Rathlin Island – Northern Ireland’s only inhabited offshore Island: the perfect place for some remote, off-the-wall travel and to see puffins if you are lucky.
Where is Rathlin Island
Rathlin Island lies 6 miles/10 km off the North Antrim Coast in Northern Ireland:
The island has a population of around 160 people. So if you need a trip to get away from it all, I can highly recommend Rathlin Island.
There are no flights to Rathlin Island. The only way to get there is to take the Rathlin Island Ferry from Ballycastle.
I mentioned in my previous post, the one about the pub crawl, that although you probably haven’t heard of Rathlin Island, there are 2 quite famous events that you are probably aware of that are connected to Rathlin Island, but didn’t know they were linked to Rathlin Island.
In 1988, Richard Branson and Per Lindstrom were attempting to fly their hot air balloon, Virgin Atlantic Flyer, across the Atlantic when they were forced to ditch into the sea just off Rathlin Island at Bull Point and were rescued by islander Tommy Cecil.
Branson donated £25,000 towards a rescue boat and the renovation of The Manor House, where I stayed, and the tithe barn, which is now known as the Richard Branson Centre.
And the second, Italian Guglielmo Marconi, the father of radio, oversaw experiments crucial to the development of modern telecommunications on Rathlin Island with the erection of an 80-foot aerial near the East Lighthouse to communicate with Ballycastle Harbour.
The first commercial wireless signal in the world was recorded on July 6 1898.
Marconi won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1909.
A bit further back, Robert the Bruce hid in a cave on the island in 1306 after his defeat by the English at Perth in Scotland.
My Top Things to Do on Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland:
There is more than enough to keep you busy for a couple of days.
RSPB Rathlin West Light Seabird Centre
The RSPB Rathlin West Light Seabird Centre is the main reason people come to Rathlin Island. The Puffin season is from late April to August.
The Puffin Bus meets the ferry and for £5, paid in cash, they take you the 4 ½ miles to the most westerly point of Rathlin Island.
2 companies run the Rathlin Island Puffin Bus:
You get 1 hour to do some bird watching and visit the West Lighthouse, one of 3 on Rathlin Island before the minibus takes you back again. Of course, you can walk back. Which is exactly what I did.
It costs £5 to enter the RSPB centre.
It was quite difficult to see the puffins but thankfully RSPB volunteers are on hand to point them out to you. They have binoculars that you can use.
Other than the puffins, you can easily spot numerous guillemots, kittiwakes, razorbills, and fulmars.
Then there is also the lighthouse which you can visit too.
Hiking on Rathlin Island
The tourist office produces a map with all the walks marked:
I walked out to the East Lighthouse. It’s private property so you can’t go near the lighthouse but you can enjoy the views and if the visibility is good, you can see Islay and the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland.
And it was from here that Marconi sent the wireless transmission to Ballycastle.
Wildlife on Rathlin Island
On my first afternoon, I saw grey seals basking in the afternoon fog, just south of the harbour.
And on the day I left, I saw a pair swimming right next to the ferry.
Was so happy!
The Irish Hare is quite common, but I failed to get a photo, and if you are patient, you can spot the Golden Hare too, with its golden coat and blue eyes.
On the way back from the East Lighthouse, 4 alpacas. These are obviously not wild.
Pub Crawl
The concept of a pub crawl on Rathlin Island, which only had 1 pub, had so much potential, but doing pub crawls and writing about them just ain’t my thing. But alas, go to McCuaig’s Bar and sample their finest.
Everyone is up for a conversation so can make a great evening out. There is a billiard table too.
Churches on Rathlin Island
There are two churches, the Church of the Immaculate Conception:
And St Thomas’ Parish Church:
Standing Stone
The standing stone on a field that doubles as a football pitch:
Enjoy the peace and quiet
Rathlin Island is the most perfect of spots in an age of fast living and non-stop noise.
I loved my time on the island. Come and see for yourself.
Where to stay on Rathlin Island
Most visitors come to Rathlin Island on a day trip. They take the first ferry over and the last one back.
But if you are interested in staying the night, options are limited.
I stayed at the Manor House, the only hotel on the island. I booked a single room for 2 nights, revelling in the luxurious comfort.
It was totally off my backpacker budget, but I was tired of watching my budget every second and tired of room sharing. I needed some privacy. And above all, I wanted to go there!
Things are slightly different these days in that wanting to do something or going somewhere takes priority, to some extent, over the cost involved.
Breakfast at the Manor House is included, which is amazing. They have a restaurant which is open for lunch and dinner, and also for non-guests. They serve wine, bottled beer and a small selection of spirits and whiskeys.
Aside from the Manor House, the Rathlin Glamping Pods offer camping with a spot of luxury.
There is also the Rathlin Hostel, but, as the tourist information office informed me, you have to rent out the whole place. Great for groups, not for solo travellers.
Two or three B&Bs didn’t reopen after Covid, and any others just switched to being holiday cottages.
Room 9 at the Manor House on Rathlin Island:
Other facilities for the traveller on Rathlin Island
There is a tourist office, a souvenir shop, and there is McCuaigs Bar, which doubles as Rathlin Island’s only pub and café, known as The Ebb And Flow café:
There is a cooperative supermarket with limited hours, but every time I passed by, they were closed.
Internet on Rathlin Island
The WiFi at both the Manor House and McCuaig’s Bar was very fast, great for getting some work done, and there is a 4G signal all over the island