Thursday 12 September – Carrickfergus to Bushmills

Jamie didn't disturb us and we awoke to a grey drizzly morning (thankfully no leaks!). No particular destination as we started out, our plan just to wander along, stopping off wherever took our fancy, so another quick service then joined the Coastal Causeway Route. This is a well-signposted route generally following the A2 road around the east and north coasts of Northern Ireland, before meeting up with the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland – but that's for later. Clue – the Giants Causeway is on this particular road, another place on our visit list.

Following another signposted “route” we diverted onto the Islandmagee, which took us around the edge of this small peninsular through vaguely scenic countryside before depositing us back where we started. The continuing drizzle didn't help but hey-ho, nothing ventured! Continuing north the drizzle finally eased off and we stopped at the small seaside village of Glenarm, firstly at the T.I. Office where the very friendly lady (she wasn't exactly busy!) loaded us down with leaflets and maps and loads of advice. Then next door to a jewelry maker and exhibition where a small investment in birthday presents was made. Finally we redeployed to a carpark overlooking the sea for lunch and walkies – the tide was in so we didn't go onto the somewhat stony beach, although we did notice that the stones were only black or white, nothing in-between. We later put this down to the geological structure of the land, being black basalt on white limestone.

Rathlin Island - 6 miles off NE coast

Continuing on we passed through several more small but delightful villages as the scenery got progressively better, as well as drier. Thinking ahead we realised that a visit to the Giants Causeway was a realistic goal, especially as we would arrive later in the afternoon when, hopefully, all the tourist coaches would have left. Sure enough there were only a few coaches still in so we circumvented the admission charging Visitor “Experience” (AKA the National Trust Shop), and walked Jamie down along the path to the stones.

After a 15 minute stroll we came to the site – and all we can say is we were somewhat under-whelmed! Yes it was interesting to see the geometric crystal-like shaped basalt rock, although hundreds of people clambering all over it did detract somewhat from the spectacle, but we think it has been over-hyped. It is very obviously a huge money-spinner for The National Trust, who manage and operate the attraction but in our opinion is not worth actually paying to see. Which we didn't anyway, being members, and also got into the Visitor Centre free too, although purchase of yet more souvenir T-shirts meant we didn't get away entirely scot free!

But at least we had visited, so another box ticked and we're ready to find our next stopover. The excellent Campercontact phone app suggested a suitable place just a couple of miles along the road in the village of Bushmills – aha another name on our list! It's just another carpark, this time the park-and-ride for the Giants Causeway, but it was quite adequate despite no services so we joined a few other vans and settled in for the night.

The weather had now turned bright and clear with the promise of a good few days ahead – but we quickly learned never to trust the weather in Ireland!