Posts

Showing posts from March, 2016

Northern Ireland – 2: Coastal drive to the Giant’s Causeway

Image
  Overview: Visit to the UK is incomplete without visiting Northern Ireland. A country which has cultural links with both Republic of Ireland and the UK, is a tourist's delight. We started our morning with a scenic drive from Belfast along the coast. We stopped enroute at the 12th century Carrickfergus Castle. Built by Norman explorer John de Courcy, it is one of the most well preserved structures from the medieval period.   From Carrickfergus  Castle we proceeded further along the coastal route. We saw many pretty villages enroute, called 'Glens' or valleys of Antrim. These Glens are Glenarm, Carnlough, Cushendall, Cushendun, Ballycastle.   Our next major attraction was Carieck-a-Rede rope bridge near Ballintoy. The bridge links the mainland to the island of Carrickarede. Though initially used by fishermen to reach the island, this bridge is now developed and is made a tourist attraction offering delightful views of the Rathlin Island and Scotla

Northern Ireland - 1: A visit to the historic city, Belfast

Image
  Overview: Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, is one of the most visited cities in the UK. We walked around the city to get a flavour of Belfast. Recovered from the 'Troubles' in the 1990s, the city has emerged as one of the best cities of the world. We can still see the murals from those times on Shankill Road. There is a 60 feet wall which separates the Catholics and Protestant areas. One of the main attractions of Belfast is the Belfast Castle dating back to 12th century built by the Normans. The Castle built on the slopes of a hill overlooks the city. Belfast is also known for the Titanic, which was built in the city’s docks before starting its fateful voyage from Southampton in 1912. Belfast also boasts of a rich musical culture with many Irish bands based out of Belfast.         . References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belfast How to reach: Belfast has direct road/rail links from the Republic of Ireland. From other parts of the UK, Belfa