Northern Ireland’s only inhabited offshore island
Six miles off Ballycastle, shaped like an upside-down L, Rathlin Island is home to around 150 people, more than ten times as many seabirds and a sense of calm you won’t find anywhere on the busy Causeway Coast. There are no visitors’ cars, a single pub, a handful of places to stay and some of the most spectacular cliffs in Ireland. A day trip is lovely, but staying the night, when the last ferry has gone, is something special.
Remember it’s Northern Ireland, so prices are in pounds sterling.
Crossing over
Ferries leave Ballycastle harbour several times a day, all year, weather permitting. Depending on the boat, the crossing takes between about 25 and 45 minutes, and on a calm day you may see seals, porpoises or even dolphins on the way. Visitors travel as foot passengers: book ahead in summer, and check the weather, because the sea between Rathlin and the mainland can be rough.
Seabirds and the West Light
Rathlin’s west cliffs hold one of the largest seabird colonies in the UK and Ireland, with tens of thousands of guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes, and puffins from late April to early August. The RSPB’s West Light Seabird Centre, in an upside-down lighthouse built into the cliff, is the best place to watch them, but note that it’s closed for the whole of 2026 and due to reopen in spring 2027. You can still walk the island’s trails and see seabirds from the clifftops.
Walking the island
- Roonivoolin Trail: a walk through grassland in the south of the island to cliffs and a viewpoint over the sea, with a chance of hares and wildflowers.
- Ballyconagan: a walk to the north coast, with views across to Scotland’s Mull of Kintyre on a clear day.
- Kebble National Nature Reserve: the wild western end of the island, around the West Light.
- Church Bay: the harbour, with the island’s pub, a café, the boathouse visitor centre and a seal colony on the rocks nearby.
It’s about 4.5 miles from the harbour to the West Light. In season, minibuses and bike hire are available at the harbour if you’d rather not walk it.
History and legend
Rathlin has a long and sometimes bloody history. Bruce’s Cave is where Robert the Bruce is said to have hidden in 1306 and watched a spider try again and again to spin its web, inspiring him to fight on for the Scottish crown. In 1898, Marconi’s company carried out early radio transmissions between Rathlin and Ballycastle. The Boathouse Visitor Centre at Church Bay tells the island’s story.
Ballycastle and the coast
Ballycastle is a friendly seaside town with a long beach, good pubs and the Ould Lammas Fair, one of Ireland’s oldest fairs, every August. It’s also the gateway to the Causeway Coast: Fair Head, a huge headland with one of the best cliff walks in the North, is ten minutes away, and the Giant’s Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge are within half an hour.
When it rains
On a wet day, stay on the mainland: the Boathouse Visitor Centre on Rathlin is small, and the ferry can be cancelled in rough weather. In Ballycastle, there are cafés and pubs; the Giant’s Causeway visitor centre and the Old Bushmills Distillery are half an hour away.
Where to eat and drink
On Rathlin, McCuaig’s Bar at Church Bay is the island’s pub and the hub of island life, and there’s a café near the harbour in season. Ballycastle has a good choice of restaurants and pubs, and fresh seafood is the thing to order.
Good to know before you go
- Northern Ireland uses pounds sterling, though cards are accepted almost everywhere.
- The West Light Seabird Centre is closed in 2026 and due to reopen in spring 2027.
- Ferries are weather-dependent. Check the morning you travel, and don’t book a tight onward connection.
- Bring water, snacks and waterproofs: there are few shops on the island.
Which area to stay in
For the real island experience, stay on Rathlin: there are a few guesthouses, self-catering cottages and a hostel, and they book up early. Ballycastle has more choice and makes an easy base for a day trip.
A two-night plan
Friday: arrive in Ballycastle, walk the beach and have dinner in town.
Saturday: the morning ferry to Rathlin, walk out to the West Light cliffs and the Roonivoolin trail, and a pint in McCuaig’s before the ferry back, or stay the night.
Sunday: Fair Head in the morning and the Giant’s Causeway on the way home.
Rathlin is at its best from the May bank holiday to the summer, for the seabirds and the long evenings. Combine it with the Causeway Coast or Derry.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the ferry to Rathlin Island?
Between about 25 and 45 minutes from Ballycastle, depending on the boat. Ferries run all year, weather permitting.
When can you see puffins on Rathlin?
From late April to early August. The RSPB West Light Seabird Centre is the best place to watch them, but it’s closed in 2026 and due to reopen in spring 2027.
Can you take a car to Rathlin Island?
Visitors normally travel as foot passengers. Walk, hire a bike or use the island minibus in season.
Is a day trip to Rathlin enough?
A day trip covers the harbour and a walk to the cliffs, but staying a night lets you see the island at its quietest.
Where we’d stay
A seafront hotel in Ballycastle, a short walk from the ferry.
Search Rathlin's guesthouses, cottages and hostel, and book early.
Search Ballycastle's B&Bs and guesthouses near the harbour.
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Getting there
About three hours from Dublin to Ballycastle, then the ferry.
- By car: about three hours from Dublin via Belfast and the M2 and A26, or an hour and a quarter from Belfast.
- By public transport: trains run from Dublin to Belfast and on to Coleraine or Ballymoney, with buses to Ballycastle.
- The ferry: passenger ferries run from Ballycastle harbour to Rathlin several times a day, all year, weather permitting.
Timetables change, especially on bank holidays, so check with the operator before you travel.
