Last Updated: 2026-10-20 20:24:03
Giant's Causeway
Stepping stones of a giant, or the work of an ancient volcano? You decide.
Finn McCool's stepping stones
On the north coast of County Antrim, about 40,000 basalt columns, most of them six-sided, step down into the sea like a giant's pavement. Geologists date them to volcanic activity around 50 to 60 million years ago, when a lava flow cooled and cracked into near-perfect columns.
Local legend has a better story: the Irish giant Finn McCool built the causeway to reach his Scottish rival Benandonner, then fled home when he saw how big Benandonner was. The site was named Northern Ireland's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.
Don't miss
- The Wishing Chair, the Organ and the Giant's Boot, rock formations along the shore path.
- The red cliff-top trail for the view down over the columns.
- Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, swinging 30 m above the sea to a small island.
- Dunluce Castle, a dramatic clifftop ruin, and the Dark Hedges beech avenue made famous by Game of Thrones.
- Bushmills, home of a whiskey distillery licensed since 1608.
Quick facts
Where: Bushmills, Co. Antrim
Region: Northern Ireland (Causeway Coast)
From Dublin: about 3 h by car
From Belfast: about 1 h 15 min
Currency: pound sterling (£)
Entry: the shore path is free; the visitor centre charges admission
Good for: geology, coastal walks, families
Local tip
There is no border check between the Republic and Northern Ireland, but speed limits switch from kilometres to miles per hour, and prices from euro to sterling. Check that your car hire covers driving in the North.