The Giant's Causeway walk
Giant’s Causeway, renowned for its polygonal columns of layered basalt, is the only World Heritage Site in N Ireland. Resulting from a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago, this is the focal point for a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has attracted visitors for centuries. It harbours a wealth of local and natural history. Other noteworthy items include: a Spanish Armada shipwreck site (‘La Girona’) & many traces of the legendary giant – Finn MacCool.
Be careful Fee applies.
A
Moyle walk
posted on 10/02/23 by Walk NI. Last update : 22/02/23
Description
Start : Causeway Visitor Centre, National Trust (BT57 8SU)
Well sign posted c/o the Causeway Coastal Route.
(S/E) From the Visitor Centre, follow a tarred roadway & footpath which descends North down a steep slope, until you arrive at ‘The Stookans’ or Windy Gap, as locals refer to it – evident as here the walker is exposed to the wild Atlantic elements.
From here continue along the tarred roadway (always taking care to mind the popular tourist shuttle bus service) and quickly the first signs of the hexagonal causeway stones will appear.
(1) After 170 m or so, go past the Giant’s Boot, climb up the slope to what looks like a giant church organ (in geological terms – huge columns of basalt make the ‘organ pipes’, hence the local name of ‘The Organ’.) Walk around 1.4 Km.
(2) From here the cliff path continues past ‘The Organ’. For another 400 yards to the headland, at the point of the headland, there is a viewing platform which looks into the spectacularly named ‘Amphitheatre’.
(3) From here, return to The Organ (waypoint (2)), and instead of retracing your steps to the stones climb the steep path left, with lots & lots of steps. Known as the Shepherd’s Path. These 162 steps will take you to the cliff top & on to the North Antrim Cliff Path.
(4) At the top of the steps, turn right (West) and after half a mile you will be back at the visitor centre & car park. (S/E)
Waypoints
- S/E : km 0 - alt. 46 m - Giant's Causeway
- 1 : km 0.17 - alt. 35 m - Begining of the Stones
- 2 : km 1.53 - alt. 38 m - The Organ
- 3 : km 1.91 - alt. 18 m - The Amphitheatre
- 4 : km 2.54 - alt. 56 m - Shepherd’s Path steps
- S/E : km 3.66 - alt. 47 m - Giant's Causeway
Useful Information
Start : Causeway Visitor Centre, National Trust (BT57 8SU)
Well sign posted c/o the Causeway Coastal Route, both from Bushmills and Ballycastle. On B146 and 2 miles from Bushmills.
Parking : "On-site car park reserved for members and Visitor Experience ticket holders. Car park at Innisfree Farm, 60 Causeway Road, is available for parking at £10 per car for walkers to access the network of coastal paths." (Source National Trust website here.)
Terrain : Some steep slopes, Gravel paths
Public Transport : Translink
Facilities : Toilets, Picnic area, Interpretation, National Trust shop & tea room
Dog Policy : Must be kept on a lead
Find more information and walk ideas at Walk NI here.
Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.
During the walk or to do/see around
The Giant’s Causeway is made up of 3 promontories – the Little Causeway (1st feature the walker meets), the Middle Causeway (better known as the ‘Honeycomb’) – which has spectacularly precise hexagonal features, followed by the The Grand Causeway. In this immediate area, evocative place names & features abound – Wishing Chair, Wishing Well & Giant’s Gate (all connected with Finn MacCool folklore).
40,000+ polygonal basalt columns
