North of Belfast Lough

Along the northern and southern shores of Belfast Lough - the broad inlet on which the city lies - are a series of popular seaside resorts. The coast immediately north of the lough is particularly beautiful.

North of Belfast Lough Map

Related Attractions

Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland

The town of Carrickfergus lies on the north side of the lough.

Highlights:	Carrickfergus Castle	Carrickfergus Museum & Civic Centre

Island Magee

Island Magee is a peninsula 7mi/11km long and 2mi/3km wide. A striking feature on the east side of the peninsula is the Gobbins, a stretch of basalt cliffs 253ft/77m high containing a number of caves. There are numerous legends associated with the cliffs and caves. At the end of the peninsula can be seen a megalithic chambered tomb (dolmen).

Larne, Northern Ireland

Quarries and cement works disfigure the coast road to Larne (pop. 18,200), a busy industrial town and seaside resort on Lough Larne. From Larne there are ferry services to Scotland (Stanraer and Cairnryan) and also a ferry to Island Magee.

Carnfunnock Country Park

At Carnfunnock Country Park there is a maze in the shape of Northern Ireland. The park also offers: barbecues, an adventure playground, golf, and a walled garden.

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Museum and Arts Centre

Displays in the Larne Museum and Arts Centre include a turn of the century country kitchen, milk house, butter maker and family history material.

Olderfleet Castle

On Lough Larne there are notable remains of Olderfleet Castle (13th-14th C.; three story keep).

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Ballygalley, Northern Ireland

A romantic and beautiful stretch of road leads from Larne to Cushendun. Having passed through the Black Cave Tunnel, the road rounds Ballygalley Head with its great basalt crags. Ballygalley is a popular seaside resort with an old castle, now a hotel.

Glenarm

From Ballygalley to Glenarm, a little port at the mouth of the River Glenarm, the road is flanked by white limestone cliffs.

Carnlough

The next seaside resort on the scenic road from Glenarm is Carnlough, with a small harbor and good sandy beach.

Waterfoot, Northern Ireland

Waterfoot, at the nearer end of Red Bay on the Antrim coast, is delightfully situated, encircled amphitheaterlike by sandstone cliffs at the mouth of Glenariff.

Glenariff Forest Park

Glenariff is one of the loveliest of the nine Glens of Antrim.

The Glenariff Forest Park offers spectacular walks with three waterfalls, trails along the sheer sides of the gorge, mountain view lookouts and a visitors center.

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Loughside Open Dairy Farm, Ballycarry, Northern Ireland

Loughside Open Dairy Farm is home to fallow deer, Highland cattle, ponies, donkeys, Jacob sheep, Friesian Holstein herds. It also has a bird sanctuary and adventure playground with a miniature train ride.

Whitehead, Northern Ireland

From Carrickfergus a particularly lovely section of coast road runs by way of Whitehead, a popular seaside resort at the mouth of Belfast Lough, to Island Magee.