop was a coastal resort town on the north coast of Northern Ireland called Portrush. From here we went by bus to visit Dunluce Castle and the Giant’s Causeway. 

Dunluce Castle was built on a rocky outcrop overlooking the sea which was almost an island and would have required invaders to have extremely good claiming skills if the drawbridge was not lowered for them. 

The giant’s causeway is an area of basalt columns which appear as tessellated pentagons, hexagons and maybe octagons (I didn't actually count the sides but am just going on what our guide told us).  In some cases all you see is the top making them look like large tiles but in other places the whole columns are exposed so you see them as columns.  

Folklore has it that there was originally a causeway that stretched from here on the coast or Northern Ireland to Staffa Island near Mull on the west coast of Scotland. Two giants were having a bit of a disagreement and I think one destroyed the causeway to stop the other from getting to him. Geologically the place was very interesting but (as with Edinburgh Cadtle) there were a few too many tourists for me to really enjoy it.