The Coastal Roads of Northern Ireland
Persistent rain throughout 2024 meant that many of the adventures I had planned became missed opportunities. And as the year sailed by, frustration set in. Until in mid July, a small window of just three days appeared. The stars had finally aligned and it was an opportunity I couldn’t waste.
Day-1 : 305 miles
Three days wasn’t quite long enough for the trip I wanted to film, but it was all I had and I knew that most of the Coastal Route could be done in a long day. So that was my plan; one day to get there, one day to explore and then one day to get home.
As with a lot of adventures, the first section was a long ride on a motorway, this time heading north towards Scotland. Hanging left after The Lake District, I turned onto the A75 towards Cairnryan where my Stena Line ferry awaited. I’d taken the ferry to Belfast several times in my youth, but this would be my first time riding a motorcycle onboard and strangely, I felt a little nervous about it. But I needn’t have been concerned, it’s a really straight forward process and before I knew it I was riding down the length the ship towards helpful chaps in high viz jackets, who very kindly secured my bike and ushered me towards the upper decks to wait out the voyage. A little over two pleasantly calm hours later and we arrived into Belfast harbour, ready to disembark.
Opting not to stay in a city centre hotel, I booked a couple of nights at Kilcreeny Lodge, just west of Belfast. Situated amongst rolling farmland, the lodge is in a great semi-secluded spot where you can rest easy that your bike won’t catch the eye of thieves during the night. As a last minute booking, I got a three birth room for two nights at just £140, with breakfast included. Even as a solo traveler this was a great deal, but if you’re travelling with friends and don’t mind sharing a room, it’s a value lodging that’s hard to beat.
Day-2: 170 miles
One of the things I wanted to do on this trip was take photos of my bike at the famous Dark Hedges during sunrise. So at 5am, I quietly tiptoed my way out of my room and then proceeded to wake the entire lodge by firing up the bike and setting off. The small pang of guilt I felt at waking a few of the slumbering residents quickly evaporated I was treated to a great ride through the cold morning Irish fog; only to find that vehicle access to the Dark Hedges road is no longer allowed. Even just viewing the Hedges by motorcycle is made difficult by having to leave your bike unattended in a dark carpark, and from there it's a long walk to the road. This was not for me, so I pointed the bike north and rolled the tarmac under me.
A short hop later and I arrived at Dunluce Castle, a magnificent medieval ruin if ever there was one. Of course I was far too early to access the castle itself, but if you find yourself in the area when it’s open, I highly recommend making time to walk around the ruins. From this point my plan was to follow the road east, hugging the coast as best I could.
Not far away lies Ireland's most famous attraction, Giant’s Causeway. There are two ways to get to the Causeway, approaching either from the east or west. The western most car park is dominated by a large National Trust gateway and building. Charging a fairly outrageous £25 for car/motorcycle parking (free to NT members), the start of the actual Causeway area is a 10 or 15 minute walk away from the main entrance.
Visiting the Causeway from the eastern point is a much cheaper affair, but it’s a long walk along a clifftop path and the parking isn’t as secure. From either direction you should allow at least an hour for the walk there and back, especially if you want to include a little sightseeing along the way.
Leaving the Causeway, riding a short distance east I stopped off at the little fishing port of Balintoy Harbour. It’s a quaint and quiet place; with a shop, seafront benches and toilets if you need them. From there I rode down the B15 towards Ballycastle for lunch, and then onto Torr Head. This part of the trip was a real highlight for me. Torr Head itself is an interesting spot to visit, from the old lookout post you can clearly see the Scottish coastline on all but the foggiest of days. Once I'd had my fill of gazing across the sixteen miles to Scotland, it was time to move on.
The small road leading from Torr Head to Cushendun is truly magnificent. Hugging the side of the cliffface as it winds its way along the coast is about as a rewarding a motorcycle ride as I’ve ever experienced.
Sadly though it’s over far too soon, Glenariff marks the end of the mountain section and a noticeably flatter landscape beckons. But this part of the Coastal road is exactly what it says on the tin. Riding at sea level, all that separates you from the sea is a small wall and tyres that grip. It’s a great stretch of tarmac that every motorcyclist should ride at some point. Reaching Larne at the end of this section is really the eastern most edge of the Coastal Road. From here suburban areas loom and the route takes on a much more inner city feel. I carried on to Carrickfergus Castle as my own end point for the ride, then from there I headed inland for a personal visit to a place I once lived.
Day-3: 305 miles
There wasn’t much time for sightseeing on my final day. I had a ferry to catch, a long ride home and an ominous weather forecast that said I was going to get very wet later on. But on the way to the ferry terminal I chose to ride straight through the centre of Belfast and do a quick ride by of the “Peace Wall”. It’s a strange relic of the violence that blighted Belfast during the Troubles. Even stranger is that it’s still in use today, many claiming that the nightly closing of the gates still saves lives. After a short ride along both sides of the wall, I made my way to the terminal and prepared myself for the long ride back to normality.
Trip thoughts
Only giving myself one day to ride a part of Northern Ireland was a mistake. There’s so much to see, so many great roads to ride and a surplus of incredible vistas available at every turn that I’ve vowed to go back to do it justice. But even though I didn’t have much time I don’t regret going, I did what I could in the time I had, and it was worth it. If you have longer; five days or a week to spare and you’ve tired of the same old France/Spain/Germany routes, I’d urge you to consider Northern Ireland, there’s really nowhere like it.
On a final note, I had some questions about how safe it is to ride in Northern Ireland. There are definitely some areas where a British bike, with a British numberplate, being ridden by a chap with a British accent wouldn't be so welcome. But you're very unlikely to accidentally end up in those places if you're riding the coastal route. On my trip I experienced nothing but a welcoming friendliness from everyone I spoke to, so I'd say if you're considering a trip to Northern Ireland, don't let safety concerns put you off visiting.